By Julia Broder
julia@jayaramlaw.com
1. “On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous” by Ocean Vuong
Ocean Vuong’s semi-autobiographical novel is not so much a departure from the author’s previous book of poems; it is a burst of artistic evolution. Written as a letter from a first-generation, queer son to his working-class, Vietnamese mother, it is neither a public expiation or condemnation of past behaviors . The novel is a beautiful mediation on how our lives, and their stories, are necessary parts of our survival.
2. “The Topeka School” by Ben Lerner
Ben Lerner’s third novel is psychologically profound and socially
