The Emperor of Gladness

by Ocean Vuong

“The reason why it’s so good,” she lifted her head, “is because it’s a lie. And incredible things can come out of lies. Just ask good ole Uncle Sam.” “You’re telling me this HomeMarket is the third-most-grossing because of sugar?” Hai swallowed. “Listen, we deceive people by calling this bread. Bread sounds wholesome. You tell the public this is boring old bread, but then it hits their tongues and—boom—it’s cake! And even if it’s the shittiest kind of cake, which it is, they’d think they’ve eaten the best bread in the world.” Sony rushed in to grab a finished rack of corn bread and headed back to the front. “But the question is…” She leaned in, her left eye bloodshot and smeared with eyeliner. “At what point, my friend, does the corn bread become corn cake? Can you locate the crumb where this deception happens?” She waited for an answer, her arms swaying at her sides. Hai considered this. Indeed, at what granular material moment did bread become cake? Or was it always cake, falsely named to amplify bread beyond its potential? “That’s kinda fucked,” he nodded, biting into another one. “I can’t tell.”