A Long Look at Yourself with poets Leandro Reyes and Ocean Vuong

Welcome to Twice 5 Miles Radio, I’m your host, James Navé. In this episode, we begin with Leandro Reyes, Manila’s dynamic “Basyang Kid”—a spoken-word artist who channels a century-old literary legacy into powerful performances, poetic craft, and cultural community-building. From open mic stages across Makati to the pages of Postscript Magazine, Leandro honors the legacy of his great-grandfather, Severino “Lola Basyang” Reyes—the iconic playwright and “Father of Tagalog Zarzuela”—while forging his own bold new path. His debut poem, “Sugarcoats,” contemplates loss with quiet precision, and his work in theater and advocacy reveals a deep devotion to Filipino artistry and imagination. Then we travel from Manila to Taos for a conversation I recorded a few years ago with Ocean Vuong, bestselling author of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous and his current novel, The Emperor of Gladness, published on May 13, 2025. Ocean was in Northern New Mexico for the Taos Poetry Festival, and we sat down to talk about poetry, language, loss, and what it means to carry beauty and grief in the same breath. To close the show, I offer a short writing workshop—an invitation called “A Long Look at Yourself.” It’s a simple, powerful practice in awareness and emotional truth, designed to help you connect with your voice and see your own story in a fresh light. Whether you're a writer, a listener, or someone simply curious about the human spirit, I hope this episode offers you something to carry with you.