“No, where is the poem you plagiarized? How did you even write something like this?”
I found this quote from Vuong's teacher quite revealing about the author, as it shows how talented and skillful this author had been at a young age, and provides greater impact for how he considers himself at the end.
As such, I was a fraud in a field of language, which is to say, I was a writer. I have plagiarized my life to give you the best of me.
This section in particular interested me as it is a generally unique interpretation of how writers express themselves using inspiration from past writers before them. To elaborate, I found it fascinating how Vuong could be so articulate in illustrating his past experiences, yet still find himself merely being a person who allegedly 'plagiarizes' off of other exemplary literary or historical figures he has studied before.