OMOB Discussion There There by Tommy Orange

“There There” weaves together a cast of twelve interconnected characters from across Native communities, as they converge toward the Big Oakland Powwow. Some contend with sobriety and mental health, while others desire to preserve cultural dance and history. A few, meanwhile, plan to rob the powwow’s contest cash prize. Through these multiple facets, filled with pain, humor, sorrow, and ambition, Tommy Orange gives readers a riveting, modern portrait of the urban Indian experience.

Join us from Mountain Maryland to the Ocean City shore as we read and discuss this memorable novel.

Released in 2018, There There tells the interconnected stories of a cast of twelve Native characters from across generational lines, as they converge toward the Big Oakland Powwow. Together, the stories give a riveting portrait of the urban Indian experience. There There was one of The New York Times Book Review’s 10 Best Books of the Year, and won the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize, as well as the PEN/Hemingway Award.

In the fall, Maryland Humanities will collaborate with partners across the state, including libraries, schools, universities, book clubs, and local Native/Indian organizations to conduct programs where readers can connect with each other and discuss the book’s themes. Maryland Humanities will distribute free copies of There There to partners.  Programming takes place this fall from September to November. All events are free.

The book was chosen with a public call for titles which was then reviewed by a selection committee is comprised of librarians, teachers, writers, editors, and community workers from across the state. Their diverse range of expertise and personal backgrounds help choosing which book will be a collective articulation of what literature can, and should, offer Maryland in 2023.