Maryland Humanities has announced the selection of There There by Tommy Orange for the 2023 One Maryland One Book program. Released in 2018, the novel 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.
There There was chosen as this year’s One Maryland One Book by a selection committee of twenty Marylanders, including teachers, scholars, librarians, writers, booksellers, and community workers representing ten counties and Baltimore City. A public call for books under the theme of “Connection” garnered nearly 300 titles, from which the committee then made their selection.
“There There provides us an opportunity to connect with several Native American lives that feel immediate and relevant to the world today,” says Lindsey Baker, Executive Director of Maryland Humanities. “These characters are deeply rooted in their rich, often traumatic histories, yet are instantly recognizable to any reader. Tommy Orange shares with us their triumphs and their struggles, creating fully-rounded characters and journeys to follow.”
Programming starts with a virtual event featuring Orange in conversation with local author Brendan Shay Basham (Diné) on September 7. Orange and Basham will discuss the state of modern Native American literature, how There There fits into that legacy, and what readers can and should think about as they join in during the fall. As the talk is virtual, participants can access it from anywhere with internet service.
Orange will visit Maryland in person at a free talk at Salisbury University on October 12. After the talk, facilitated by Dr. Isabel Quintana Wulf, there will be a Q&A and book signing.
There will also be community programming, like “the American Indian community of East Baltimore,” led by Ashley Minner (Lumbee), and a panel with Handsell House in Dorchester County, run by the Run by the Nanticoke Historic Preservation Alliance.
All events are free
