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Remarkable Voices, Author Series

A Conversation with Tommy Orange

Hear a moderated conversation with Pulitzer Prize finalist and American Book Award winner Tommy Orange ("There There"). Discover his writing process and themes of Native American culture and history.

Meeker Homestead Tours: 5:30-6:45 p.m.

Author Presentation Doors Open: 6:30 p.m.

Author Presentation: 7:00 p.m.

Book Signing: 8:00 p.m.

Tommy Orange’s There There is an exceptional debut novel that grapples with the history of a nation while showcasing a side of America few of us have ever seen. After noticing a lack of stories about urban Native Americans, Orange created a remarkable work that explores those who have inherited a profound spirituality, but who are also plagued by addiction, abuse, and suicide. There There tells the story of twelve characters who each have private reasons for traveling to the Big Oakland Powwow, and who come together after a brutal act of violence. 

Orange’s There There is a national bestseller that won the PEN/Hemingway Award, the National Book Critics Circle John Leonard Prize, the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, and the American Book Award. It was also shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. It appeared on countless “Best Books of the Year” lists, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, Time, O: The Oprah Magazine, GQ, Entertainment Weekly, and Buzzfeed.

A brilliant new writer at the start of a major career, Orange talks about his craft, the writing process, and Native American history and culture, often with meticulously researched visual presentations. In his 2017 opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times, “Thanksgiving is a tradition. It’s also a lie,” he confronted the violent past of the American holiday, asking readers to challenge their traditions. He is a 2014 MacDowell Fellow and a 2016 Writing by Writers Fellow, as well as a recent graduate from the MFA program at the Institute of American Indian Arts. Tommy Orange is an enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma, and was born and raised in Oakland, California. He now lives in Angels Camp, California, with his wife and son.

Join us in The Meeker Homestead next door to The Barn at Stratford for a tour of the Delaware County Historical Society's Indigenous Peoples of Delaware County exhibit prior to the presentation. In the spirit of respect, we share the stories and the cultural objects of the Indigenous Peoples of Delaware County.  

Opening remarks and introductions will be provided by Jennifer Aultman, World Heritage Director at the Ohio History Connection. The conversation will be moderated by Delaware County District Library Director George Needham. Questions will be accepted in advance and the night of the presentation. Please email pr@delawarelibrary.org with the subject line "Tommy Orange" to submit your questions in advance.

Books will be made available for sale through Beanbag Books both in advance at their store in downtown Delaware and the night of the event. 

Seating for this event is limited. Please purchase your $10 ticket through the Friends of the Library. Scholarships are available; please inquire at pr@delawarelibrary.org. 

The "Remarkable Voices" author series is presented by the Delaware County District Library, in partnership with the Friends of the Library, Beanbag Books, Delaware County Historical Society, and the Strand Theatre.