Oakland, CA – Acclaimed author and 2018 Pulitzer Prize finalist Tommy Orange will join Oakland Youth Poet Laureate Samuel Getachew for a discussion around Orange’s award-winning novel, There There, on Friday, November 1 at the Oakland Museum of California’s James Moore Theatre.
Referred to by the New York Times as a “revelation”, There There tells the story of urban Native Americans living in Oakland, revealing a complex and real landscape of the Native experience in the Bay Area past and present day. The compelling tale balances the complex and painful histories through twelve characters from Native communities.
Orange was born and raised in Oakland.
The discussion is free to attend and will take place at OMCA’s James Moore Theatre from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM. Seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Since its publication There There has been a national bestseller, received four-starred reviews and was named the Best Book of the Year by the San Francisco Chronicle, New York Times, Washington Post, Time Magazine, and NPR. There There is available for checkout at all branches of the Oakland Public Library.
The conversation with Tommy Orange headlines OPL’s related programming for National Native American Month. In addition, OPL has four additional events planned across Oakland:
Beyond Recognition Film Screening and Discussion
Sat., Oct. 26, 12 PM, Lakeview Branch
Beyond Recognition explores the quest to preserve one’s culture and homeland in a society bent on erasing them. Through cinema verité, interviews, and stunning footage of the land, Beyond Recognition introduces Corrina Gould, Johnella LaRose, and Indian People Organizing for Change as they embark on an incredible journey to transform the way we see cities.
Field Trip to Coyote Hills and Tuibun Ohlone Village Site
Sat., Nov. 2, 12 PM – 4 PM, 81st Ave. Branch
A daytrip to one of the East Bay’s most significant Native American sites for a Naturalist-led walk courtesy of the East Bay Regional Park District. RSVP required: 510-615-5812.
Living on Ohlone Land: A Talk with Corrina Gould
Wed., Nov. 13, 6 PM, Dimond Branch
Lean about indigenous sites in the East Bay and Sogorea Te’ Land Trust, an urban Indigenous women-led community organization that facilitates the retrun of Chochenyo and Karkin Ohlone lands in the Bay Area to Indigenous stewardship.
Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World
Wed., Nov. 20, 6 PM, Golden Gate Branch
The film RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World is an electrifying look at the Native American influence in popular music – despite attempts to ban, censor, and erase Indian culture. The film reveals how early pioneers of the blues and jazz had Native American roots, and as the folk-rock era took hold in the ‘60s and ‘70s, Native Americans helped to define its evolution, forever changing the trajectory of rock and roll.
About OPL
The Oakland Public Library is a part of the City of Oakland in California and has been in existence since 1878. Locations include 16 neighborhood branches, a Main Library, a Second Start Adult Literacy Program, the Oakland Tool Lending Library, and the African American Museum and Library at Oakland (AAMLO). On April 1, 2019, OPL expanded its hours for the first time since 2004 thanks to the passage of Measure D. As of July 1, 2019, OPL no longer collects fines for overdue materials. The Oakland Public Library empowers all people to explore, connect, and grow.
