Q

'Being Native you're automatically political': Tommy Orange on his debut novel There There

In his debut novel, Tommy Orange paints a kaleidoscopic picture of what it means to exist as a Native American in a sprawling urban landscape.
Tommy Orange is a writer based in California. (Random House)

Originally published on June 14, 2018

In his debut novel, There There, Tommy Orange paints a kaleidoscopic picture of what it means to exist as a Native American in a sprawling urban landscape. Orange is an Indigenous writer and a member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma, who grew up in the urban sprawl of Oakland, California. He's already being heralded as one of the most exciting new voices in contemporary fiction.

Today, Orange joins Ali Hassan to talk about his new book and explain why he felt it was important to amplify his experience and the experience of other Indigenous people through his writing. His debut novel There There is out now.

Produced by Frank Palmer

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