There There is a powerful novel written by Native American author Tommy Orange. It explores the lives of twelve characters who are connected in various ways, all leading up to a fateful event at the Big Oakland Powwow. The book delves into themes of identity, belonging, and the struggles faced by Native Americans in contemporary society. Orange’s writing is poignant and thought-provoking, leaving readers with a deep understanding of the complexities of Native American experiences. Here are some quotes from There There that highlight the beauty and depth of the novel.
“We’ve been defined by everyone else, you know? The alcohol, the welfare, the rez, the loudmouth, the ‘Indian standard time,’ the drums, the dancing, the chanting, the Sweetgrass, the feathers—how do we define ourselves?” – Tommy Orange, There There
“You gotta know you’re leaving something good behind. You gotta know the memory of that place is more than a surface. You gotta know you’re leaving something good behind because you’ve been there.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“Each song is a story, and each story carries with it who we are, what we’ve done, and what we’ve seen. I want to know all of it, everything, because we are what we know.” – Tommy Orange, There There
Read these quotes from There There
“This is the thing: If you have the option to not think about or even consider history, whether you learned it right or not, or whether it even deserves consideration, that’s how you know you’re on board the ship that serves hors d’oeuvres and fluffs your pillows, while others are out at sea, swimming or drowning, or clinging to little inflatable rafts that they have to take turns keeping inflated, people short of breath, who’ve never even heard of the words hors d’oeuvres or fluff.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“You have to know the past to understand the present.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“These are the things we lost in the fire, the memories we’ve been trying to find in that second before it’s all gone.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“We all came to the powwow for different reasons. The messy, dangling threads of our lives got pulled into a braid—tied to the back of everything we were doing on that day, in that moment. Our stories collided and danced together.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“The best songs remind you of other songs, and each time you hear them, they grow a little bigger.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“We are all related, are we not? Linked by blood and memory. And if we don’t remember our ancestors, if we don’t remember the stories, then we are adrift, floating in a sea of amnesia.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“We’ve got to be good to each other. You’ve got to be forgiving. You’ve got to be understanding. You’ve got to be good for each other. We can’t do it alone, doing our own thing.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“We all came from somewhere. We carry our history. We are our history.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“We are the memories we don’t remember, which live in us, which we feel, which make us sing and dance and pray the way we do, feelings from memories that flare and bloom unexpectedly in our lives like blood through a blanket from a wound made by a bullet fired by a man shooting us in the back for our hair, for our heads, for a bounty, or just to get rid of us.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“This is the thing: If you have the option to not think about or even consider history, whether you learned it right or not, or whether it even deserves consideration, that’s how you know you’re on board the ship that serves hors d’oeuvres and fluffs your pillows, while others are out at sea, swimming or drowning, or clinging to little inflatable rafts that they have to take turns keeping inflated, people short of breath, who’ve never even heard of the words hors d’oeuvres or fluff.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“You have to know the past to understand the present.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“These are the things we lost in the fire, the memories we’ve been trying to find in that second before it’s all gone.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“We all came to the powwow for different reasons. The messy, dangling threads of our lives got pulled into a braid—tied to the back of everything we were doing on that day, in that moment. Our stories collided and danced together.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“Cities have the capability of providing something for everybody, only because, and only when, they are created by everybody.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“The best songs remind you of other songs, and each time you hear them, they grow a little bigger.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“We are all related, are we not? Linked by blood and memory. And if we don’t remember our ancestors, if we don’t remember the stories, then we are adrift, floating in a sea of amnesia.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“We’ve got to be good to each other. You’ve got to be forgiving. You’ve got to be understanding. You’ve got to be good for each other. We can’t do it alone, doing our own thing.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“We all came from somewhere. We carry our history. We are our history.” – Tommy Orange, There There
“We are the memories we don’t remember, which live in us, which we feel, which make us sing and dance and pray the way we do, feelings from memories that flare and bloom unexpectedly in our lives like blood through a blanket from a wound made by a bullet fired by a man shooting us in the back for our hair, for our heads, for a bounty, or just to get rid of us.” – Tommy Orange, There There
These quotes from There There offer glimpses into the profound storytelling and introspection found within the novel. Tommy Orange’s writing captures the complexity of Native American experiences and challenges readers to consider the impact of history and identity on contemporary society. If you haven’t already, be sure to pick up a copy of There There and immerse yourself in this compelling narrative.
