October 8th is Indigenous Peoples Day in Lawrence (and in several other cities across the country). To celebrate the occasion -- and because it looked flippin awesome -- Polli and Kate discuss There There, a brilliant debut novel by Tommy Orange (Cheyenne and Arapaho). Spoiler: it was flippin awesome.
("Hey, what happened to episode 30?" Hey! Good eye! We are... workin on it! Slight tech issue, but we'll release the coveted 30th episode ASAP. For now, enjoy this one instead!)
Bookish News:
LitHub came out with a list 23 Literary Movies and TV shows that will be coming out shortly! Awesome stuff like The Miniaturist, Bel Canto, The Children Act (STANLEY TUCCI ALERT!), The House with a Clock in Its Walls (CATE BLANCHETT ALERT!), Colette, The Sisters Brothers, The Haunting of Hill House, The Hate U Give, and mooooooar.
Two Book Minimum:
- Darius The Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram
- This is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel
- Not My Idea by Anastasia Higginbotham
- The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King (and bonus - LaRose by Louise Erdrich)
She Said/She Said:
This episode, we go toe-to-toe discussing There There by Tommy Orange (2018)
Long listed for the National Book Award and the Carnegie Medal for Excellence, There There is a complex and compulsive read that ticks all the boxes: plot, setting, character(s), and language. Tommy Orange is a part of the latest renaissance of Native American Literature, fighting against "a monolithic version of what a Native American is supposed to be." (Quote comes from an interview that we'd recommend reading after you read the novel!)
If you’re looking for something to read to remember why Columbus Day is being changed to Indigenous Peoples Day in more progressive cities, this is it.
What's Happening at LPL/Around Town:
- The Great American Read watch/discussion parties are still happening! Check out this page for all of the remaining dates, especially the finale on Oct 23rd! (Polli might wear a ballgown for when the winners are announced.)
- AMAZING AUTHORS COMING TO TOWN:
- Phoebe Robinson on Oct 26th
- Nnedi Okorafor on Nov 8th (free!)
- Neil Gaiman on Nov 19th (free!)
- Lots of folks coming through The Raven this fall & spring
- And, the one Kate's so excited about she's already planning her outfit, Jesmyn Ward on April 11th 😀
- Book Club Speed Dating: Thursday, Nov 15th -- mark your calendar and stay tuned for more details!!
Twice(-ish) a month, the librarians are in, with their favorite recommendations in Two Book Minimum, a toe-to-toe discussion on a book or topic, as well as news from the book world, updates from Lawrence Public Library, and beyond.
This episode was produced by Jim Barnes in the Sound & Vision studio. Our theme song is by Heidi Lynne Gluck. You can find the Book Squad Podcast on iTunes, opens a new window, Stitcher, opens a new window, or SoundCloud, opens a new window. Please subscribe and leave us comments – we’d love to know what you think, and your comments make it easier for other people to find our podcast. Happy reading and listening! xo, Polli & Kate
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