Hit the road—and the stacks—with literary powerhouses Tommy Orange (Wandering Stars and Pulitzer Prize finalist There There) and Kaveh Akbar (National Book Award finalist Martyr!). The two best friends pulled over during their joint book tour to share their favorite indie bookshops, rising Western writers, and unconventional creative sanctuaries, including a Los Angeles spa where Kaveh’s imagination flows. 

Part literary love letter, part buddy comedy, this episode is jam-packed with engrossing settings and memorable characters, including Tommy’s unsung (but still heroic) hometown of Oakland, California; Seattle’s charming poetry bookstore, where Kaveh tied the knot; and Jack London’s not-so-friendly ghost. 

Bookstores we’ll browse in this episode:

- Marcus Books, Oakland, California (Tommy’s favorite bookstore in Oakland)

- Open Books, Seattle, Washington (poetry-only bookstore where Kaveh got married)

- Elliott Bay Book Company, Seattle, Washington (a massive bookstore where Kaveh had a public reading the night before his wedding)

- Changing Hands Bookstore, Tempe and Phoenix, Arizona (host Michelle’s favorite local bookstore)

- Powell’s Books, Portland, Oregon

- Sausalito Books by the Bay, Sausalito, California

- Underground Books, Sacramento, California

Books Tommy Orange and Kaveh Akbar recommend:

- The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

- Bad Indians: A Tribal Memoir by Deborah A. Miranda 

- We Survived the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCat

- A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius and The Circle by Dave Eggers 

Tommy Orange writes fiction that hits “like a thunderclap.” An enrolled member of the Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes of Oklahoma, he was born and raised in Oakland, California, and his urban Indigenous identity pulses through his work. His debut novel, There There, became an instant classic for its unflinching, kaleidoscopic portrayal of contemporary American Indian life, earning it a spot as a Pulitzer Prize finalist and winning the American Book Award. His much-anticipated second novel, Wandering Stars, expands the story of There There’s characters and traces the impact of U.S. violence on Native lives across generations. Tommy is known for his lyrical style, sharp cultural insight, and generous heart—on and off the page. He currently lives with his wife and two sons in Oakland, where he’s working on new projects that further challenge and broaden the literary landscape.

Kaveh Akbar is a literary alchemist who conjures poetry that’s equal parts mystic, ecstatic, and searingly honest. Born in Tehran and raised in the American Midwest, he’s the author of two acclaimed poetry collections—Calling a Wolf a Wolf and Pilgrim Bell—and editor of The Penguin Book of Spiritual Verse: 110 Poets on the Divine. Kaveh’s words have lit up the pages of the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Paris Review, and The Best American Poetry. He’s known for asking the big questions—about addiction, grace, and what it means to be fully alive. His debut novel, Martyr!, a finalist for the National Book Award, is a propulsive, wildly original story about art, faith, and the ghosts who follow us. He lives with his spouse in Iowa City, and is the Director of the English and Creative Writing Major at the prestigious University of Iowa.

Via Podcast is a production of AAA Mountain West Group.