One of the most ambitious shows in Capital Fringe this year may be A People’s History, storyteller Mike Daisey’s 18-part, 32-hour series about American history.

Daisey’s work often has a political bent, with topics ranging from social media to Ayn Rand. Most infamously, his 2012 monologue about conditions at Chinese factories that produce Apple products spawned an episode of This American Life. “The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs” was later retracted over falsehoods in the narrative Daisey presented.

For A People’s History, Daisey was inspired by Howard Zinn’s classic book. Each show covers a different part of American history, from Columbus in 1492 to the present day. He tells DCist that the reactions he’s gotten to the shows so far “are usually positive… people say they’ve been kept up at night thinking about it.”

Every show, Daisey is performing around an hour and a half of completely new content. That still leaves him ample downtime to venture around the city and find his favorite spots to eat, read, and relax. Here are his takeaways from his adventures in the District:

You might spot him in Dupont Circle

Daisey’s two favorite spots in the Northwest neighborhood are restaurant Bistrot Du Coin, which he describes as “ridiculously French,” and Kramerbooks, where he says he loves “wandering around and looking at books.”

He’s really into Teaism’s koi pond

The storyteller says he is “very fond” of the local chain Teaism, especially the koi pond at the Penn Quarter location: “These koi are my children.”

He has some harsh words for D.C.’s theater scene

He says that, at times, theater in D.C. “has nothing to do with art … It’s a room full of people signifying that they’re there to ‘experience’ art … There’s temptation to play into money—this fur-wearing universe.”

A People’s History continues its performances this Thursday through Sunday. Tickets are available online. For more Fringe coverage, see our preview for the best shows this week.