A conversation with author Henry Hoke about Open Throat, Occidental's 2026 Community Book
Location:
Thorne Hall
Event Date: Oct. 21, 2026
Henry Hoke is the author of five books, most recently Open Throat, finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award and the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction. He directs the performance series Enter>text and edits humor at The Offing. The First Girl in Hell, a western, is coming in 2027 from FSG and Granta.
Hoke will be joined in conversation by Prof. Q. Sarah Ostendorf.
Open Throat was selected as the 2026 Community Book. Inspired by the story of P-22, the famous mountain lion who crossed multiple freeways to take up residence in Los Angeles’s Griffith Park, the book imagines the inner monologue of a big cat living in the middle of a vast modern metropolis.
The Community Book Program promotes the mission of the College by empowering students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, and other members of the broader Oxy community to experience the joy of reading and learning together.
This event is free and open to the public.
Sponsored By
