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. 

Thorne Hall, Occidental College

Oxy Live! is Occidental’s flagship event series showcasing a diverse lineup of cultural luminaries. The 2025-26 season is hosted by celebrated artist and cultural collaborator Alexandra Grant. Register for your free ticket.

Join us for an evening of conversation between Pulitzer Prize-finalist playwright, MacArthur "Genius" Fellow, and groundbreaking performance artist Taylor Mac and visual artist and cultural collaborator Alexandra Grant.

Reserve free tickets

Music isn’t a form of entertainment. It’s a lifeline. For Vijay Gupta, all art is a kind of soul-metabolism: a way of transforming pain, grief and trauma into something which nourishes. Described by The New Yorker as “a visionary violinist and a radical thinker in the classical music world,” Vijay is an internationally celebrated musician, speaker, and advocate who bridges the worlds of art, justice, and healing. In hopeful, inspiring talks, he shows us creative ways to revitalize our sense of hope and belonging.

Join us for an evening of conversation between best-selling author and feminist icon Roxane Gay and visual artist and cultural collaborator Alexandra Grant.

When We Walk By: Forgotten Humanity, Broken Systems, and the Role We Can Each Play in Ending Homelessness in America has been selected as this year’s Community Book.

Dubbed “a shape shifter of the highest order” by The New York Times, Mac creates experimental theater work that pushes the boundaries of performance—as in the Pulitzer Prize finalist epic A 24-Decade History of Popular Music. Join Occidental College this evening for a night of music, connection, and joy as Taylor and Matt perform from their celebrated canon and share their newest work. On Saturday, October 25, Oxy Live! brings Taylor Mac back to Thorne Hall for an evening of conversation with host Alexandra Grant, a celebrated visual artist and cultural collaborator.