Join us for a reading with author Henry Hoke, who will read from his new novel, Open Throat. A conversation with author Jocelyn Nicole Johnson will follow. This in-person event will be free and open to the public. We recommend arriving early for the best seating.
About the Book: A queer and dangerously hungry mountain lion lives in the drought-devastated land under the Hollywood sign. Lonely and fascinated by humanity’s foibles, the lion spends their days protecting a nearby homeless encampment, observing hikers complain about their trauma, and, in quiet moments, grappling with the complexities of their gender identity, memories of a vicious father, and the indignities of sentience. As the lion confronts a carousel of temptations and threats, they take us on a tour that spans the cruel inequalities of Los Angeles and the toll of climate grief. But even when salvation finally seems within reach, they are forced to face down the ultimate question: Do they want to eat a person, or become one?
About the Author: Henry Hoke grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia. He is the author of four previous books, most recently the memoir Sticker from Bloomsbury. He cocreated Enter>text, a performance series in Los Angeles, and has taught at CalArts and the UVA Young Writers Workshop. He edits humor at The Offing.
About the Moderator: Jocelyn Nicole Johnson is the author of My Monticello, a fiction debut that was called “a masterly feat” by The New York Times and placed third on Time Magazine’s 10 Best Fiction Books of 2021. My Monticello won the Library of Virginia Fiction Award, the Weatherford Award, the Lillian Smith Prize, and the Balcones Prize, and was a finalist for many others, including a National Book Critics Circle Award, a Pen/Faulkner Award, and an LA Times Book Award. A veteran public school art teacher, Johnson lives and writes in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Open Throat will be released on June 6. To order the book, please see below for the New Dominion Bookshop book order form or call the shop at 434-295-2552.
"One of the most unique novels I’ve read in years....I didn’t know I would feel such attachment to a mountain lion when I started reading, but in Henry Hoke’s talented hands, they become an instantly memorable and endearing protagonist."
—David Vogel
New Dominion Bookshop Book Order Form
Shop local and support your community bookstore! Order books from New Dominion Bookshop by filling out the contact form below. Please make sure that you list the book title(s) that you would like to order. We will give you a call when your order is ready. If you are placing a pre-order for a book that has not yet been released, your book will be ready on or soon after the book’s release date. There is no need to pre-pay. We will collect your payment when you pick up your order or when your order is shipped. If you would like your book(s) to be signed and/or inscribed, please include that information in the “Message for Our Booksellers” field.
Henry Hoke Photo Credit: Myles Pettengill