Shore Lit and the Academy Art Museum invite you to a book talk with Henry Hoke, author of the acclaimed 2023 novel Open Throat—a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, and the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction. One of the Washington Post‘s 50 Notable Works of Fiction in 2023, “Open Throat is what fiction should be,” writes The New York Times Book Review.
The surprising narrator of this slim novel is a queer mountain lion who roams the Hollywood Hills outside “ellay”—misunderstood, lonely, very hungry, and consistently bewildered by human behavior. Hoke introduces us to the strange and wonderful voice of a trenchant feline observer who is yearning to connect, yet wracked by limitations.
Hoke will discuss Open Throat with Shore Lit Founder Kerry Folan at 6:00 pm on Friday, November 15 at the Academy Art Museum. Local Actor Mike Sousa, who recently starred in Groove Theatre’s productions of Hedwig and the Angry Inch and Torch Song, will perform a monologue from the book.
This event is free and open to the public, though reservations are required through the Academy Art Museum website.
Henry Hoke is the author of five books, most recently the memoir Sticker (Bloomsbury) and the novel Open Throat (FSG/Picador), finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award, the Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, and the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction. His work has appeared in Fence, Triangle House, Electric Literature, No Tokens, and the flash noir anthology Tiny Crimes. He co-created the performance series Enter>text in Los Angeles, and edits humor at The Offing.
Shore Lit is based in Easton, Maryland, and aims to enhance local cultural offerings with free author events open to the public. Our programs are designed to explore relevant ideas, foster literary conversation, and build inclusive community. Upcoming events include a book talk with novelist Henry Hoke, who will be in conversation with Shore Lit founder Kerry Folan about his award-winning novel Open Throat on November 15. The event will feature a monologue performance by actor Mike Sousa. For updates, sign up for our monthly newsletter at shorelit.org.
The Academy Art Museum’s mission is to promote the knowledge, practice, and appreciation of the arts and to enhance cultural life on the Eastern Shore by making the Museum’s expanding collection, exhibitions, and broad spectrum of arts programs available to everyone. Museum admission is free.
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