Henry Hoke

I would watch a reality show in which Darryl Hannah hunted Ryan Murphy for sport.

It was going on one, two in the morning, and we were shooting what I felt was an important scene for me, when he makes an attempt to be quote-unquote straight, in a suit, and at the end of it he gets emotional and locks himself in the other room. And I felt like, I’m not getting what I want—I’m not happy with it. Mike was happy with it. He called me the next day and said, “I know you weren’t happy with the scene last night. Believe me, we wouldn’t have gone home if I had felt we weren’t getting it.” And then he sort of became my psychiatrist and said, “You find it difficult to be happy, don’t you? You find it difficult to enjoy things.” And I said, “Well, sometimes. Last night was about feeling too tired and not feeling I was reaching what I needed to reach for the scene.” He talked to me then about when he was making, I don’t know whether it was Virginia Woolf or The Graduate. He said, “I didn’t enjoy it for a second. I was worried about so many things.” And then he said, “You know, this is never going to happen again quite this way. You should try to allow yourself to enjoy this more. Take a minute a day, and then add a minute the next day, and another minute. Pretty soon, you’ll have hours of happiness.”

The Birdcage opened thirty years ago today, so in its honor, I want to share one of my favorite stories about Mike Nichols that didn't make it into my biography. This is from an interview I did with Nathan Lane.

true torture

some people come into your life for a reason, some for a season, and some for a sneezin’ (they give you covid and then you never see their ass again)

the best time to stand up for us was years ago when we told you where this was all heading

until cis people decide to stop this,
it’s gonna continue

you see where this is heading

the second best time to stand up for us is NOW

Chapter 1 of Moby Dick, page 1 The phrase ‘Call me Ishmael’, the first sentence of the book, is highlighted in blue, with careful highlighting on the very big C at the start. Above this, written in ballpoint pen ‘His name’

Love the glimpse into the beautiful mind that notated this used copy of Moby Dick I got

got one of these from my “mom”

nice try lol blocked

he has my prescription ready too

No cheating: your last saved picture of a celebrity is your therapist. 🐴

thinking abouit how in korean traditional theater there is a monster called yeongno which eats rich people and if it eats 100 of them it gets to go to heaven (I'm sorry, I'm not feeling well and I can't explain what it looks like, sort of like an anteater) Like can we summon this m quasi-normalcy replies - go little fellow!

I believe in you, little guy

The most responsible and ethical way to use AI is to not use AI.

baby update
he found the remote control turned on the tv and rented marty supreme

“going out like Stan Chera”

now that my kid is one he only wants to listen to nine inch nails

A collage of five images, three of which are on the top and two of which are on the bottom. The photos are of, in order: Sean Dunn (the guy who threw a sandwich at an ICE agent), the Master Debater (ultimate debate chad), the guy who taunted ICE on an e-bike in Chicago and got away, the guy who punched Richard Spencer in the face on January 20, 2017, and our most recent hero who punched the guy trying to cause a ruckus at a high school by supporting ICE. Each of the photos are of them in their “action shots,” if you will. Dunn is in the act of throwing the sandwich, Master Debater is in the midst of saying he would have both to some trolls question about whether he would have economic growth or gender equality, the e-bike guy is in the midst of taunting an ICE agent and biking away, the Richard Spencer puncher is seen right at the moment of making contact with his face, and our latest hero is clasping his hands together and saying “okay” after the troll said he would get in trouble if he punched him in the face.

Choose your fighter

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my vanishing act is coming to an end. i’ll be teaching my first (only?) online class ever, and i’m pulling out all the stops. or join in person if you’re denver-based! all genres welcome, don’t miss it

voice character plot career apocalypse

lighthousewriters.org/search/node/...

Jacek Yerka
Susan, Sen nocy letniej
Poland, 1984

yessssssss

It’s Groundhog Day and WTAW Press has the perfect book to read again and again!

Henry Hoke's The Groundhog Forever leans into cycles, returns, and the strange comfort (and unease) of living a moment again and again.❄️📖

Protest sign from MN that says, “DEARLY BELOVED. WE ARE GATHERED HERE TODAY TODISMANTLE THIS THING CALLED ICE.” with a picture of Prince in the left hand lower corner.

10/10 ICE protest sign

Albatrosses nuzzling: "Elderly parents never recover from their exertions"

Drag me, David Attenborough 😭

just FYI everyone for a year now I have been writing a sequel and it is set in the bay 🙀

OPEN THROAT 2: OPENER THROAT

😽😽😽

Ooh it’s time again for me to recommend Henry Hoke’s Open Throat book! A queer lion in LA, subject to the same bullshit as everyone else in LA/on earth. Beautifully done. typebooks.ca/products/978...

i don’t care what pronouns you use for me, as long as you don’t pronouns me late for supper

2022 pet commission in the style of an earthbound battle screen (front facing towards a large enemy sprite, an abstract background), a cat stands meekly with a bindle, stuffed suitcase, and a dream.

random encounter (2022)

Granta wins four-way auction for Henry Hoke's new novel

Granta has won a four-way auction for Henry Hoke’s new novel, The First Girl in Hell, publishing in spring 2027 👇 #BookSky

Oh to be a little Tardigrade walking across a microscope slide. 🫧🐻🧪

i hope all the people resisting ICE on the ground know how fucking inspiring they are. minneapolis right now, and chicago and LA and charlotte and DC and portland before them, you’re setting the blueprint for the future battles sure to come. thank you.