Mariah Rigg Presents EXTINCTION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD: STORIES at H&H Books

Tue Aug 12 2025 at 07:00 pm to 08:30 pm UTC-04:00

The Head & The Hand Books | Philadelphia

The Head & The Hand
Publisher/HostThe Head & The Hand
Mariah Rigg Presents EXTINCTION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD: STORIES at H&H Books
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Join us to celebrate Mariah Rigg's electrifying debut short story collection, set in contemporary Hawai'i.
About this Event

We're delighted to welcome Mariah Rigg to H&H Books to celebrate the release of her debut short story collection, EXTINCTION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD: STORIES, described as "a stunning portrait of Hawai'i--and a powerful meditation on family, queer love, and community amid imperialism and environmental collapse."

This short reading and conversation will take place on August 12 at 7 PM, followed by a brief Q&A and book signing.

EXTINCTION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD will be available in-store at H&H Books beginning on the book’s pub date (8/5) and is available for preorder on our ecommerce site.

Read more about the book---and Mariah---below!

About the book:

An older man grapples with the American weapons research conducted on a neighboring island that reverberates through his entire life. A pregnant woman seeks belonging while poaching flowers in the rainforest with her partner's mother. Two teenage girls find love during a summer spent on Midway Atoll. A young woman returns home to O'ahu following a breakup and reconnects with her estranged father and the island itself.

Linked by both place and character, Mariah Rigg's ten stories in EXTINCTION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD illuminate the exotification and commodification of Hawai'i in the American mythos and mark the arrival of an exciting new voice in contemporary fiction.

"Rigg's voice is sharp and engrossing, her characters cunning but affable. This is climate fiction at its most humane and emotionally rich." -- Vulture, "28 Books We Can't Wait to Read This Summer"

"Rigg is an absolutely beautiful writer and a master of subtext; the conversations between her characters crackle with history and deep feelings. . . . A gorgeous, compelling collection that unspools the little-known history of Hawai'i and shows how queerness operates in the furthest-flung American state." -- Oprah Daily, "8 Pride Month Books that Celebrate Queer Joy"

About the Author:

Mariah Rigg is a Samoan-Haole who was born and raised on the island of O‘ahu. Her chapbook, ALL HAT, NO CATTLE was published by Bull City Press in 2023. She is the recipient of fellowships and awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, MASS MoCA, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, The Mount, Oregon Literary Arts, Carolyn Moore Writers’ House, and Lambda Literary. She holds an MFA from the University of Oregon and is currently a PhD candidate at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where she teaches writing. In the fall, she will be a visiting fellow at Mount Holyoke College.

Questions? Email [email protected] with any questions and follow us @theheadandthehand on Instagram.

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Event Venue & Nearby Stays

The Head & The Hand Books, 2230 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, United States

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