Mariah Rigg w/ Aleenah Ansari, EXTINCTION CAPITAL OF THE WORLD

Mariah Rigg visits the store to discuss her story collection, Extinction Capital of the World, a stunning portrait of Hawaiʻi—and a powerful meditation on family, queer love, and community amid imperialism and environmental collapse. In ten stories, Rigg immerses readers in contemporary Hawaiʻi. By turns heartbreaking and hopeful, these stories of love, longing, and grief are fierce dispatches from land haunted by the specter of colonization, and a precious biome under constant threat. She is joined alongside local journalist Aleenah Ansari.

Magnetic, haunting, and tender, Extinction Capital of the World is a stunning portrait of Hawai'i—and a powerful meditation on family, queer love, and community amid imperialism and environmental collapse.

In ten vibrant, affecting stories, Mariah Rigg immerses readers in contemporary Hawai’i. By turns heartbreaking and hopeful, these stories of love, longing, and grief are fierce dispatches from a state haunted by the specter of colonization, a precious biome under constant threat.

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, Rigg’s stories illuminate the exotification and commodification of Hawai’i in the American mythos. Extinction Capital of the World is an environmental love letter to the Hawaiian Islands and an indelible portrayal of the people who inhabit them—marking the arrival of an exciting new voice in contemporary fiction.

Mariah Rigg is a Samoan-Haole who was born and raised on the island of O'ahu. Her work has been supported by the National Endowment for the Arts, MASS MoCA, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Lambda Literary, and Oregon Literary Arts, among others, along with being published by The Sewanee Review, Oxford American, Electric Lit, Chicago Review of Books, and elsewhere. She holds an MFA from the University of Oregon and a PhD from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Extinction Capital of the World (Ecco, 2025) is her first book.

Aleenah Ansari (she/her) is a Seattle-based Pakistani writer covering travel, holistic wellness, non-linear career paths of entrepreneurs, and representation in media. She believes you can’t be what you can’t see, which is why she highlights the stories of women of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQIA+ folks in her writing. Her work has been featured in Insider, The Seattle Times, Joysauce, and more. She also coaches people on nurturing their creative practice, overcoming the fear of pressing “publish,” and building authentic personal brands. Learn more at www.aleenahansari.com and follow along with her writing adventures at @AleenahWrites on Instagram.

Pre-order your copy of Extinction Capital of the World here.

Host or Publisher Elliott Bay Book Company