Just recently, Payette brewing hosted the local release of A Leg in Oklahoma City, the culmination of 20 years of writing by our friend and fellow beertender, Greg Hoetker.
If you recognize his name, that’s because there’s a good chance that at one time he might have been yours, or your children’s English teacher at Timberline High School right here in Boise, Idaho. I wouldn’t go so far as to call him a local celebrity but this guy gets more shout outs and high fives from behind the bar than most locals that I’ve seen. His personality is one of a kind and he’s one of the more genuine people that I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the years.
Without giving away too many plot details, the best way to describe his novel is that it is a piece of historical fiction (or is it?) with a love story as the driver. A story of true love, loss, vindication, and growth, centered around one of the most despicable acts in American history, the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City on April 19, 1995. I’m just barely old enough to remember this event firsthand as I was 7 years old when it occurred, so to read a detailed account of how real people may have been affected and how it altered their lives for years to come, is truly eye opening.
As for the release event it was an easy commitment for us to play host at Payette Brewing Company, which given Gregs local popularity, was a massive success. As the defacto photographer for all things Payette, I spent the night snapping away and speaking with many of Greg’s family members, friends, coworkers, students, and their parents. Several of whom were parents of former students who now live clear across the country. Just goes to show you what kind of impact he has made on lives in the Boise area.
The book sale portion of the night was followed by a quick reading of an excerpt from the book and I’ll admit that I never thought I would see so many people in a brewery beer garden at night so captivated by the reading of a novel. If you stuck around long enough, Greg was gracious enough to sign every copy of his first edition for his readers.
It was amazing to see a friends dream come to fruition first hand and to have the local communities overwhelming support. There may still be a few copies available in person at Flying M Coffee and Iconoclast Books in Hailey but A Leg in Oklahoma City has already sold out its entire first run of publication and Greg is currently hard at work on a second edition which will include sketches from local artist and former student, Brooke Foster.
If you would like to meet the author, the artist, and pick your own copy of A Leg in Oklahoma City, the second Boise release event will be held at the JUMP Inspire Studio on Tuesday, November 19th at 7pm.
Last but not least, It’s necessary to point out that 100% of the profits from sales of A Leg in Oklahoma City will go to local charities, nonprofits, and educational institutions.
Cheers to Greg from the Payette Brew Crew!
