Richard Handley on "The Hawks Are Not Dying," Activism, and the Power of Place

Ojai: Talk of the Town · Jan 21, 2026 · 1h 20m

In this episode, I’m joined by Richard Handley, author of The Hawks Are Not Dying, a novel rooted in real events that helped shape modern Ojai, which could have easily looked very different.

Set in the early 1980s, The Hawks Are Not Dying follows a man who finds purpose — and unexpected romance — while joining a scrappy coalition of activists determined to stop a shopping-center development from destroying the meadows he loves. Along the way, the story brings to life many of the real people who stood up to overdevelopment and helped protect Ojai from becoming another Southern California…