Has taken valproic acid, or another histone deacetylase inhibitor, within weeks prior to study day Patients taking any histone deacetylase inhibitor (HDACi) other than vorinostat Patients should not have taken valproic acid or another histone deacetylase inhibitor for at least weeks prior to enrollment Previous treatment with an histone deacetylase inhibitor or an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor within at least weeks of the date of first administration of study drug Prior treatment with a histone deacetylase inhibitor Participants should not have taken valproic acid or another histone deacetylase inhibitor for at least weeks prior to study enrollment Patients should not have taken valproic acid or another histone deacetylase inhibitor for at least weeks prior to enrollment CTCL disease that is known to be refractory to systemic histone deacetylase inhibitors Received immunomodulating agents, histone deacetylase inhibitors, cyclosporine, or mycophenolate within weeks of screening Patients may not have taken another histone deacetylase inhibitor (i.e. valproic acid, vorinostat) for at least weeks prior to enrollment Patients should not have taken valproic acid, another histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, for at least weeks prior to enrollment Previous therapy with histone deacetylase inhibitor. For subjects assigned to take vorinostat, prior exposure to vorinostat or other known histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors for cancer therapy; patients should not have taken valproic acid, another histone deacetylase inhibitor, for at least weeks prior to study enrollment; note: this criterion does NOT apply to subjects treated on the Expansion Cohort (accruals post February , )