Hanif Abdurraqib (born August 25, 1983) is an American poet, essayist, and cultural critic. He is the author of 2016 poetry collection ''The Crown Ain't Worth Much'' (published as Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib), the 2017 essay collection ''They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us,'' the 2019 non-fiction book,
''Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes on A Tribe Called Quest'' on the American hip-hop group
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,[Q-Tip](_blank)
,
the 2019 poetry collection ''A Fortune for Your Disaster'', and the 2021 essay collection ''A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance'' which received the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence.
['The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu,' 'A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance' receive 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction](_blank)
ALA News, January 23, 2022. ''Go Ahead in the Rain'' was on the long list for the 2019
National Book Award
The National Book Awards are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors.
The Nat ...
.
Early life
Abdurraqib was born on August 25, 1983, and raised in
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
. He was raised Muslim. He graduated from
Beechcroft High School
Beechcroft High School is a four-year high school (grades 9-12) located on the north side of Columbus, Ohio. It is a part of Columbus City Schools. Beechcroft was first opened in 1976 as a six-year junior/senior high school. At that time, school en ...
in 2001. He then attended
Capital University
Capital University (Capital, Cap, or CU) is a private university in Bexley, Ohio. Capital was founded as the Theological Seminary of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Ohio in 1830, and later was associated with that synod's successor, the Ame ...
, where he earned a degree in marketing and played on the soccer team.
Career
Poetry
Columbus is the setting for Abdurraqib's first book, a poetry collection called ''The Crown Ain't Worth Much'' (
Button Poetry
Button Poetry is a Minneapolis-based poetry company and independent publisher of performance poetry. They are known for their viral videos of slam poetry performances, including a performance of "OCD" by Neil Hilborn that the Knight Foundation ca ...
, July 2016). ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
''s review noted, "When Willis-Abdurraqib meditates on the dangers of being young and black in America, the power of his poetry is undeniable". The ''
Indiana Review
''Indiana Review'' (''IR'') is a small, student-run literary magazine at Indiana University Bloomington. Founded in 1976, it has a circulation of about 2,000.
A biannual review, ''IR'' publishes essays, fiction, graphic arts, interviews, poetry, ...
'' called the collection "expansive and rich...compassionate, elegiac."
Fusion
Fusion, or synthesis, is the process of combining two or more distinct entities into a new whole.
Fusion may also refer to:
Science and technology Physics
*Nuclear fusion, multiple atomic nuclei combining to form one or more different atomic nucl ...
called his "poetry a crash course in emotional honesty." Writing of the collection's titular poem, ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' said Abdurraqib's "chilling take on black death is heartbreakingly true."
Abdurraqib is a
Pushcart Prize
The Pushcart Prize is an American literary prize published by Pushcart Press that honors the best "poetry, short fiction, essays or literary whatnot" published in the small presses over the previous year. Magazine and small book press editors are ...
nominee and a ''
Callaloo
Callaloo (many spelling variants, such as kallaloo, calaloo, calalloo, calaloux or callalloo; ) is a popular Caribbean vegetable dish. There are many variants across the Caribbean, depending on the availability of local vegetables. The main in ...
'' Creative Writing Fellow.
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
's ''
Articulate with Jim Cotter'' described Abdurraqib as "of a generation that is helping to redefine poetry".
Blavity
Blavity is an American Internet media company and website based in Los Angeles, created by and for black millennials. Their mission is to "economically and creatively support Black millennials across the African scape, so they can pursue the work ...
called Abdurraqib one of "13 Young Black Poets You Should Know". He is a poetry editor at ''Muzzle Magazine'' and a founder, with
Eve Ewing
Eve Louise Ewing (born 1986) is an American sociologist, author, poet, and visual artist from Chicago, Illinois. Ewing is a tenured professor at the School of Social Service Administration at the University of Chicago. Her academic research in ...
, of the Echo Hotel poetry collective. He edited an anthology of poems about pop music called ''Again I Wait For This To Pull Apart'' (FreezeRay Press, 2015). In April 2017 his chapbook ''Vintage Sadness'' had a limited edition release by Big Lucks, selling out its print run of 500 copies in just under six hours. In August 2017, he was named the managing editor of
Button Poetry
Button Poetry is a Minneapolis-based poetry company and independent publisher of performance poetry. They are known for their viral videos of slam poetry performances, including a performance of "OCD" by Neil Hilborn that the Knight Foundation ca ...
. On September 3, 2019, Tin House released Abdurraqib's second poetry collection, ''A Fortune for Your Disaster.''
Abdurraqib was a visiting poet teaching in the MFA program at
Butler University
Butler University is a private university in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university has over 60 major academic fields of study in six colleges: the Lacy School of Business, College of Communic ...
during the fall of 2018.
Prose
Abdurraqib's writing has appeared in ''
The Fader
''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes.
It is o ...
'', ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'', and ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'', as well as previously serving as a columnist at
MTV News
MTV News is the news production division of MTV. The service is available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network. In February 2016, MTV Networks confirmed it would refresh the MTV News brand in 2016, to compete with the likes ...
, writing about music, culture, and identity. ''The Huffington Post'' named his essay on
Fetty Wap
Willie Junior Maxwell II (born June 7, 1991), better known by his stage names Fetty Wap or Harlem Fetty, is an American rapper, singer and songwriter. He rose to prominence after his debut single "Trap Queen" reached number two on the U.S. ''B ...
's song "
Trap Queen
"Trap Queen" is the debut single by American rapper Fetty Wap from his Fetty Wap (album), self-titled debut album (2015). Following its online premiere in March 2014, it was released independently on April 22, 2014, before being re-released in c ...
" to its list of "The Most Important Writing From People of Color in 2015." Discussing Abdurraqib's essay on the late
Muhammed Ali
Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...
as inspiration to a generation of
hip-hop artists, critic Ned Raggett called the piece a "standout" among the many elegies.
Abdurraqib's essay collection ''They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us'' was published in November 2017 by
Two Dollar Radio
Two Dollar Radio is an independent family-run publisher based in Columbus, Ohio. The company was founded in 2005 by husband-and-wife team Eric Obenauf and Eliza Jane Wood-Obenauf, with Brian Obenauf. The press specializes in literary fiction. In ...
.
''The Chicago Tribune'' named it to a list of "25 must-read books" for the fall of 2017 and ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
'' gave it a starred review, calling the collection "mesmerizing and deeply perceptive". The book also received favorable reviews from the
''Chicago Tribune'' and ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'' (where Pete Tosiello described ''They Can't Kill Us'' as "a breathtaking collection of largely music-focused essays"), and ''
The New York Times Magazine
''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine Supplement (publishing), supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted man ...
'' featured a passage from the collection in the magazine's "New Sentences" column. A specia
five year anniversary edition of the collectionwill be released on November 15, 2022, featuring three new essays and an audiobook version recorded by Abdurraqib himself.
Abdurraqib published ''Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to
A Tribe Called Quest
A Tribe Called Quest was an American hip hop group formed in Queens, New York City, in 1985,[Q-Tip](_blank)
'' in 2019 as part of
University of Texas Press
The University of Texas Press (or UT Press) is a university press that is part of the University of Texas at Austin. Established in 1950, the Press publishes scholarly books and journals in several areas, including Latin American studies, Texan ...
's American Music Series, edited by
Jessica Hopper
Jessica Hopper (born September 5, 1976) is an American writer. She published ''The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic,'' a compilation of her essays, reported pieces, zines, and reviews, in May 2015. In 2018, she publish ...
, David Menconi, and Oliver Wang. It debuted at number 13 on ''The New York Times'' bestseller list for paperback non-fiction and received strongly favorable reviews from critics. Reviewers stressed the accomplishment of integrating music history with both a broader history and a more personal one. Writing for ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
'', Ed Nawotka called the book "part academic monograph on the group and its music, part pocket history of hip-hop, part memoir, and part epistolary elegy. It is a book that conveys the wonder of being a fan and the visceral impact of experiencing the feeling of having oneself reflected back in music and pop culture."
For
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
Lily Meyer praised Abdurraqib's "seemingly limitless capacity to share what moves him, which means that to read ''Go Ahead in the Rain'', you don't need to be a Tribe Called Quest fan: Abdurraqib will make you one." The book was a finalist for the
Kirkus Prize
The Kirkus Prize is an American literary award conferred by the book review magazine ''Kirkus Reviews''. Established in 2014, the Kirkus Prize bestows annually. Three authors are awarded each, divided into three categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, ...
in Nonfiction
and longlisted for the
National Book Award for Nonfiction
The National Book Award for Nonfiction is one of five U.S. annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation to recognize outstanding literary work by U.S. citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers". The panelists ...
.
In January 2018, Abdurraqib announced he had signed a two-book deal with
Random House
Random House is an American book publisher and the largest general-interest paperback publisher in the world. The company has several independently managed subsidiaries around the world. It is part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by Germ ...
;
announced as a nonfiction book ''They Don't Dance No' Mo on the history of black performance in the United States, to be published in 2020
and an essay collection following up on ''They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us.''
About ''They Can't Kill Us,'' a review from ''Booklist'' wrote: "Abdurraqib writes with uninhibited curiosity and insight about music and its ties to culture and memory, life and death, on levels personal, political, and universal... Abdurraqib’s poignant critiques, a catalog of the current moment and all that preceded it, inspire us to listen with our whole selves."
The first book in the Random House deal was retitled ''A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance'' and was released March 30, 2021.
''A Little Devil'' received a starred prepublication review in ''
Publishers Weekly
''Publishers Weekly'' (''PW'') is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers, and literary agents. Published continuously since 1872, it has carried the tagline, "The International News Magazine of B ...
,'' which wrote: "Filled with nuance and lyricism, Abdurraqib's luminous survey is stunning."
''Kirkus'' called the book: "A thoughtful memoir rolled into a set of joined essays on life, death, and the Black experience in America....Another winner from Abdurraqib, a writer always worth paying attention to." Abdurraqib himself describes ''A Little Devil in America'' as "a catalogue of excitements". The book was awarded the 2022
Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction
__NOTOC__
The Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction were established in 2012 to recognize the best fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. in the previous year. They are named in honor of ni ...
. It was also awarded the 2021
Gordon Burn Prize
Gordon Burn (16 January 1948 – 17 July 2009) was an English writer born in Newcastle upon Tyne and the author of four novels and several works of non-fiction.
Background
Burn's novels deal with issues of modern fame and faded celebrity as l ...
.
Honors
In 2017, Abdurraqib received an honorary degree in
human ecology
Human ecology is an interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary study of the relationship between humans and their natural, social, and built environments. The philosophy and study of human ecology has a diffuse history with advancements in ecology ...
from the
College of the Atlantic
College of the Atlantic (COA) is a private liberal arts college in Bar Harbor on Mount Desert Island, Maine, United States. Founded in 1969, it awards bachelors and masters (M.Phil.) degrees solely in the field of human ecology, an interdiscipli ...
. ''The Crown Ain't Worth Much'' was a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Award and nominated for a 2017
Hurston-Wright Legacy Award
The Hurston/Wright Legacy Awards program honors Black writers in the United States and around the globe for literary achievement. Introduced in 2001, the Legacy Award was the first national award presented to Black writers by a national organizatio ...
. ''They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us'' was named a best book of 2017 by numerous outlets, including
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
,
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
, the ''
Los Angeles Review
The Los Angeles Review, LAR, () is an annual print and online literary journal. It was established in 2003.
Dr. Kate Gale, managing editor of Red Hen Press
Red Hen Press is an American non-profit press located in Pasadena, California, and spe ...
'', the ''
Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'',
Stereogum
''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine.
''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...
, the ''
National Post
The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper available in several cities in central and western Canada. The paper is the flagship publication of Postmedia Network and is published Mondays through Saturdays, with ...
'' (Canada),
''Paste'', the
CBC, and
''Esquire''. ''Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest'' was a finalist for the 2019
Kirkus Prize
The Kirkus Prize is an American literary award conferred by the book review magazine ''Kirkus Reviews''. Established in 2014, the Kirkus Prize bestows annually. Three authors are awarded each, divided into three categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, ...
in Nonfiction
and was longlisted for the 2019
National Book Award for Nonfiction
The National Book Award for Nonfiction is one of five U.S. annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation to recognize outstanding literary work by U.S. citizens. They are awards "by writers to writers". The panelists ...
.
In June 2021, Cbus Libraries announced they are commissioning ''The People’s Mural of Columbus,'' which will feature Abdurraqib. The mural is set to be completed in August 2021 in the writer's hometown of Columbus, Ohio.
Abdurraqib was awarded a
MacArthur Fellowship
The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the MacArthur Foundation, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to ...
in 2021.
Personal life
In 2017, Abdurraqib moved back to Columbus, Ohio. He previously lived in
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
.
Works
* ''Again I Wait For This To Pull Apart'' (as Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib; FreezeRay Press, 2015)
*
The Crown Ain't Worth Much' (as Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib;
Button Poetry
Button Poetry is a Minneapolis-based poetry company and independent publisher of performance poetry. They are known for their viral videos of slam poetry performances, including a performance of "OCD" by Neil Hilborn that the Knight Foundation ca ...
, 2016) ISBN 978-1-943735-04-4
* ''Vintage Sadness'' (as Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib; Big Lucks, 2017)
* ''They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us'' (Two Dollar Radio, 2017)
* ''Go Ahead in the Rain'' (University of Texas Press, 2019)
*''A Fortune For Your Disaster'' (Tin House, 2019)
* ''A Little Devil in America'' (Random House, 2021)
* ''There's Always This Year'' (Random House, forthcoming)
* Untitled essay collection (Random House, forthcoming)
References
External links
Official siteThe Rumpus: The Conversation Hanif Willis-Abdurraqib and Paul TranThe Poetry Gods: Episode 3 featuring Hanif Willis-AbdurraqibLate Night Library: Late Night Conversation with Kristin Maffei. Featured Guest Hanif Willis-Abdurraqibfrom ''Go Ahead in the Right'' published by ''
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
'' magazine
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdurraqib, Hanif
1983 births
20th-century African-American people
21st-century African-American writers
21st-century American essayists
21st-century American poets
African-American poets
American male non-fiction writers
American music critics
American music historians
American non-fiction writers
Butler University faculty
Capital University alumni
Historians from Ohio
Living people
MacArthur Fellows
Poets from Ohio
Writers from Columbus, Ohio
African-American non-fiction writers
American male essayists