Hanif Abdurraqib facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hanif Abdurraqib
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Hanif Abdurraqib at CityLit 2023 at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in Baltimore, Maryland
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| Born | August 25, 1983 Columbus, Ohio, U.S. |
| Occupation | Poet, music critic |
| Genre | Poetry, essays, non-fiction |
| Subject | Music, culture, identity |
| Notable works | A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance, The Crown Ain't Worth Much, They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us |
| Notable awards | MacArthur Fellow |
| Website | |
| www.abdurraqib.com/ | |
Hanif Abdurraqib (born August 25, 1983) is an American writer. He is known for his poetry, essays, and cultural criticism. His first collection of essays, They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, came out in 2017. In 2021, his essay collection A Little Devil in America won the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence. Abdurraqib also received a special award called a MacArthur Fellowship in 2021.
His poetry books include The Crown Ain't Worth Much (2016) and A Fortune for Your Disaster (2019). In 2019, he wrote a non-fiction book about the hip-hop group A Tribe Called Quest. This book, Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes on A Tribe Called Quest, was considered for the 2019 National Book Award for Nonfiction.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Hanif Abdurraqib was born on August 25, 1983. He grew up in Columbus, Ohio. His family raised him as a Muslim. When he was 13, his mother passed away due to a health issue. He finished high school at Beechcroft High School in 2001. After that, he went to Capital University. There, he studied marketing and played on the soccer team.
Writing Career
Hanif Abdurraqib is a very busy writer. He writes different kinds of books and articles. He also shares his ideas on podcasts.
Poetry Collections
Abdurraqib's first book was a poetry collection. It was called The Crown Ain't Worth Much. This book came out in July 2016. Many people praised his poetry. Publishers Weekly said his poems about being young and Black in America were very powerful. The Huffington Post called his poem about Black death "heartbreakingly true."
He has received several honors for his poetry. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. PBS's Articulate with Jim Cotter said he is helping to change what poetry means today. He also helped start a poetry group called Echo Hotel. In 2017, he became the managing editor at Button Poetry. His second poetry book, A Fortune for Your Disaster, was released in 2019.
Essays and Non-Fiction Books
Abdurraqib writes essays for many well-known places. These include The Fader, The New York Times, and Pitchfork. He also wrote about music, culture, and identity for MTV News.
His essay collection They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us came out in November 2017. Publishers Weekly called it "mesmerizing and deeply perceptive." The Washington Post said it was a "breathtaking collection." A special edition of this book came out in 2022. It included three new essays.
In 2019, Abdurraqib published Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest. This book is about the famous hip-hop group. It was a bestseller for The New York Times. Critics loved how it mixed music history with personal stories. NPR said that even if you weren't a fan of A Tribe Called Quest, Abdurraqib would make you one. The book was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize. It was also considered for the National Book Award for Nonfiction.
His book A Little Devil in America was released in 2021. This book is about the history of Black performance in the United States. Publishers Weekly called it "luminous" and "stunning." Kirkus said it was "Another winner from Abdurraqib." This book won the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. It also won the 2021 Gordon Burn Prize.
His 2024 book, There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension, was also considered for the 2024 National Book Award for Nonfiction.
Podcasts
In 2021, Abdurraqib started his own podcast. It is called "Object of Sound" and is on Sonos Radio. On this podcast, he talks about music. He also interviews guests and shares special music playlists.
He also created a short series for the podcast The 11th. This series was called "Time Machine: The Score."
Awards and Recognition
Hanif Abdurraqib has received many important awards. In 2017, he got an honorary degree from the College of the Atlantic. His book The Crown Ain't Worth Much was a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Award. It was also nominated for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award.
His essay collection They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us was named one of the best books of 2017 by many places. These include NPR, Pitchfork, and The New York Times Magazine.
In June 2021, a mural was planned in his hometown of Columbus, Ohio. It is called The People's Mural of Columbus and features Abdurraqib. In 2021, he received a MacArthur Fellowship. This is a very special award given to talented people. He also won a Windham-Campbell Prize in 2024.
Personal Life
Hanif Abdurraqib returned to Columbus, Ohio, in 2017.
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, 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, 2024)
- Untitled essay collection (Random House, forthcoming)
