On Feb. 26, university alumnus and critically acclaimed author Hanif Abdurraqib returned to campus to speak to a group of students and staff about his life and career.
Abdurraqib grew up in a neighborhood that he described as “nothing like Bexley” in eastern Ohio. He grew up with a mother who was an avid reader; unlike some parents, his mother made sure to let Abdurraqib read anything she did. She would then challenge him to question the material he was reading.
This exposure to material that many people would deem “too mature” for him is what he credits for his love for reading and writing.
Abdurraqib’s mother died when he was 13, but her impact on his love for reading is felt even now.
Abdurraqib also spoke about other people who helped shape his career and love for writing. Fellow Columbus native and acclaimed writer Toni Morrison is his favorite writer. He fell in love with her writing before he knew about her ties to the city he loves.
He also cited some musicians as his favorite writers, like Tracey Chapman and Bruce Springsteen. Doechii, recent first-time Grammy award winning artist, is also one of his favorite current writers.
Music is central to his writing and is where his career began. Abdurraqib started as a music critic for MTV, where he wrote a weekly 2000-word column every week. While strenuous, Abdurraqib credits this task with being how he learned how to turn in clean drafts for his editors.
Abdurraqib also listens to music while he edits his books, but he prefers instrumentals or silence during the writing process.
This silence might help with his creative approach to writing his books. Abdurraqib does not start his writing process with a framework or a planned out theme, and instead lets the story naturally flow out of him. This prevents him from feeling restricted to a box.
He often caught himself getting sidetracked in his writing and switching into other topics when working with a framework or theme, so writing with no framework is a lot better for allowing his thoughts to flow on paper.
Abdurraqib also does an initial 35,000 word draft for every book that he deletes. This is his way of “teaching himself” how to write the story he wishes to write prior to writing the official draft.
Some of the most interesting topics of conversation came from Abdurraqib speaking about his early life. He described himself as a delinquent who was in and out of jail. He spoke about how finding work after his rocky early life was hard because of his record.
Abdurraqid then came to the university in search of a marketing degree, with no plans of being a writer.
Abdurraqib said, “I came here just to play soccer, really.”
However, he published his first piece of writing in Recap, the university’s literary magazine. After graduating, he worked as a music critic but he would release his first book “The Crown Ain’t Worth Much” in 2016.
His second book “They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us” completely changed his life by making his name known and wildly outperforming expectations.
The success of Abdurraqib and his career directly showcase how there is always time to chase dreams or start something new. His story inspires people to never restrict themselves and continue to explore different avenues of life, as it is never too late.
Read Abdurraqib’s newest book about the passage of time, loss, grief and fear, “There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension.”
