They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

It was named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Prize, and was nominated for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. His first full length poetry collection, The Crown Ain't Worth Much, was released in June 2016 from Button Poetry. His essays and music criticism have been published in The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. His poetry has been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American, and various other journals. Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. In essays that have been published by the New York Times, MTV, and Pitchfork, among others-along with original, previously unreleased essays-Abdurraqib uses music and culture as a lens through which to view our world, so that we might better understand ourselves, and in so doing proves himself a bellwether for our times. While discussing the everyday threat to the lives of black Americans, Abdurraqib recounts the first time he was ordered to the ground by police officers: for attempting to enter his own car. In the wake of the nightclub attacks in Paris, he recalls how he sought refuge as a teenager in music, at shows, and wonders whether the next generation of young Muslims will not be afforded that opportunity now.

Whether he's attending a Bruce Springsteen concert the day after visiting Michael Brown's grave, or discussing public displays of affection at a Carly Rae Jepsen show, he writes with a poignancy and magnetism that resonates profoundly. In an age of confusion, fear, and loss, Hanif Abdurraqib's is a voice that matters.

They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib