
Interview with Hanif Abdurraqib (Author of 'There's Always This Year')
04/23/24 • 0 min
In this episode, we interview author Hanif Abdurraqib about his new book, "There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension," his writing process, and the themes of aging and mortality in his book. We also discuss his upcoming tour and the importance of place and community in his work, as well as his favorite style of french fry.
Photo: Kate Sweeney (https://www.katesweeneyphotography.com)
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About Hanif Abdurraqib: Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio, and the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” grant. His most recent book, A Little Devil in America, was the winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Gordon Burns Prize and a finalist for the National Book Award. His first collection of essays, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was named one of the books of the year by NPR, Esquire, BuzzFeed, O: The Oprah Magazine, Pitchfork, and Chicago Tribune, among others.
Read Hanif’s books:
- There's Always This Year
- They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us
- A Fortune For Your Disaster
- A Little Devil in America
Books discussed on today's episode:
- The Apology by Jimin Han
- The Men Can't Be Saved by Ben Purkert
- Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
In this episode, we interview author Hanif Abdurraqib about his new book, "There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension," his writing process, and the themes of aging and mortality in his book. We also discuss his upcoming tour and the importance of place and community in his work, as well as his favorite style of french fry.
Photo: Kate Sweeney (https://www.katesweeneyphotography.com)
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get 2 extra free credits to use on any audiobook.
About Hanif Abdurraqib: Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio, and the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” grant. His most recent book, A Little Devil in America, was the winner of the Carnegie Medal and the Gordon Burns Prize and a finalist for the National Book Award. His first collection of essays, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was named one of the books of the year by NPR, Esquire, BuzzFeed, O: The Oprah Magazine, Pitchfork, and Chicago Tribune, among others.
Read Hanif’s books:
- There's Always This Year
- They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us
- A Fortune For Your Disaster
- A Little Devil in America
Books discussed on today's episode:
- The Apology by Jimin Han
- The Men Can't Be Saved by Ben Purkert
- Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange
Previous Episode

Introducing the Libro.fm Podcast Extravaganza!
Join Craig and Karen for the first ever Libro.fm Podcast Extravaganza, a week-long celebration of authors, narrators, booksellers, and more leading up to Independent Bookstore Day on Saturday April 27th, 2024! Stay tuned for conversations with authors Hanif Abdurraqib, Andrew Sean Greer, Darcie Little Badger, and Steven Rowley. Libro.fm also has a huge sale and Golden Ticket Giveaway this week—head over to https://libro.fm/ibd for more details.
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get 2 extra free credits to use on any audiobooks.
Next Episode

Interview with Andrew Sean Greer (Author of 'Less' and 'Less is Lost')
On today’s episode, we sat down with Pulitzer Prize-winning author of ‘Less,’ Andrew Sean Greer. We discuss how he approached writing the sequel ‘Less is Lost’, book recommendations, his favorite burrito in San Francisco, and what it's like to be a crossword clue and question on Jeopardy.
Photo credit: Kaliel Roberts
Use promo code: SWITCH when signing up for a new Libro.fm membership to get 2 extra free credits to use on any audiobooks.
About Andrew Sean Greer: Andrew Sean Greer is the author of seven works of fiction, including the bestsellers The Confessions of Max Tivoli and Less. Greer has taught at a number of universities, including Stanford and the Iowa Writers Workshop, been a TODAY show pick, a New York Public Library Cullman Center Fellow, a judge for the National Book Award, and a winner of the California Book Award and the New York Public Library Young Lions Award. He is the recipient of a NEA grant, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.
Read Andrew's books:
Books discussed on today's episode:
- The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
- The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer
- Funny Story by Emily Henry
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