There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension

Hanif Abdurraqib is a Genius (I mean officially: he's a MacArthur fellowship recipient) and a national treasure. You don't have to like basketball to appreciate his latest release, although a bit of familiarity with the LeBron James phenomenon is helpful. But that's simply the framework Abdurraqib uses to muse about his past, his love for Columbus Ohio and its people, “making it,” loneliness, grief, music, prayer, fathers and sons, and how a Nike sneaker commercial can break your heart. His writing is poetic and beautiful and angry and joyous. If this book doesn't sound appealing to you, I urge you to seek out some of his earlier work including [b:They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us 33947154 They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us Hanif Abdurraqib https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1678391460l/33947154.SX50.jpg 54916808] and [b:A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance 49247757 A Little Devil in America Notes in Praise of Black Performance Hanif Abdurraqib https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1606110758l/49247757.SX50.jpg 62219511]. Or just google him and read one of his articles or this poem , in which a nameless Editor tries to tell Abdurraqib why his submission that uses a pooping dog as a metaphor for love is not suitable for their publication.