In some ways, i think it becomes a better and more joyful project to archive the project of my living. By that i mean, ou know, you can remember things well as you age. But also having a relationship with memory that is not wholly dramatic has been a real experience for me. I am less indignant about my past, and i'm less beholden to this pursuit of nastalgia.
Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and critic whose work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine and many other publications. His new book is A Little Devil in America: In Praise of Black Performance.
“I learn from hearing my elders tell stories. There’s an inherent knowing of yourself as a vessel for narration who also has to—is required to—hold the attention of others at all costs. And that’s essentially what I’m trying to do. The broader project of my writing is almost a constant pleading of: Don’t leave yet. Stay here with me for just a little bit longer.”
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