i feel like i know more about columbus than most midwestern cities. My real goal in my writing is to not write the city only as romantic, but to also write it as a flawed place that i struggle to love and figure out how to love through those struggles. Now, all that's said, my affection for columbus is still out weighed by my complications. And i hope that stays true for a little bit longer.
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.”
Show notes:
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices