Hanif Abdurraqib is an author, poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His poetry has been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American, and various other journals. His essays and music criticisms have been published in The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, and The New York Times.

His most recent book, "A Little Devil in America," was a winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal and the Gordon Burn Prize, a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award and the Pen/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award. His first collection of essays, "They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us," was released in 2017 by Two Dollar Radio and was named a book of the year by Buzzfeed, Esquire, NPR, Oprah Magazine, Paste, CBC, The Los Angeles Review, Pitchfork, and The Chicago Tribune, among others.

Abdurraqib's first full-length poetry collection, "The Crown Ain't Worth Much," was released in June 2016 from Button Poetry. It was named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Prize and was nominated for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. He has released several other award-winning books and has received notable awards for each of them including a New York Times Bestseller Award, Kirkus Prize finalist, and the 2020 Lenore Marshall Prize.

"I fell in love with Hanif's work because he reminded me of my childhood, of college days hanging out with my friends listening to the Pharcyde, of the grief of losing my brother," said Central State University Professor of Music Dr. Jenny Cruz. "Hanif has the incredible ability to remind us that no matter what lines we draw around us, we share so much more than we think. In a time when the world is in so much pain, he's a cynic who gives me so much hope."

Date and Time: Tuesday, September 20, 2022, 6:30 p.m.

Venue: Central State University Student Center, Rm. 201-202, 1400 Brush Row Road, Wilberforce, OH 45384.

Cost: Free and open to the public

Host: CSU Professor of Music Dr. Jenny Cruz

For more information about the event call (937) 376-6406 or email [email protected].