Poet, critic Hanif Abdurraqib to speak at Liberty Hall

LAWRENCE — Writer Hanif Abdurraqib discuss his new book, “They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us,” at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 at Liberty Hall.

Abdurraqib is from Columbus, Ohio, and writes at the intersection of music, culture and identity. In addition to his most recent book, published by Two Dollar Radio in 2017, Abdurraqib published a book of poetry, “The Crown Ain't Worth Much,” which was one of the best-selling poetry books of 2016 and named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book prize. In 2017, Abdurraqib released a limited-edition chapbook, “Vintage Sadness,” in collaboration with Big Lucks.

A prolific writer, Abdurraqib’s work can also be found in The New York Times, ESPN Magazine, The Fader, MTV, VH1 and The Nation, as well as the February 2018 issue of Harper’s Magazine, which features an essay on protest music.

Abdurraqib is half of the poetry collective Echo Hotel, with poet/scholar Eve Ewing, who spoke in Lawrence in January.

This lecture is supported by The Commons and the Raven Bookstore, along with the KU departments of English, American Studies and African & African-American Studies; the Langston Hughes Center; the Office of Multicultural Affairs; the Office of Diversity and Equity; and the Hall Center for the Humanities.

Tickets are required and may be obtained via thecommons.ku.edu. The event is free and open to the public. Books will be available for sale on site by the Raven Bookstore.

Anyone needing special accommodations may contact The Commons staff for assistance.

Photo: Hanif Abdurraqib: Credit: Andrew Cenci.