By: Rebecca Bestwick
Walking into W107, the Gallery Lounge, on March 18, 2019, I had no idea what to expect from the writer Hanif Abdurraqib. This was an event I stumbled upon when seeing what my peers were attending. There was no time to research this guy and what he writes. I felt like a fake fan as the room swelled with people, all itching to hear his words. Yet, I had no clue what this individual whose name I could not pronounce was capable of. It was an itching urge to come to this event, some feeling deep down telling me “Oh this is going to be good.” That deep down feeling was right.
My first views of Hanif, I admit initially I did not know it was him. He melted into the audience and off to the side eating some free Berkey Creamery ice cream. There was something about his demeanor that made him look relaxed. When it was time for him to approach the podium, he brought a tumblr cup and his works. From the moment he opened his mouth, I was absolutely engrossed. Starting off, he read a piece relating to being a Muslim in New York post 9/11, delicately bringing us back into the present with the stark reality of what happened in New Zealand just days before this event. One part of his presentation that made me laugh was him bashing Connecticut, as I have some grievances against the state as well. He made sure in the audience that there was not anyone from there before bashing it briefly as well, which was a small way he showed considerate of an individual he is.
At the end, he opened it up to questions, which really was the beginning of the second portion of his event. I checked my phone time, and saw there was ample time. I was hoping, with this large audience, someone would ask some good questions, perhaps someone better read on his works? I was absolutely floored not just at the amount of questions, but the intricate responses. When asked about being anxious in public speaking, he openly said that he usually operates at a 5 and expects to be operating at a 5, which makes the experience much more pleasant. As someone who is constantly anxious as well, hearing his thought process was refreshing.
His works really tie music to small events, which are overarching larger issues. Going in, I was confused about what a Tribe Called Quest is, and wondered why those words were put together in a book title. It made more sense once he broke down the context, explaining that it was a band. He prefaced all of his works, which was excellent, especially since I did not research him previously. It made me appreciate him more, taking the time to delve into specifics within his pieces before he read them.
At the end of the event, I took my new book from him called They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, and waited patiently in line for him to sign my book, and just try to connect with him. He took the time to talk to every person, and when it came to me, he asked ME about where my passion would take me, and personally signed my book based upon that. Hanif was one of the most down to earth writers I have met so far at events on campus, and he opened me up to the potential of following my gut feeling a bit more when it comes to attending these events.