In a writing workshop focusing on enriching students’ writing skills, acclaimed writer Hanif Abdurraqib visited history teacher Keli Arslancan’s classroom via Zoom to give students advice on composing a book.

The event took place on November 5th, two writers from 826LA, Trevor Crown and Julia Malinow, also hosted the event along with Arslancan. 826LA is a Los Angeles based nonprofit organization focused on enriching students in writing and literature. 

Students from Arslancan’s classes prepared questions for Abdurraqib. Throughout the discussion, Abdurraqib dove into topics regarding video games, his most recent book, and about growing as a writer. 

“I don’t really write to seek answers,” said Abdurraqib. “When you’re not writing to seek answers, you’re really guided by your curiosity.”

While growing up in Columbus Ohio, Abdurraqib was involved in the hip-hop and punk scenes in his hometown. Abdurraqib admired the work of his hardworking mother who’d come home after long days at work and write a novel on her typewriter. 

“That was the first writer I ever saw at work,” he said. “That was the first experience I had watching someone work on something that was writing.”

“Writing was the vessel through which I could share my excitement.”

Abdurraqib began to write poetry to tell stories in a metaphorical and imaginative way, “The way I see the world, or think through the world is through the lens of poetics.”

In Arslancan’s history classes, students are currently writing a book featuring 150 stories on different historical topics and public figures. Abdurraqib advised the students to write freely and let it take control of them.

“Your writing should be a body of water that you surrender to,” he said. “It should take you where it wants to go and you cannot see where it’s going to take you until you sit in it and let yourself surrender to it.” 

From talking about the rap group A Tribe Called Quest to the video game Red Dead Redemption, Abdurraqib mentioned how important writing and culture are in his life and how it has been helpful for him to articulate how he feels about his different interests.

“I need language to translate feelings,” he said.

“Language afforded me a deeper, real depth, and ability to do it.”

Abdurraqib is currently on a book tour for his new release, There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension. The book focuses on sports, parenthood, and brotherhood. Part of the book talks about how the passing of Abdurraqib’s mother strengthened his relationship with his brother.

“Now we get to band together through the carrying on of my mother’s legacy,” he said.

“As we get older, we see ourselves as people responsible for the legacy of someone we love very much.”

From delving into poetry to criticizing music, Abdurraqib does not feel constricted to one single genre. 

“I’m not really governed by a genre, I’m in the pursuit of beautiful language.”