A celebration of Black culture beyond the white gaze, by one of America's most talked-about young cultural critics
Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His first full length poetry collection, The Crown Ain't Worth Much, was named a finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Prize, and was nominated for a Hurston-Wright Legacy Award. His first collection of essays, They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was named a book of the year by BuzzFeed, Esquire, NPR, O- The Oprah Magazine, Paste, CBC, The Los Angeles Review, Pitchfork, and Chicago Tribune, among others. His most recent book, Go Ahead in the Rain- Notes to A Tribe Called Quest, debuted on the New York Times bestseller list.
Hanif Abdurraqib's genius is in pinpointing those moments in
American cultural history when Black people made lightning
strike. But Black performance, Black artistry, Black freedom
too often came at devastating price. The real devil in America is
America itself, the one who stole the soul that he, through open
eyes and fearless prose, snatches back. This is searing,
revelatory, filled with utter heartbreak, and unstoppable joy.
-- Marlon James, author of Black Leopard Red Wolf
A rapturous exploration of black genius. Whether
heralding unsung entertainers or re-examining legends, Hanif
Abdurraqib weaves together gorgeous essays that reveal the
resilience, heartbreak, and joy within black performance. I read
this book breathlessly. -- Brit Bennett * author of The
Vanishing Half *
To read Hanif Abdurraqib is to be embraced in the middle of
chaos. In his latest book, A Little Devil In America: In
Praise of Black Performance, he does what many great writers
do, which is to illuminate and join the dots between connections
readers may once have failed to see. * Huck *
Abdurraqib is one of the most brilliant writers I've ever read.
A Little Devil In America needs to be on every bedside
table, every high school and college desktop - and basically, in
this age of a revolution, this is that ONE book that everyone needs
to read. Pure genius. I'm not even trying to get at even SOME of
the brilliance Hanif gets to with this book-there is just too much.
From Black Exceptionalism to Josephine Baker to Old Heads-he brings
it and clarifies it, then shapes it into every bit of medicine we
need right now. -- Jacqueline Woodson * author of Red at the
Bone *
Poignant, powerful, candid, written with sincerity and emotion
... An important book * New York Times *
The most important cultural critic in America right now? This
writer gets my vote. Abdurraqib has delivered a winner. *
Chicago Tribune *
Hanif Abdurraqib has a way of taking slices of our cultural
landscape, examining them, and transforming them into observations
and analyses that leave me underlining the entire page. In A
Little Devil In America, Abdurraqib brilliantly braids
together history, criticism, and prose so stunning that it makes
you want to read every word out loud just so you can hear its
music. Everything Abdurraqib writes is a must-read, but this is
his best yet. It is one of the most dynamic books I have
ever read. -- Clint Smith
Blending pop-culture essays, memoir, and poetry, A Little
Devil in America delves into the manyiterations of Black
artistic expression through an often deeply personal lens
...Startling, layered, and timely, this is an essential,
illuminating collection * Booklist (starred review) *
A thoughtful memoir rolled into a set of joined essays on life,
death, and the Black experience in America... Social criticism, pop
culture, and autobiography come together neatly in these pages, and
every sentence is sharp, provocative, and self-aware ... A
winner. -- Kirkus Reviews (*starred review*)
A Little Devil in America is so so heavy in some places that I have
to take breaks. It just hurts to read some of these truths, woven
in such beautiful writing. -- Yomi Sode
In this staggeringly intimate meditation, Abdurraqib shines
a light on how Black artists have shaped-and been shaped
by-American culture. His prose is reliably razor-sharp. Filled with
nuance and lyricism, Abdurraqib's luminous survey is
stunning. * Publishers Weekly (starred review) *
Abdurraqib pens respectful, heartwarming essays that reflect on
giants in music, television, cinema, and even magic...his
stories will inspire and provoke thoughtful meditations on how
Black lives matter in all areas of life and art. * Library
Journal (starred review) *
Abdurraqib uses his inimitable blend of incisive, piercing
criticism and shimmering stream-of-consciousness to explore
everything from the problem with praising Black women for being
"vessels" who have "saved America" with their votes (he points out:
"It occurred to me that Black women were simply attempting to save
themselves") to Dave Chappelle's appeal to white audiences to the
death of his mother. Moving, provocative, and infused with a
singular lyricism, A Little Devil in America is an exultant
blend of memoir and criticism, a must-read for anyone looking to
better understand this country and its people. * Refinery29 *
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