Here at The Root we’ve always loved, praised, and centered Black literature in the broader conversation. Each week host Maiysha Kai sits down with an author we love to talk about their work, what inspires them, and what they hope to contribute to the culture at large. Guests so far include Nikole Hannah Jones, Brittney Cooper, Stacey Abrams, Ibram X. Kendi, Ijeoma Oluo, Morgan Jerkins, and Claudia Rankine.
This week we're speaking with award-winning poet, essayist, and cultural critic Hanif Abdurraqib. Hanif's previous works have garnered widespread praise, including 2017's Book of the Year They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, and his 2019 New York Times bestseller Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest. Hanif's latest book, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance, explores the varied individual histories of Black entertainers, and we had the pleasure of speaking with him about the impact of Soul Train, his deep admiration for Josephine Baker, and the joy he derived from the process of researching this book.
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