Little Devils with Unchained Arms: Hanif Abdurraqib in Conversation with Jason Reynolds
Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall
Auditorium

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Widely-published poet, essayist, cultural critic, and MacArthur Fellow *Hanif Abdurraqib* boasts two celebrated volumes – The Crown Ain’t Worth Much and his first collection of essays, They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, named a book of the year by publications that include Buzzfeed, Esquire, and NPR. His collections walk the territory of family, friendship, and community with compassion, depth, and clarity. This session is named for the joyful way Hanif described his manner of dance in his latest book the National Book Award Finalist Little Devil in America, winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal, a celebration of Black joy, named after dancer Josephine Baker who declared, “I was a devil in other countries, and I was a little devil in America, too.” Esteemed #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds joins Hanif to discuss his new work, the reissue of They Can’t Kill Us, life as an artist, publishing, community, and all things literary. Jason’s novel-in-verse Long Way Down was the 2019 One Book Baltimore selection. The recipient of numerous awards, including a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and multiple Coretta Scott King honors, Reynolds served as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature from 2020-2022 and has released a new children’s picture book There Was a Party for Langston, a joyous ode to Hughes.

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HANIF ABDURRAQIB

Hanif Abdurraqib is a widely published poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio. His first two celebrated volumes, one of poetry– The Crown Ain’t Worth Much and the other, his first collection of essays – They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, walk the territory of family, friendship, and community with compassion, depth, and clarity. There is no shying away from the disparity and death that crack open these worlds; instead, there is facing them, staring right through them to what truly is and what could be. The essay collection was released in winter 2017 by Two Dollar Radio and was named a book of the year by Buzzfeed, Esquire, NPR, Oprah Magazine, Paste, CBC, The Los Angeles Review, Pitchfork, and The Chicago Tribune, among others. His newest release, A Little Devil In America (Random House, 2021) was a winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal and the Gordon Burn Prize. In 2021, Abdurraqib was named a MacArthur Fellow. He is a graduate of Beechcroft High School. 

abdurraqib.com
Twitter: @NifMuhammad
Instagram: @NifMuhammad

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JASON REYNOLDS

Jason Reynolds is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of many award-winning books, including Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks, All American Boys (with Brendan Kiely), Long Way Down, Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You (with Ibram X. Kendi), Stuntboy, in the Meantime (illustrated by Raúl the Third), and Ain’t Burned All the Bright (with artwork by Jason Griffin). The recipient of a Newbery Honor, a Printz Honor, an NAACP Image Award, and multiple Coretta Scott King honors, Reynolds served as the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature from 2020-2022. He has appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Late Night with Seth Meyers, CBS Sunday Morning, Good Morning America, and various media outlets. He is on faculty at Lesley University, in the Writing for Young People MFA Program and lives in Washington, DC.

jasonwritesbooks.com
Twitter: @JasonReynolds83
Instagram: @jasonreynolds83

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CityLit Project and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra in partnership with Hedgebrook and Chesapeake Shakespeare Company present CityLit Festival: Lifting As We Climb. This celebration of the arts showcases a bevy of leading poets and writers on March 25, 2023. We’re talking fiction, nonfiction, poetry galore, and ways to up the ante on your craft.

Download the CityLit Festival: Lifting As We Climb flyer.