The Real Ballers Read Podcast: The Art of Pursuing Permanence with Hanif Abdurraqib

'Hanif Abdurraqib was just a twelve-year-old in the 90's when he picked up Your Blues Ain't Like Mine by Bebe Moore Campbell for the first time; he was probably too young to be reading the book and certainly too young to understand all of what captivated him so much about the book. But Hanif kept coming back to Your Blues Ain't Like Mine every couple of years, and it slowly shifted his own understandings of language, sympathy, and death—all the way up to and during this conversation in 2022. In this episode, we talk about the incredible gift that Your Blues Ain't Like Mine by Bebe Moore Campbell is, as well as the performance of literature, the value of platonic friendships, the meaning of justice, and the unbelievable timing of Lebron's 2016 NBA Finals Game 7 chase-down block. Hanif is an amazing person to just hear speak and riff on any of his many curiosities so we know you'll love this episode.'