There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib Summary

1. Basketball game structure mirrors life’s urgency and fleeting moments
2. Black excellence as a counter-narrative to systemic limitations
3. Personal and collective memory shape identity through basketball lore
4. Fragmented prose mirrors the rhythms of hip-hop and slam poetry
5. Ascension requires balancing individual ambition with communal belonging
6. Grief transformed into resilience through sports and cultural rituals
7. Home is both a physical place and a state of witness
8. Time’s passage measured in buzzer-beaters and personal reckonings
9. Witnessing as an act of survival and celebration in Black life
10. Basketball as metaphor for navigating loss and triumph
11. Cultural criticism rooted in personal narrative and voracious reading

About the Author of There's Always This Year

Hanif Abdurraqib, the National Book Award-longlisted author of There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension, is a celebrated poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio.

Blending memoir with incisive social commentary, this genre-defying work explores themes of belonging, mortality, and Black identity through the lens of basketball—a passion rooted in his upbringing in a city shaped by the sport.

A 2021 MacArthur Fellow, Abdurraqib is renowned for award-winning works like A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance (winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal) and the bestselling Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest (National Book Award longlist).

His essays and criticism regularly appear in The New Yorker and The New York Times, cementing his status as a leading voice on music, race, and American culture. They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us and A Fortune for Your Disaster—both critical darlings and reader favorites—further showcase his lyrical precision and emotional depth.

There’s Always This Year continues his streak of literary acclaim, earning praise for its innovative structure and profound reflections on community and legacy.

FAQs About There's Always This Year

What is There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension about?

There's Always This Year explores basketball’s cultural significance through memoir, lyrical essays, and social commentary. Hanif Abdurraqib reflects on 1990s Ohio, legends like LeBron James, and the tension between success and unfulfilled potential. The book weaves personal stories about fatherhood, community, and identity with broader critiques of American expectations and resilience.

Who should read There’s Always This Year?

Fans of Abdurraqib’s previous award-winning works (A Little Devil in America, Go Ahead in the Rain) and readers interested in sports-as-metaphor will appreciate this book. It resonates with those exploring race, belonging, and the interplay between individual ambition and collective identity. Basketball enthusiasts and memoir lovers will find its blend of history and autobiography compelling.

Is There’s Always This Year worth reading?

Yes—critics praise its emotional depth, lyrical prose, and innovative structure. Described as “mesmerizing” and “a clarion call to reimagine culture,” it combines basketball history with intimate reflections on family and failure. Ideal for readers seeking nuanced narratives about race, aspiration, and the Midwest’s cultural legacy.

What are the main themes in There’s Always This Year?

Key themes include:

• The fragility of success and societal expectations of Black excellence.
• Basketball as a lens for analyzing community, nostalgia, and resilience.
• Fatherhood, memory, and the complexities of home. Abdurraqib ties these ideas to broader conversations about American identity and belonging.

How does Hanif Abdurraqib use basketball as a metaphor in the book?

Basketball frames discussions of marginalization, perseverance, and collective joy. Abdurraqib likens the sport’s rhythm to personal growth—examining how players (and individuals) navigate “making it” in systems stacked against them. The court becomes a space to dissect race, economic struggle, and fleeting triumphs.

What memorable quotes appear in There’s Always This Year?

While direct quotes aren’t provided in sources, Abdurraqib’s standout lines include reflections like:

• “Here is where I would like to tell you about the form on my father’s jump shot” (highlighting absence and legacy).
• “What does it mean to ascend in a place that doubts your worth?” (tying athletic ambition to systemic barriers).

How does this book connect to Abdurraqib’s earlier works?

Like A Little Devil in America (Black performance) and Go Ahead in the Rain (music history), this book uses cultural touchstones to explore identity. However, it deepens his focus on geography—Ohio’s influence on his worldview—and blends memoir with sharper critiques of systemic inequality.

How does There’s Always This Year address race and identity?

Abdurraqib interrogates how Black athletes and communities navigate exploitation and adoration. He contrasts LeBron James’ mythmaking with everyday Ohioans’ struggles, arguing that Black success is often conditional and tethered to others’ expectations.

What is the structure of There’s Always This Year?

The book alternates between essayistic critiques, poetic vignettes, and autobiographical segments. Chapters mirror basketball’s pacing—short bursts of insight, halftime-like reflections, and climactic analyses of legacy. This nonlinear approach mirrors the unpredictability of sports and life.

How has There’s Always This Year been received critically?

Hailed as “a triumph” (Steve James, Hoop Dreams director), it’s praised for its originality and emotional resonance. Critics highlight its seamless blend of personal narrative and cultural analysis, cementing Abdurraqib’s reputation as a leading voice in contemporary nonfiction.

What role does Ohio play in the book?

Ohio—particularly 1990s Columbus—anchors the narrative. Abdurraqib portrays it as a microcosm of American contradictions: a place of communal pride and racialized limitations, where basketball courts become sites of hope and disillusionment.

How does the book explore fatherhood and role models?

Abdurraqib contrasts public figures like LeBron with personal stories about his father’s fleeting presence. He questions who society elevates as “role models” and how absence shapes aspirations, arguing that mentorship is often found in unexpected places.