THERE'S ALWAYS THIS YEAR: ON BASKETBALL AND ASCENSION

THERE'S ALWAYS THIS YEAR: ON BASKETBALL AND ASCENSION by Hanif Abdurraqie

There's Always This Year is a complicated read, but moving none the less. Author Hanif Abdurraqib takes us right into the heart of inner city Columbus, Ohio, and his growing up years there. Intermixed with the author's clear love of the game of basketball are the stories of his life. The book is divided into four quarters, like a basketball game, and each quarter's content is divided into stories headed by a game clock's time counting down to the end of the quarter that continually moves us to the end of the "game."

The first very striking thing about this book is Abdurraqib's writing style. Although written in paragraphs, it is borderline poetry. The thoughts are deep and often punctuated with emotion. There is a rhythm of life that hums through the words as you read them. Stories flow about his father, watching a beloved Columbus high school basketball team play against LeBron James' high school team pre-NBA, relationships, faith or the lack of, the culture, incarceration, making it out of Columbus, returning, and all the while a steady strand of basketball holds it all together - the hope, the rejection, the rising again.

I personally struggled with the first two pages and almost dumped the book, but I continued on. Abdurraqib reaches out to make a connection with us. The gathering of our hand in his, the desire of an understanding being made of what we are about to step into is a beautiful picture in today's restless society, but then comes the talk of "enemies." The people who don't understand the music that pulsates, the complicated handshakes, etc. After a little while we move past this and begin to see the bond he has with his city and home.

Trying to pinpoint why this book will go on my shelf and not be passed on is difficult. All in all, I think Abdurraqib gives us a window into what living in this type of life and mindset looks like that we often don't get. While there is anger, frustration, hopelessness at times, it is wrapped in a blanket of love for his home and the relationships he has made there. Like I said at the start, it's a complicated read.

HEADS UP- We do eventually get to the police issues. At first I thought we were going to miss them, but especially at the end they came out. There are a lot of F-bombs. There is wrestling with faiths, both Muslim and Christian. (Abdurraqib grew up in a Muslim home.) There is a nonchalant attitude towards crimes committed.