Hanif Abdurraqib Runs the Memory Palace

Hanif Abdurraqib Runs the Memory Palace

From Secretly Sporty by Sebastian Langdell

April 27, 2026 · 36 min · Season 1 · Episode 9

About this episode

Hanif Abdurraqib discusses the impact of running on his mental health and shares insights on music and creativity.

Essayist and poet Hanif Abdurraqib, author of They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us and Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest, discusses how running transports him through time and space, and how it helps him manage anxiety and depression. He goes in depth on his running playlist, and details what types of songs work for what mile of your run—and he and Sebastian bond over why shoegaze is perfect running music. He also shares what he hopes to accomplish when he writes about music, what he’s working on right now, and why gratitude is so important to him. Plus, he reveals the real reason he started lifting weights. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Sebastian Langdell

Guest: Hanif Abdurraqib

Topics covered

  • running
  • music
  • anxiety
  • depression
  • creativity
  • gratitude

Keywords

  • running
  • music playlist
  • anxiety
  • depression
  • shoegaze
  • creativity
  • gratitude

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: They Can’t Kill Us Until They Kill Us, Go Ahead in the Rain: Notes to A Tribe Called Quest

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