In Conversation: Poets, Essayists, & Cultural Critics Scott Woods and Hanif Abdurraqib
Thursday, july 10 ON THE THURBER HOUSE LAWN
You will have the opportunity to ask the speakers questions after the event, purchase books, and get your books signed. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket with you.
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BLACK NIGHT IS FALLING
Scott Woods' third book of poetry wrestles with ecstatic notions of blackness, the beauty and grief to be found in every 'hood carryout, the colonization of pumpkin spice, and backstage tales of the vaunted and mythical Cookout. At turns funny, fearlessly irreverent and dark, Woods composes a love letter to the existential and emotional blues, gathering up all of the love and woe that can be held in the face of a world seemingly resigned to its own blues.
ABOUT SCOTT WOODS
Scott Woods is the author of Black Night Is Falling, We Over Here Now, Urban Contemporary History Month, and Prince and Little Weird Black Boy Gods. Scott has published and edited work in a variety of publications and has been featured multiple times in national press, including several appearances on National Public Radio. Scott is the Founder/Executive Director of Streetlight Guild, which focuses on Columbus art and underrepresented voices. Scott is the former President of Poetry Slam Inc. and co-founder of Writers’ Block Poetry Night, an open mic series in Columbus, Ohio. In 2006, he became the first poet to ever complete a 24-hour solo poetry reading, a feat he bested with six more annual 24-hour readings without repeating a single poem. In October 2020, Scott won an Ohio Valley Regional Emmy Award for contributions to A House That Cannot Fall.
ABOUT HANIF ABDURRAQIB
Hanif Abdurraqib is a poet, essayist, and cultural critic from Columbus, Ohio, and the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation “Genius” grant. His poetry and essays have been published in Muzzle, Vinyl, PEN American, The FADER, Pitchfork, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. Hanif has two award-winning poetry collections, The Crown Ain't Worth Much and A Fortune for Your Disaster. His first collection of essays, They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us, was named a book of the year by Buzzfeed, Esquire, NPR, Oprah Magazine, The Los Angeles Review, Pitchfork, and The Chicago Tribune. He released Go Ahead In The Rain: Notes To A Tribe Called Quest in 2019, which became a New York Times bestseller, was a finalist for the Kirkus Prize, and was longlisted for the National Book Award. In 2021, Hanif released the book A Little Devil In America, which won the 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction and the Gordon Burn Prize, and was a finalist for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. In 2024, Hanif released There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension, which was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, was longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction, and was named a best book of the year by The New York Times Book Review, Time, The Washington Post, NPR, The Boston Globe, The New York Public Library, Chicago Public Library, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Book Riot.
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‣ Picnic Social | 6:00-6:30 pm (Optional)
Enjoy a picnic dinner (ours or yours) and hang out on the lawn during this time frame (optional).
‣ Main Program | 6:30-7:30 pm
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the program! You will have the opportunity to ask the speakers questions after the event.
‣ Book Signing | 7:30 pm
Purchase books and get them signed by the authors.
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‣ Full Summer Subscription for 2 (Event Only) | $185
($176 subscription, $9 Columbus ticket fee)
Perfect for couples and friends, this series subscription admits up to two (2) attendees to each of the five (5) Summer Picnic Events (a $210 value!). *Does not include dinner, but you can add à la carte dinners using the “Dinner Upgrade” option.*
‣ Adult Admission (Event + Dinner) | $41
($20 ticket, $1 Columbus ticket fee, $20 dinner)
This ticket includes individual admission to the event, plus a catered boxed dinner with an entree, sides, and a drink. Regular, vegetarian, and vegan options are available; for menus, visit the “Dinner Menus” tab below.
‣ Adult Admission (Event Only) | $21
($20 ticket, $1 Columbus ticket fee)
This ticket includes individual admission to the event.
‣ 18 and Under Admission (Event Only) | $8.50
($8 ticket, $0.50 Columbus ticket fee)
This ticket includes individual admission to the event for attendees 18 and under.
‣ Dinner Upgrade | $20
Add a boxed dinner to any 18 and Under ticket (or an Event Only ticket, if you change your mind later) for $20 per meal. You do not need to add a Dinner Upgrade if your ticket already comes with a dinner.
This upgrade includes one catered boxed dinner with an entree, sides, and a drink. Regular, vegetarian, and vegan options are available. For menus, visit the “Dinner Menus” tab below.
Note: Some walk-in Event Only tickets will be available at the event (space permitting). However, we strongly encourage you to register in advance. All Event + Dinner tickets and Dinner Upgrades must be purchased at least several business days in advance.
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The caterer for this picnic is… Apple Spice!
If you’d like a boxed dinner for this event, make sure to select an Event + Dinner ticket when you order. Dinners must be purchased by 10am on July 8 for this event.
‣ Regular menu:
Turkey Avocado Sandwich (oven-roasted turkey breast topped with avocado, sprouts, Swiss cheese, lettuce, and signature sauce)
Fruit
Potato chips
Dill pickle
Cookie
Choice of drink: water, pop, etc.
‣ Vegetarian menu:
Egg Salad Sandwich (egg salad topped with Swiss cheese and avocado on crisp lettuce)
Fruit
Potato chips
Dill pickle
Cookie
Choice of drink: water, pop, etc.
‣ Vegan menu:
Gourmet PB&J (peanut butter and strawberry preserves w/sliced strawberries, and slivered almonds)
Fresh fruit
Potato chips
Dill pickle
Choice of drink: water, pop, etc.
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‣ Location: This event will take place on the Thurber House lawn (77 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215).
‣ Rain site: In the event of rain, this event will be held at Thurber Center (91 Jefferson Avenue, Columbus, OH 43215), the building directly north of Thurber House.
‣ Free parking on Jefferson Avenue: Free street parking is available all along the Jefferson Avenue oval. Note: Only the spots along the one-way oval are free; the spots along the two-way ends of Jefferson Avenue (near Broad Street and Long Street) are not free.
‣ Free parking off N. 11th Street (behind Thurber House): Free visitor parking is also available in the small lot directly behind Thurber House, accessible off N. 11th Street and located here.
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The first floors of Thurber House and Thurber Center are handicap/wheelchair accessible, including the first floor restrooms. There are no elevators, but all staircases to the second floor are wide with handrails. Our summer picnics are held on the Thurber House lawn, which is largely flat, but has some uneven areas.
How to reach the wheelchair ramps:
If you park on Jefferson Avenue: There is a slight curb (some wheelchairs can navigate this). The closest “ramp” cut is the entrance to the large parking lot on the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Long Street (here).
Thurber House wheelchair ramp (to access the building): Follow the sidewalk through the Thurber House front gate. Take the sidewalk around the left side of the House. The entrance to the wheelchair ramp is near the rear corner of the House (here).
Thurber Center wheelchair ramp (rain site): Follow the sidewalk through the Thurber Center front gate. Take the sidewalk around the porch on the right side of the building. The entrance to the wheelchair ramp will appear on your left, past the porch.
If you park in the Thurber House rear parking lot: Follow the sidewalk between the handicap parking signs (here). The sidewalk will take you around the north side of our multipurpose building, Thurber Center.
Thurber House wheelchair ramp (to access the building): Continue east past Thurber Center toward the street (Jefferson Avenue) and turn right toward Thurber House. Follow the sidewalk through the Thurber House front gate and around the left side of the House. The entrance to the wheelchair ramp is near the rear corner of the House (here).
Thurber Center wheelchair ramp (rain site): The ramp will appear on your right and leads up to the front porch.
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For any questions that are not answered here, please contact Jess at jcox@thurberhouse.org or 614-412-5955.
‣ How will I receive my tickets? You will receive an email order confirmation containing your ticket(s). You can print or show your ticket(s) on your phone. If you are unable to do so, we will manually check you in.
‣ Can I order tickets by phone? Yes, although online orders are encouraged. To order by phone, call 614-412-5955.
‣ Can I purchase books and get them signed at the event? Yes, books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
‣ How do the picnic dinners work this year? If you order a ticket that includes a dinner or a dinner upgrade, your boxed meal comes with an entree, sides, and a drink. Various meal options are available. At this time, we cannot accommodate allergies.
‣ Is outside food/drink permitted? Yes! You have the option of bringing your own picnic dinner.
‣ Do I need to bring a chair with me? Please plan to bring your own lawn chair or blanket. A limited number of extra chairs will be available.
‣ Is there a bathroom? Yes, bathrooms will be available, including accessible bathrooms.
‣ Will Thurber House be open for free tours? Yes, the Thurber House museum will be open for free tours during the picnic social.
‣ What is your refund policy? All ticket sales are final and non-refundable.
‣ What is the Columbus ticket fee? The total ticket price includes the Columbus Arts and Culture Fee as required by the City of Columbus. The Arts and Culture Fee provides public funds to support artists and arts/cultural organizations like Thurber House that educate and engage audiences of all ages. Click here for more information.
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Disclaimer: Views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by event and program speakers in all mediums are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Thurber House, its affiliates, or its staff/board.