Hilal Isler (Author of McSweeney's Issue 67)

Hilal Isler is accepting questions on their profile page.
Oct 14, 2026 04:17PM · Be the first to ask Hilal Isler a question
Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
there is extraordinary wisdom, love, beauty in these essays. chee has a strong, sure voice and writes about the spaces between things, the intersections between art and activism, in a way i haven't seen done before. 'the writing life' was gold. '1989 ...more
Oct 11, 2026 03:50PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing Black Celebrity, Racial Politics, and the Press: Framing Dissent (Routledge Transformations in Race and Media) by Sarah J. Jackson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
so glad to have found this book, as it is growing my understanding of "black celebrity," race, and dissent; helping me contextualize/examine the ways in which mainstream press/public discourse has framed african american "celebrity" critiques of amer ...more
Oct 11, 2026 03:49PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Black Celebrity, Racial Politics, and the Press by Sarah J. Jackson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Black Celebrity, Racial Politics, and the Press by Sarah J. Jackson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
years ago, one of my mentors pressed a copy of this book into my hands and told me to read it. it’ll change how you see everything, she said, and i didn’t believe her. the premise seemed too pie-in-the-sky, too naive. a society without prisons? no pr ...more
Oct 11, 2026 03:48PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us: Essays by Hanif Abdurraqib	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
we’re in the mosh pit, now we’re at a new jersey arena, now it’s my chemical romance, then it’s nina simone...it’s prince, it’s carly rae jepsen, trying to win us over...and look at us now, as we leave an afropunk festival, wondering the extent to wh ...more
Oct 11, 2026 03:47PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us: Essays by Hanif Abdurraqib	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
we’re in the mosh pit, now we’re at a new jersey arena, now it’s my chemical romance, then it’s nina simone...it’s prince, it’s carly rae jepsen, trying to win us over...and look at us now, as we leave an afropunk festival, wondering the extent to wh ...more
Oct 11, 2026 03:47PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing The Vegetarian by Han Kang	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
first time reading han kang & i understand the hype. a slender, provocative novel...dark, eerie, strange. please note that it is explicit. trigger warnings for those sensitive to sexually violent content, for those who want to avoid stories that incl ...more
Oct 11, 2026 01:54PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Vegetarian by Han Kang. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Vegetarian by Han Kang <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing Tuhaf Bir Kadın by Leylâ Erbil	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
a fever dream of a novel: queer, ferocious, marxist... this one will stay with me. very recommended. rest in eternal peace, leyla erbil !
Oct 11, 2026 01:53PM · like · see review
Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing Tuhaf Bir Kadın by Leylâ Erbil	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
a fever dream of a novel: queer, ferocious, marxist... this one will stay with me. very recommended. rest in eternal peace, leyla erbil !
Oct 11, 2026 01:53PM · like · see review
Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing Amnesty by Aravind Adiga	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
yes, it's literary fiction. but it is written with careful attention to plot — such that it reads like a thriller. you'll have trouble putting it down. propulsive, clever, resonant, well-researched. effectively captures the moral complexities of livi ...more
Oct 11, 2026 01:50PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Amnesty by Aravind Adiga. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Amnesty by Aravind Adiga <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

Hilal Isler is accepting questions on their profile page.

Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing

How to Write an Autobiographical Novel
by Alexander Chee (Goodreads Author)

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1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

there is extraordinary wisdom, love, beauty in these essays. chee has a strong, sure voice and writes about the spaces between things, the intersections between art and activism, in a way i haven't seen done before. 'the writing life' was gold. '1989 ...more

Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing

Black Celebrity, Racial Politics, and the Press by Sarah J. Jackson

Black Celebrity, Racial Politics, and the Press: Framing Dissent (Routledge Transformations in Race and Media)
by Sarah J. Jackson

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

so glad to have found this book, as it is growing my understanding of "black celebrity," race, and dissent; helping me contextualize/examine the ways in which mainstream press/public discourse has framed african american "celebrity" critiques of amer ...more

Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing

Are Prisons Obsolete?
by Angela Y. Davis

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1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

years ago, one of my mentors pressed a copy of this book into my hands and told me to read it. it’ll change how you see everything, she said, and i didn’t believe her. the premise seemed too pie-in-the-sky, too naive. a society without prisons? no pr ...more

Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing

They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us: Essays
by Hanif Abdurraqib

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1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

we’re in the mosh pit, now we’re at a new jersey arena, now it’s my chemical romance, then it’s nina simone...it’s prince, it’s carly rae jepsen, trying to win us over...and look at us now, as we leave an afropunk festival, wondering the extent to wh we’re in the mosh pit, now we’re at a new jersey arena, now it’s my chemical romance, then it’s nina simone...it’s prince, it’s carly rae jepsen, trying to win us over...and look at us now, as we leave an afropunk festival, wondering the extent to which afropunk can “dismantle a racist world.” now we’re freezing our butts off in st. cloud, minnesota, waiting for an underground rap group (atmosphere) to take the stage. this better be good because we drove twelve hours straight, on a sunday, to get here…

the versatility in this collection of essays is incredible, first of all. the range of experience offered to us as readers...the depth of thought, the surprising, rich places abdurraqib’s curiosity leads us. ace. truly. not just entertaining, but engaging...essays that braid the personal with the political...essays about art and death and life...about voice and culture, disappointment and loss.

the essay on allen iverson delivered a great surprise and, for me at least, a moment of repentance. remember that one video clip that went viral years ago? the press conference one where a.i. kept saying ‘practice?’ “we’re talking about practice...not a game,” etc etc? that meme we shared and laughed at? abdurraqib writes:

“toward the end of the rant, an exhausted iverson leaned forward on the table to share the most jarring and human moment of the afternoon...during the season, iverson’s best friend rahsaan langford was murdered...he hadn’t been very open about the loss until this moment, dropped into a hostile press conference about a game he loved, but was uncertain about his future in:

i lost my best friend, i lost this year (in the playoffs), i feel that everything is going downhill for me as far as my life.”

a lesson if there ever was one...on the manipulations and mechanics of journalism...on the need for perspective and context and empathy. i love allen iverson for what he stands for...for his spirit of defiance. now i love him even more.

this, among other things, is what abdurraqib achieves...he asks the questions that need to be asked. he offers gentle correctives. he gives us a new set of glasses so we can see things in ways that are fuller, more generous and true.

when chance the rapper takes a chicago stage, to promote ‘coloring book,’ he says almost nothing, but the crowd still goes bonkers. abduraqqib is there. he tells it like this:

“there’s something about the way chance takes up space that causes these types of intense reactions. because he seems too good to be true, witnessing chance in person, even in stillness and silence, can prompt a kind of thrilling madness.”

it’s one thing to be good at what you do, he says of chance. “it’s another thing to be good and bold enough to have fun while doing it.”

abdurraqib is good at what he does. no writer alive writes first and last sentence like hanif, says kiese laymon, and i am in agreement with this. “they can’t kill us until they kill us” shows us what it is to not just write good stories, but to be bold enough to have some fun on the page while doing it. five stars. ...more

Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing

They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us: Essays
by Hanif Abdurraqib

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

we’re in the mosh pit, now we’re at a new jersey arena, now it’s my chemical romance, then it’s nina simone...it’s prince, it’s carly rae jepsen, trying to win us over...and look at us now, as we leave an afropunk festival, wondering the extent to wh we’re in the mosh pit, now we’re at a new jersey arena, now it’s my chemical romance, then it’s nina simone...it’s prince, it’s carly rae jepsen, trying to win us over...and look at us now, as we leave an afropunk festival, wondering the extent to which afropunk can “dismantle a racist world.” now we’re freezing our butts off in st. cloud, minnesota, waiting for an underground rap group (atmosphere) to take the stage. this better be good because we drove twelve hours straight, on a sunday, to get here…

the versatility in this collection of essays is incredible, first of all. the range of experience offered to us as readers...the depth of thought, the surprising, rich places abdurraqib’s curiosity leads us. ace. truly. not just entertaining, but engaging...essays that braid the personal with the political...essays about art and death and life...about voice and culture, disappointment and loss.

the essay on allen iverson delivered a great surprise and, for me at least, a moment of repentance. remember that one video clip that went viral years ago? the press conference one where a.i. kept saying ‘practice?’ “we’re talking about practice...not a game,” etc etc? that meme we shared and laughed at? abdurraqib writes:

“toward the end of the rant, an exhausted iverson leaned forward on the table to share the most jarring and human moment of the afternoon...during the season, iverson’s best friend rahsaan langford was murdered...he hadn’t been very open about the loss until this moment, dropped into a hostile press conference about a game he loved, but was uncertain about his future in:

i lost my best friend, i lost this year (in the playoffs), i feel that everything is going downhill for me as far as my life.”

a lesson if there ever was one...on the manipulations and mechanics of journalism...on the need for perspective and context and empathy. i love allen iverson for what he stands for...for his spirit of defiance. now i love him even more.

this, among other things, is what abdurraqib achieves...he asks the questions that need to be asked. he offers gentle correctives. he gives us a new set of glasses so we can see things in ways that are fuller, more generous and true.

when chance the rapper takes a chicago stage, to promote ‘coloring book,’ he says almost nothing, but the crowd still goes bonkers. abduraqqib is there. he tells it like this:

“there’s something about the way chance takes up space that causes these types of intense reactions. because he seems too good to be true, witnessing chance in person, even in stillness and silence, can prompt a kind of thrilling madness.”

it’s one thing to be good at what you do, he says of chance. “it’s another thing to be good and bold enough to have fun while doing it.”

abdurraqib is good at what he does. no writer alive writes first and last sentence like hanif, says kiese laymon, and i am in agreement with this. “they can’t kill us until they kill us” shows us what it is to not just write good stories, but to be bold enough to have some fun on the page while doing it. five stars. ...more

Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing

The Vegetarian
by Han Kang

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

first time reading han kang & i understand the hype. a slender, provocative novel...dark, eerie, strange. please note that it is explicit. trigger warnings for those sensitive to sexually violent content, for those who want to avoid stories that incl ...more

Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing

Tuhaf Bir Kadın
by Leylâ Erbil

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

a fever dream of a novel: queer, ferocious, marxist...
this one will stay with me. very recommended. rest in eternal peace, leyla erbil !

Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing

Tuhaf Bir Kadın
by Leylâ Erbil

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

a fever dream of a novel: queer, ferocious, marxist...
this one will stay with me. very recommended. rest in eternal peace, leyla erbil !

Hilal Isler rated a book it was amazing

Amnesty
by Aravind Adiga

Rate this book

Clear rating

1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

yes, it's literary fiction. but it is written with careful attention to plot — such that it reads like a thriller. you'll have trouble putting it down. propulsive, clever, resonant, well-researched. effectively captures the moral complexities of livi ...more

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Preview — The Vegetarian by Han Kang

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Hilal’s Friend Comments

	McSweeney's Issue 67 (McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, #67) by Claire Boyle (Editor), Emma Hooper (Goodreads Author), Hilal Isler (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 98 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Best Small Fictions 2023 by Nathan Leslie (Goodreads Author) (Editor), Catherine McNamara (Editor), Michelle Elvy (Editor) 4.50 avg rating — 18 ratings	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Har Mar: Stories 4.28 avg rating — 9 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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See a Problem?

Preview — How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee

See a Problem?

Preview — Black Celebrity, Racial Politics, and the Press by Sarah J. Jackson

See a Problem?

Preview — Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Y. Davis

See a Problem?

Preview — They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

See a Problem?

Preview — They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib

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Preview — The Vegetarian by Han Kang

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Preview — Amnesty by Aravind Adiga

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