About
G’Ra Asim, a writer and musician, is an assistant professor of English at Washington University in St. Louis. Asim is the author of Boyz n the Void: a mixtape to my brother, which was named one of Kirkus’s Best Nonfiction Books of 2021.
He has served as a writing director at the African American Policy Forum and a graduate teaching fellow in Columbia University’s Undergraduate Writing Program. Asim’s next book of critical nonfiction, 99 Problems Finding the 1, is forthcoming from Beacon Press.
His essays have appeared in Slate, Salon, Guernica, The Baffler, The New Republic and the Boston Globe. When not writing or teaching, he plays in Wiretap Records punk act Baby Got Back Talk, who were named one of Alternative Press’s “17 rising Black alternative bands who are leading the next generation.”
Available Now!
99 Problems Finding The 1: A Love Story(Sort Of)
Released on Beacon Press August 4th, 2026
Part cultural criticism, part picaresque adventure, professor and punk musician G’Ra Asim tackles chronic lovelessness in the post-covid era with heft and humor.
The Latest on ‘99 Problems Finding the 1‘
Talking ’99 Problems Finding the 1′, ‘Code Ditching’, and more with G’Ra Asim
Writer, punk musician (Baby Got Back Talk), and assistant professor of creative writing, G’Ra Asim is getting ready to release his second book, 99 Problems Finding the 1: a love story (sort of). With his signature wit and candour, G’Ra dives into lovelessness and loneliness through a mix of personal stories, pop culture references, and cultural criticism.
G’Ra Asim’s upcoming book explores ‘99 Problems’ in finding human connection
After years spent puzzling over love, desire, and the challenges of finding both in a world mediated by screens, Asim tackles the subject through humor and personal experience.
