The Stacks

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by author Shannon Sanders to discuss her debut novel, The Great Wherever . This book follows Aubrey Lamb, a young Black woman who inherits her late father’s share of a Tennessee farm filled with family history, secrets, and the ghosts of her ancestors. We talk about why she chose to use a ghost as her narrator, how she transitioned from writing a short story colle...

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by book editor, Julianna Haubner. Julianna is an executive editor at Flatiron Books, where she acquires narrative nonfiction, history, pop culture, and social science books. We chat about her job as an editor, what she looks for in a proposal, who gets to write narrative nonfiction, and her surprising choice for her most-hated book. Our book club pick for July is...

Today is The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re joined by bestselling author Mary H.K. Choi ( Pool House ) to discuss our June pick, The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho. This allegorical novel follows Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy whose quest from Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of buried treasure transforms into a life-changing journey of self-discovery. We discuss the book’s legacy, how it...

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode * Now that we’re officially halfway through 2026, it’s time for a little mid-year book check-in with friends of the pod, Cree Myles ( All Ways Black ) and Sara Hildreth ( Fiction Matters )! Together, we gush about the books we loved (and hated) from the first half of the year, the titles we’re most excited for in the...

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by award-winning independent journalist and author Justine van der Leun to talk about her newest book, Unreasonable Women: Three Stories of Violence, Imprisonment, and Extraordinary Survival. Based on seven years of reporting, research, and interviews with over 1000 incarcerated women, this book explores criminalized survival—a phenomenon in which people who defen...

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by legendary former major league baseball player and manager, Johnnie B. “Dusty” Baker Jr., to talk about his new memoir, Crossroads: A Memoir in Baseball and Life . In this book, Dusty reflects on his extraordinary life and baseball career while sharing the hard-earned wisdom and lessons he learned along the way. We discuss his thoughts on baseball's evolution ov...

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by best-selling author Mary H.K. Choi to discuss her newest novel, Pool House . Set against the backdrop of Hollywood, this book explores the complex relationship between Stevie and her mother, Moon, as they share their glass-walled pool house when financial struggles force them to rent out their home. We chat about what it’s like publishing a book in today’s lite...

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re once again joined by award-winning author, theoretical physicist, and cosmologist, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, to discuss Lonely Crowds by Stephanie Wambugu. Set in the early ‘90s, this book traces the decades-long friendship between Ruth and Maria, whose intense childhood bond is tested in adulthood by the glamorous yet competitive nature of the New York Cit...

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by author Imani Thompson to discuss her debut novel, Honey . This book follows Yrsa, a Black PhD student whose accidental murder of a problematic male professor awakens her thirst for killing men in the name of feminism. We talk about her journey of writing this book, the academic theory that inspired it, and the key differences between individual and state-sancti...

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode * In this bonus episode, I’m joined by writer, editor, and translator Daniel Hahn to discuss his newest book, If This Be Magic: The Unlikely Art of Shakespeare in Translation . Today, we chat about Daniel’s approach to this work, how studying Shakespeare in translation helps us understand language, and the various qui...

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by writer, psychotherapist, podcast host, and creator of The Kardashian Kolloquium , MJ Corey, to discuss her debut book, Dekonstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto . In this book, MJ uses the rise of the Kardashians to analyze the evolution of media and celebrity culture in the internet age. We talk about how MJ began studying the Kardashians thro...

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by award-winning theoretical physicist and cosmologist, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, to discuss her newest book, The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie . In it, Chanda uses poetry, pop culture, and Black feminism to explore some of the most abstract concepts and mysteries of the universe, from black holes to dark matter. We talk about...

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re joined by Mahogany L. Browne to discuss our April pick, Room Swept Home by Remica Bingham-Risher. In this beautiful poetry collection, Remica explores themes of race, lineage, faith, and mental health through the lens of her own family history. Today, we talk about what makes this collection so unique, how her poems capture historical context, and the ways...

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by Adrienne Thurman to discuss her debut novel, Don’t Tell Me How It Ends . This book follows Kaia Harper, a floundering 20-something who’s sworn off romance until she’s asked to be the first client in her sister’s matchmaking business. As she suffers through bad dates and failed matches, she finds herself falling for an unexpected man she meets in a chance e...

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser,  click here for the full episode * Happy National Poetry Month! We’re celebrating by bringing back another installment of Poetry Therapy, which is a  bonus episode  we did back in 2024. If you've ever felt like you didn’t “get it” when it comes to poetry, we've got five incredible poets who can help: José Olivarez, Cortney Charleston,...

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by the 24th Poet Laureate of the US, Ada Limón, to discuss her 11th book,  Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry. Derived from her final lecture as poet laureate, this book explores poetry’s profound ability to heal, inspire, connect, and remind us of our shared humanity. We talk about the things poetry can do that prose cannot, how to approach poems you d...

Today on The Stacks, I’m joined by award-winning  New Yorker  staff writer,  New York Times  best-selling author, and investigative journalist, Patrick Radden Keefe, to talk about his newest book,  London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth . Set in London, this true crime story chronicles the sudden death of 19-year-old Zac Brettle...

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by poet, writer, organizer, and educator Mahogany L. Browne. Mahogany is the author of three novels and several poetry collections, including Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice and the National Book Award–longlisted book, A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe . Today, we talk about who pushed her toward writing for young people, how she’s celebrating her...

It’s The Stacks Book Club day  and  Morrison Month here on The Stacks, and today, we're diving into  Paradise   by Toni Morrison with award-winning writer, professor, and  On Morrison  author, Namwali Serpell. This book tells the story of Ruby, a small, all-black town in rural Oklahoma founded by the descendants of freed slaves, and its violent conflict with a ne...

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony was this past Sunday, and we’ve got a lot to talk about. Today, I’m joined by Vibe Check co-hosts and friends of the pod, Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford, to recap all things Oscars, discussing everything from our Timothée Chalamet burnout to why people pitted Sinners and One Battle After Another against each other, and a whole lot more. This is a follow-up to my pre...

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by award-winning author T Kira Madden to discuss her newest book, Whidbey . This novel follows three women whose lives intersect in the wake of a man’s murder. We chat about the questions that are left in the wake of trauma, her unique writing process, and how she tricks herself to keep writing fun. The Stacks Book Club pick for March is Paradise by Toni Morrison....

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by bestselling author Tayari Jones to talk about her newest book,  Kin . This novel follows the lifelong friendship between Vernice and Annie, two motherless girls whose paths diverge in adulthood. In our conversation, Tayari shares how  Kin  was the book she had to write, even though it was not the one she was contracted to write, wh...

Today on the show, we’re joined by writer, literary critic, and Harvard University professor Namwali Serpell to discuss her latest book,  On Morrison .  In this book, Namwali offers a deep dive into Toni Morrison’s career, guiding readers through close readings of everything from her well-known fiction and literary criticism to her lesser-known dramatic works and poetry. We talk all abou...

It’s The Stacks Book Club day, and we’re joined by  New York Times  bestselling romance novelist Jasmine Guillory to discuss  Indigo  by Beverly Jenkins. Set in 1858, this book follows Hester Wyatt, a conductor on Michigan’s Underground Railroad, who is tasked with protecting Galen Vachon, a vital member of the Northern network. As he recovers from his injuries, their initial c...

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by author, sociologist, law professor, and social justice advocate Dorothy E. Roberts to discuss her newest book, The Mixed Marriage Project: A Memoir of Love, Race, and Family . In this powerful memoir, Dorothy recounts her experiences growing up in an interracial family in 1960s Chicago, exploring how her parents’ marriage—and their dedicated research on interra...