The Stacks

This week, we’re joined by marine biologist and author Ayana Elizabeth Johnson to discuss her new book, What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futurism . Ayana shares her approach to curating a wide range of ideas and solutions for climate action, including her climate action Venn diagram. We also explore why profit hasn’t been enough to drive progress and how American culture creates unique...

This week, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds joins us to discuss his latest book, Twenty-Four Seconds from Now . . .: A Love Story . Jason shares why he chose to tell the story of a young Black boy on the brink of a life-changing moment and reflects on vulnerability, intimacy, and the power of connecting with audiences. We also explore Jason’s unique approach to storytelling and...

This week, we’re joined by Justine Kay, one of the hosts of the reality TV show podcast,  2 Black Girls, 1 Rose . We talk about our thoughts and feelings around optimism in the face of political anxieties and how reading has shaped our thinking about what is possible. We also dive into Justine’s newfound love of romance novels and revisit some of our favorite reality TV memories. Th...

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re diving into The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. Franklin Leonard returns as our guest to examine this powerful novel set in a brutal Jim Crow-era reform school. In today’s conversation, we discuss the ways Nickel Academy serves as a metaphor for America, exploring themes of good versus evil and the resilience required to confront systemic injustice. There...

Author and activist Jessica Valenti joins The Stacks to discuss her latest book,  Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win . In today’s conversation, we explore why the left struggles to effectively talk about abortion and the impact of abortion bans on maternal healthcare. Jessica explains the significance of “states' rights” in this debate, why she believes compromise...

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* This is an abridged version of Traci’s live show “One for the Books.” This time, she’s joined by two incredible guests, Danzy Senna and Zach Stafford, for a conversation on Danzy's newest book  Colored Television , passing narratives, and the word "mulatto". It's an evening filled with big laughs and even bigger questions around what it means...

This week, we’re joined by anthropologist and author Jason De León to discuss his latest book, Soldiers and Kings: Survival and Hope in the World of Human Smuggling . We explore the ethical complexities of ethnography, the distinctions between human smuggling and trafficking, and Jason’s decision to place himself as a character in his work. Jason also shares how his experiences at the U.S.-Mexico...

Journalist and author Jesselyn Cook joins The Stacks this week to discuss her new book, The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family . In this episode, we dive into the origins of QAnon, how the conspiracy theory has evolved since its inception in 2017, and why certain individuals are more vulnerable to these beliefs. Jesselyn also breaks down how to approach conversations wi...

Actor and producer Franklin Leonard joins The Stacks this week to discuss his groundbreaking work with The Black List . Known for revolutionizing the way Hollywood discovers screenplays, Franklin recently expanded The Black List into the world of fiction. This new initiative gives writers a platform to showcase unpublished manuscripts and connect with key players in the publishing industry. In tod...

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re discussing Jazz by Toni Morrison. Professor Eve Dunbar joins us to explore the lives of Joe and Violet Trace, as their relationship is tested by love, betrayal, and violence in 1920s Harlem. In today's discussion, we dive into the significance of the book’s title and how it informs the novel’s improvisational style. We also examine Morrison’s relationship w...

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* In this episode of The Stacks Unabridged, we’re joined by George M. Johnson, author of Flamboyants , to explore the often-overlooked Black queer icons of the Harlem Renaissance. George discusses why they chose to write about these influential figures and how they used rumors and gossip as historical sources to bring these stories to life. We also d...

Actor and comedian Laci Mosley ( iCarly , A Black Lady Sketch Show ) joins The Stacks to discuss her new book, Scam Goddess: Lessons from a Life of Cons, Grifts, and Schemes , a hilarious and subversive essay collection inspired by her podcast of the same name. Today, we talk about the scams that shape our world and why Laci wanted to write this book. Laci offers up her takes on the different type...

Danzy Senna joins The Stacks to discuss her latest novel,  Colored Television , a satirical take on one novelist's attempt to leave books behind and strike it rich in Hollywood. Today, Danzy explains why she uses the word "mulatto" in her work, how humor is integral to the mixed experience, and why all her characters make such bad decisions. Don't forget, The Stacks Book Club pick for Septemb...

English professor Eve Dunbar is here to discuss her forthcoming book,  Monstrous Work and Radical Satisfaction: Black Women Writing under Segregation . Eve shares how libraries played a pivotal role in her childhood relationship to reading, and how that love of reading eventually led her to focus her academic work on African-American literature. We also delve into resistance and satisfaction...

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re discussing  Master Slave Husband Wife  by Ilyon Woo. We’re joined by actor and author Jay Ellis to explore the story of The Crafts, a husband-and-wife duo who escaped slavery by pretending to be a white man and his slave in 1848. We discuss why we think this story fell out of the collective consciousness, how the horrors of slavery are often minim...

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* Today we are joined by author Luvvie Ajayi Jones to discuss the all-important topic of book cover design and book marketing. Luvvie regularly works with aspiring new authors through her  Book Academy , guiding them all the way through the publishing process. We also play a game where we predict whether or not a book will sell based on the titl...

Today we’re joined by author Regina Porter to discuss her new book,  The Rich People Have Gone Away .  She explains what made her hesitant to write a COVID novel and why she eventually changed her mind. She shares the role of humor in her work, and what made exploring the trope of missing white women exciting to her.  The Stacks Book Club pick for August is Master Slave Husband Wife...

Today we’re joined by the multitalented LaDarrion Williams about his fantasy debut  Blood at the Root , which re-imagines a magical academy as an HBCU. LaDarrion explains how being a playwright differs from being a novelist, how he has navigated criticism from readers, and why he wanted to write a Young Adult story for Black boys. The Stacks Book Club pick for August is Master Slave Husband W...

Jay Ellis, star of HBO's Insecure,  joins The Stacks to discuss his new memoir,  Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)?: Adventures in Boyhood . We talk about how this book came to be, where Jay’s imaginary friend came from and the purpose he served in his life. We also consider productivity versus creativity, and the books that made Jay fall in love with reading. The Stacks...

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we are discussing the classic post-apocalyptic novel Parable of the Sower , which is set now, in July 2024. We’re joined again by Lessons for Survival author Emily Raboteau . We talk about what we think of Lauren, the book’s main character, and what we make of the religious and romantic elements in the story. We also contextualize the book’s iconic author, Octavi...

Author Mateo Askaripour is back on The Stacks to talk about his sophomore novel,  This Great Hemisphere , a work of speculative fiction about an invisible woman on a mission to solve a high profile political murder. Mateo explains how he built the book’s world - set 500 years in the future - and why he doesn’t think about genre with his work. We also discuss the performanc...

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* This edition of The Stacks Unabridged is dedicated to the New York Times’  100 Best Books of the 21st Century . First we talk with Gilbert Cruz, the editor of the NYT Book Review, about the creation of the list and all the excitement it generated. Then, we welcome a panel of readers - Sara Hildreth, Hunter McClendon and Lupita Aquino - to disc...

We are joined by journalist and author Adam Higginbotham, whose new book is  Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space . Adam explains why he wanted to tell the story of the Challenger, and the importance of focusing on its crew. He also reveals how he kept all the people and puzzle pieces straight, and tells a wild story about an unpublished memoir that he discove...

We are joined by Katherine Lewin, founder of the hosting shop Big Night in NYC , to discuss her new cookbook  Big Night: Dinners, Parties & Dinner Parties . Katherine explains how she makes hosting feel easy and welcoming and shares the keys to having a successful Big Night. We also learn about her development process and how she decided on which recipes to include in the book. The Stacks...

Today author and essayist Emily Raboteau joins The Stacks to discuss her book Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against "The Apocalypse." Emily explains what has changed for her since writing this meditation on justice, race and the environment. And we learn why it’s so important to talk about climate change with the people in our lives. The Stacks Book Club pick for July is Parable of the Sower by...