The Stacks

Maurice Carlos Ruffin is the author of We Cast a Shadow , and joins The Short Stacks to tell us about his process in writing this satirical, speculative fiction novel. We get to talk about what music fueled this novel, how his hometown of New Orleans figures into his work, and how he finds balance between being a writer and lawyer. There are no spoilers on this episode. You can find links to every...

Today on The Stacks we welcome author of Black Card , Chris L. Terry. Chris shares how he balanced his book to pull from his personal experiences as a mixed kid in Richmond, VA, and still maintain a wholly fictional premise and characters. We also talk about the racist idea of being "Black enough", and why Chris doesn't believe in having a go-to book recommendation.  You can find links to eve...

Chase Darkness with Me is Billy Jensen's true crime book about his journey into solving murder cases. We get to talk about this book, and all the complicated issues it brings up with Jac Vanek ( LadyGang , The First Degree ). We look at the merits of crowd sourced crime investigation, how we treat victims who aren't pretty white women, and how the current obsession with true crime is a little prob...

Chloe Benjamin author of, The Stacks Book Club pick for October 2019 , The Immortalists joins the show to talk about how this epic family saga came to be. She shares how she kept track of her research and characters, addressing uncertainty in the world, and which character in this book is her favorite. She also talks about the gorgeous cover, and so much more! There are no spoilers in this episode...

Today we welcome Jac Vanek to The Stacks. Jac is the CEO of fashion and lifestyle brand, Jac Vanek . She is also one third of the LadyGang , and a co-host on The First Degree podcast. Jac takes us on a journey through her "emo-kid" past, tells us who made her into a reader, and shares why she loves writing in her books. You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Web...

When it comes to our own deaths we can never really know when its coming, or can we? That is the question at the center of The Stacks Book Club pick, The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin. Jenna Ushkowitz is back with us to discuss this book, the vivid characters inside the story, free will vs. magic, and how America deals with grief. There are spoilers in this episode. You can find links to everythi...

Today on The Short Stacks we're joined by author, academic, and podcast host ( Hear to Slay ) Tressie McMillan Cottom. Her latest book Thick: And Other Essays is on The National Book Award Longlist for nonfiction, and is the center of our conversation. Cottom explains the power in centering the experiences of Black women, and we get into the nitty gritty of writing snacks and beverages. There are...

You might know her from Glee or Showmance Podcast , but today you're going to see actress and producer Jenna Ushkowitz in a whole new way. She sits down with us to talk about her reading habits and why, as a type A person, she struggles with reading sometimes feeling like "work". We also discuss sourcing material for TV and film projects, book buying bans, and her love of canine protagonists. You...

We are talking about Educated by Tara Westover on The Stacks Book Club today. Author and podcast host Sarah Enni helps us break down why this story became a mega-bestseller and why its the book that everyone is still talking about. We also debate the role of fact versus memory in memoir, and what this book means in the current political climate. There are spoilers on this episode. You can find lin...

Author and historian Ibram X. Kendi joins us today on The Short Stacks to talk about his New York Times Bestselling book, How to be an Antiracist . We discuss how he came to write this book as a mix of history and memoir. Then he shares his advice for discussing racism with loved ones, and gives us plenty of book and author recommendations to continue on our antiracist journeys. There are no spoil...

Sarah Enni is the author of Tell Me Everything and the creator and host of the podcast First Draft with Sarah Enni . She joins us today to talk about writing Young Adult books that don't talk down to her audience, dream podcast guests, and why it can be a huge compliment when we hate a book. You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcas...

Actor Clark Moore is back for The Stacks Book Club as we discuss Never Let Me Go by Nobel Laureate, Kazuo Ishiguro. Our conversation focuses on answering a central question in the novel: Who gets to be human? We also discuss the genre of science fiction and the evolution of social movements. There are spoilers on this episode. You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stac...

Today on The Short Stacks we have author and journalist, Garrett M. Graff, whose newest book is The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11 is a detailed look at the events of September 11, 2001 as told by the people who lived it. Garrett tells us about the process of creating a cohesive narrative from hundreds of interviews, and what he learned about a day that has been etched in the colle...

Actor Clark Moore ( Love, Simon , Crazy Ex-Girlfriend ) is our guest on the show today. We talk about what it is like being an adult that teenagers look up to and how social media has changed the way we see our role models. We also discuss the challenges of being and adult reading YA, and why Clark is seeking out books that center the stories of queer people of color. You can find links to everyth...

Today on The Stacks Book Club, Allison Punch is back to discuss The Cadaver King and the Country Dentists by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington. The Book is an in depth look at two men who are part of the death investigation industry in Mississippi, how their corruption is indicative of the field at large, and how their malpractice is an indictment of the criminal justice system as a whole. There...

Kim Brooks is the author of Small Animals: Parenting in the Age of Fear , a smart social critique of American parenting and the anxities that come along with it. Today she shares with us the details of her story, how fear and the commodification of children has created more fear, and what we can do to stop this feedback loop. There are no spoilers on this episode. You can find links to everything...

Today on The Stacks we have on avid reader and friend of pod, Allison Punch, who you may know better as @AllisonReadsDC on Instagram. Allison talks with us about incorporating reading into her professional life, why she reads books by authors who don't look like her, and gives you all a bunch of recommendations. Get your TBRs ready. You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on Th...

Today on The Stacks Book Club we discuss Elizabeth Alexander's memoir The Light of the World about the unexpected death of her husband. We are joined by Dani McClain, author of We Live for the We to discuss this examination of a life well lived. You can find links to everything we talk about on today's episode on The Stacks Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2019/08/14/ep-72-the-light-of-the-wo...

Ramin Setoodeh is the author of The New York Times Bestseller, Ladies Who Punch: The Explosive Inside Story of "The View" . Ramin joins The Short Stacks to discuss this iconic TV show, how the 2016 election impacted the writing of this book, and which co-hosts make his "The View" Mount Rushmore. There are no spoilers on this episode. You can find links to everything we talk about on today's episod...

Dani McClain is an author and journalist, who's new book We Live for the We: The Political Power of Black Motherhood is an examination of parenting, community, and social justice. Today we discuss advocating for one's self as a privilege, how non-parents can aid in the work of parenting, and about what books we would and wouldn't teaching in school. You can find links to everything we talk about o...

Today on The Stacks Book Club we're discussing Work Party: How to Create & Cultivate the Career of your Dreams by Jaclyn Johnson. We've brought back founder of Something Social , Calli Cholodenko, to help discuss being a female entrepreneur, finding the balance between being creative and running a business, and other challenges, big and small, women face in the work place. There is so much to...

On this episode of The Short Stacks we have author Bianca Marais on to talk about her sophomore novel, If You Want to Make God Laugh , about three women in South Africa in the immediate aftermath of Apartheid. We discuss Bianca's vision board for writing, dealing with criticism, and the importance of own voice narratives. There are not spoilers on this episode. You can find links to everything we...

If you're on social media (duh, of course you are) you're going want to listen to today's episode to hear tips and tricks from someone who knows. Calli Cholodenko, founder and creative director of Something Social a social media and marketing company, is our guest and she is here to share insights into Instagram's algorithms, brand management , and of course books. You can find links to everything...

Miracle Creek is a courtroom drama meets literary fiction book by Angie Kim, it is also today's selection for The Stacks Book Club. To help us break down this story of parental anxiety, belonging, and the right to life, we have author and activist Rachel Overvoll ( Finding Feminism ). Today we discuss intention vs. impact, the language we use around ability levels, and how we respond to characters...

In August we'll be discussing The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist by Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington for The Stacks Book Club . In anticipation, we have author and journalist Radley Balko ( Rise of the Warrior Cop ) on The Short Stacks . We talk about how Radley started reporting on death investigations in Mississippi, the process of working with a legal team for this book, and the In the...