The Stacks

It's time for our final episode of The Stacks Book Club of the year, and we're taking on a favorite book of the year, A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib. We are joined again by podcaster and TV writer Andrew Ti for this conversation which touches on cancel culture, Black cultural stereotypes, the skillful writing of the book, and so much more. Stay...

It's time for The Stacks' annual Best Books of 2021 episode. To help put together this list, we're joined by professional readers Lupita Aquino ( @lupita.reads ) and Morgan Hoit ( @nycbookgirl ). In addition to sharing our top 10 books of the year, we also discuss the trends we saw in 2021, reading for work, and the books we're excited about in 2022. The Stacks Book Club selection for December is&...

Kristen Radkte is the author of Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness , a work of graphic nonfiction that uses prose and images to explore the experience and portrayal of loneliness. It is spectacular. Kristen talks to us about the ways the COVID-19 pandemic has changed our collective understanding of loneliness, what she wishes more people knew about graphic books, and how to connect wi...

Angelina Jolie, actor-director-humanitarian, and Indigenous activist Tokata Iron Eyes join Traci to discuss Jolie's book Know Your Rights an Claim Them: A Guide for Youth , which she wrote with Geraldine Van Bueren and Amnesty International. The conversation is a candid discussion with two people who are helping to shape the dialogue around activism, especially when it comes to the global rig...

Andrew Ti is the creator and co-host of the Yo, Is This Racist podcast, and a comedy and TV writer. He joins the show today to talk about his journey from a neuroscience major at Columbia to the writers room on mixed-ish . We also talk about his relationship to problematic white authors, his aversion to funny books, and more.  The Stacks Book Club selection for December is A Little Devil in A...

It is time for our annual Toni Morrison episode of The Stacks as part of The Stacks Book Club. We are discussing Morrison's third novel, Song of Solomon , and to help us dissect this sweeping story we've brought back author Dawnie Walton ( The Final Revival of Opal and Nev ). On the show we discuss this book as part of the conversation for "the great American novel", gush over our favorite charact...

On this episode we are joined by author, linguist, and podcast host Amanda Montell. Amanda is the author of Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism and Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language . We use her books as a lens to discuss the relationship of language to power and community, the ways women continue to be at the forefront of language innovation, and to look at cultural n...

Our guest today is Dr. Myisha Cherry, a philosopher, professor, and author, whose work focuses on emotions and attitudes in public life. Her latest book is The Case for Rage: Why Anger is Essential to Anti-Racist Struggle . Myisha shares why we must embrace our rage if we want to improve our society, how we've been socialized around anger, and how allies can cause harm. You can find links to every...

Our guest today is journalist and editor Dawnie Walton, she is the debut author behind one of this year's most talked about novels, The Final Revival of Opal and Nev . Dawnie shares her research process, how oral histories can elevate fictional characters, and the rock stars that inspired her own rock icon. You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https:/...

The last week of the month means it's time for The Stacks Book Club. This month we're joined again by author, poet, and podcast host, Nichole Perkins ( Sometimes I Trip on How Happy We Could Be ) to discuss Waiting to Exhale by Terry McMillan. On this episode we talk about the ways the book (and movie) have and haven't aged well, the depiction of friendship between Black women, and the lasting leg...

Today we are joined by debut author and minster, Danté Stewart to discuss his book, Shoutin' in the Fire: An American Epistle . Our conversation carries us through and around the intersections of race, religion, and nationality as we discuss the stories we inherent around Blackness, the need for a more radical church, and the texts that give us meaning. You can find links to everything we discuss...

Today we're discussing Abolition for the People: The Movement for a Future Without Policing and Prisons , an anthology edited by Colin Kaepernick. We are joined by two contributors from the book, Bree Newsome Bass and Kiese Laymon. Bree is a filmmaker and activist, known for removing the confederate flag from South Carolina Capitol. Kiese is the author of Heavy and Long Division , and a friend of...

We're joined today by cultural critic, poet, podcaster , and author Nichole Perkins. Her new book, Sometimes I Trip on How Happy We Could Be is a memoir in essays that covers the intimate details of Perkins' life. We talk on this episode about sex writing, setting boundaries, and intended versus actual audience. You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: ht...

Today on The Stacks we discuss the book that inspired this podcast, Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by Heather Ann Thompson. We're joined by Derecka Purnell (activist and author of the forthcoming Becoming Abolitionists ) to delve into this Pulitzer Prize winning book; the coverup, the legacy, and the ways we rely on a superficial notion of justice. There are...

Today we're joined by sportswriter, journalist , and podcaster Dave Zirin to discuss his new book The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World . We talk about the impact of Colin Kaepernick's NFL protest in 2016, the psyche of young activists, and the best sports protest moments of all time.  You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https...

Jill Louise Busby is an writer, filmmaker, and the person behind the now defunct "Jill is Black" account on Instagram. She joins The Stacks to discuss her debut book, Unfollow Me: Essay in Complicity . Our conversation examines the complexities of audience in relation to worth, real life vs. internet life, and the need for balance. You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The...

Today we are joined by Pulitzer Prize winning author of Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy , Heather Ann Thompson. We discuss her process in researching and writing this epic civil rights story, and the legacy of the uprising 50 years later. The Stacks Book Club selection for September is Blood in the Water: The Attica Prison Uprising of 1971 and Its Legacy by He...

Our guest today is lawyer, writer, activist, organizer, and author Derecka Purnell. Derecka joins us to discuss her forthcoming debut book, Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom out October 5th. Our conversation is an inspiring discussion around police abolition, imagination, and the books that have informed Derecka’s thinking. The Stacks Book Club selection for Sept...

It is The Stacks Book Club day, and we are discussing Emergency Contact by Mary H. K. Choi. To help us talk about this YA romance we have brought back the wonderful Juliet Litman, host of the Bachelor Party and Jam Session podcasts, as well as head of development at The Ringer . Today we talk about men who are not emotionally available, important messages for young people, and the acknowledgement...

If you’re in America and you love soccer, you know and love today’s guest, Roger “Rog” Bennett, the co-host of The Men in Blazers Show . Rog joins us to discuss his book, a New York Times #1 Bestseller, (Re)Born in the USA: An Englishman’s Love Letter to His Chosen Home . We talk about what it means to consider yourself an American, the dreams of our younger selves, and of course, a little soccer....

Today we welcome Adam Serwer to the podcast. Adam is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of The New York Times bestseller The Cruelty Is the Point: The Past, Present, and Future of Trump’s America . We talk about the historical record, Democracy as a means of managing conflict, running as creative routine, and much more.   The Stacks Book Club selection for August is Emergency Conta...

Our guest today is Juliet Litman. Juliet is the host of the podcasts Bachelor Party and Jam Session on The Ringer network . She is also the head of production at the Ringer. We talk today about the similarities between television and books, why Juliet loves “chatty” novels, and what changes should be made to The Bachelor franchise. The Stacks Book Club selection for August is Emergency Contact by...

It’s The Stacks Book Club day and we’re discussing our first ever graphic memoir on the show. The book is The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui, and our guest is graphic memoirist ( Good Talk ), novelist ( The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing ), and cultural critic, Mira Jacob. We talk today about the moment that a good book makes the reader examine themselves, books that don’t feel like reading, and the...

Today we welcome author and decluttering expert Christine Platt, also known as The Afrominimalist . We talk today about Christine’s latest book The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living with Less . We discuss mistakes, unique aesthetics, and how the language around minimalism doesn’t have to be so scary. The Stacks Book Club selection for July is The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui. We will discuss the boo...

Our guest today is Academy Award winning screenwriter and director Quentin Tarantino ( Pulp Fiction , Django Unchained ). He joins us to talk about his debut novel, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood , a novelization of his film with the same title . We discuss the art versus the artist, the challenges of writing a novel, and if Tarantino really plans to retire from filmmaking after his next film. The...