The Stacks

Our guest today is Danielle Evans, author of The Stacks January Book Club selection, The Office of Historical Corrections . We discuss this incredible short story collection, spoiler free. We also discuss finding themes in a collection, and the ways Evans approaches writing white characters, plus how she came to understand she wanted to be a writer. There are no spoilers on this episode. The Stack...

Today we welcome Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham to The Stacks. They are the editors of Black Futures , a collection of art, essays, memes, recipes and more that document Blackness. In addition to working on this book together, Kimberly is also the author of This is What I Know About Art , an activist, and curator. Jenna is a staff writer at The New York Times Magazine and the co-host of the Still...

It's 2021 and we're thrilled to kick off the new year with our guest, Deesha Philyaw, the author of National Book Award Finalist, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies . Today we discuss how Deesha sees a parallel between writing and math, what success looks like to her, and how publishing excludes the voices they need most. The Stacks Book Club selection for January is The Office of Historical Correc...

It’s The Stacks Book Club day, and we’re joined again by author (No Ashes in the Fire ), activist, and podcaster ( Being Seen ), Darnell Moore to dissect Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine. We talk about how the book, published in 2014 holds up, who gets to express rage and joy, and what Rankine forces her readers to reckon with throughout the book. There are no spoilers on this episode...

Today we’re joined by two of The Stacks’ most favorite readers, Christine Bollow ( @readingismagical ) and Oscar Almonte-Espinal ( @booksteahenny ) to share the best books of 2020. We also discuss how 2020 impacted our reading and look ahead to the books we’re most excited about in 2021. The Stacks Book Club selection for December is Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine, we will discuss t...

Arianna Davis is the debut author of What Would Frida Do?: A Guide to Living Boldly , and the digital director at Oprahmag.com . Today we discuss how Arianna got her creative juices flowing, what she hopes readers will take away from her book, and of course, Oprah! The Stacks Book Club selection for December is Citizen: An American Lyric by Claudia Rankine, we will discuss the book with Darnell Mo...

Our guest today is the New York Times Bestselling author of So You Want to Talk About Race , Ijeoma Oluo. She joins us to discuss her new book Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America . We talk about who Ijeoma writes for, how she practices accountability, and the types of value judgements that have become the bedrock of white supremacy. The Stacks Book Club selection for December is C...

We are thrilled to welcome Darnell Moore to The Stacks. Darnell is an activist, the author of No Ashes in the Fire , and now the host of The Being Seen podcast which focuses on the gay and queer Black male experience. We talk today about Black love, reckoning in memoir, and you get to hear him rifle through his book stacks to tell you about his favorite books. The Stacks Book Club selection for De...

Today is The Stacks Book Club day and we’re discussing The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America by Marcus J. Moore. To help us dissect this book we’ve brought back Cole Cuchna, host of the podcast Dissect . We talk about the importance of creative communities, the complexity of Kendrick Lamar, and so much more. There are no spoilers on this episode. You can find l...

Marcus J. Moore is a music journalist, the author of our November pick for The Stacks Book Club, The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America , and today’s guest. Marcus shares why he felt it was important to write about Kendrick Lamar now, how this book is more than just biography, and what music he recommends we all check out. There are no spoilers on this episode....

Our guest today is award winning novelist Yaa Gyasi. here to discuss her new novel Transcendent Kingdom . Our conversation touches on the challenges to writing a follow up to her critically acclaimed debut Homegoing , how she gave herself permission to write about small intimate stories this time around, and the ways research has factored into her process as a storyteller. The Stacks Book Club sel...

Our guest today is the host of the smash hit music podcast Dissect , Cole Cuchna. Cole joins us to discuss all things Dissect; like how the show came to be, why he focuses on hip-hop albums, the show's incredible growth, and working with collaborators. Then we transition to a conversation on books and why Cole likes to read the complete works of some of literature's heavy hitters. The Stacks Book...

Today is The Stacks Book Club conversation of The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told Alex Haley. We are joined again by Marc Lamont Hill, author , professor, activist, podcast host , and bookseller for this discussion of one of the important works on nonfiction in American history. We talk about the ways this book transformed us, the bravery of changing one’s mind, and the ways in which this book...

Today we’re doing something different. With the election just two weeks away, we’re diving head first into the election and politics. Akilah Hughes, host of Crooked Media’s daily news podcast, What A Day , joins us to talk about covering news in fall 2020 and answer your questions about the election. In addition to hosting What a Day Akilah is the author of Obviously: Stories from My Timeline , a...

Today we welcome two illustrious guests to The Stacks, Desus Nice & The Kid Mero. You know them from the #1 show in late night, Desus & Mero on Showtime, and their podcast Bodega Boys . The pair are now New York Times Best Selling authors with the release of their book God-Level Knowledge Darts: Life Lessons from the Bronx . Today we talk about the consumption of culture, the importance of...

Our guest today is Marc Lamont Hill. Marc is a modern day renaissance man. He is an author ( Nobody , We Still Here ), professor, owner of Uncle Bobbie's Coffee and Books , and the host of the new podcast Coffee & Books . Marc joins us today to discuss his passion for reading, Black death as a form of entertainment, and what readers should know about selling books. The Stacks Book Club selecti...

Today for The Stacks book club we are discussing The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavic encio. Our guest is the reader behind the bookish instagram account Lupita Reads , Lupita Aqu ino. Our conversation looks at the ways undocumented people have been treated as a monolith, the concept of "objective journalism," and how this book has created a space for more undocumented folks to fee...

Today on The Stacks we are joined by Angela Chen, journalist and author of a brand new book on asexuality titled: Ace: What Asexuality Revelas about Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex. We talk about asexuality, the way in which sex is politicized, involuntary celibates, and how people from marianalized groups are expected to educate the masses. The Stacks book club selection for September is...

Karla Corneji Villavicencio is the author of The Stacks Book Club selection for September, The Undocumented Americans . On today's episode we get a deeper (and spoiler free) look at the book, and why Karla felt compelled to tell these stories now. We also discuss the audience Karla had in mind while writing, her ideal writing setup, and why discribing women of color as "strong" is a form of erasur...

Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman are the friends behind the podcast Call Your Girlfriend , and now the authors of the New York Times Best Selling book Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close . Today we talk about the obstacles they found in researching their book on friendship, finding their voice, the questions that come up in interracial friendships, and about their idea of "shine theory". The...

Our guest today is Lupita Aquino, the reader behind successful bookstagram account Lupita Reads . Lupits is known for her incredible book recommendations and vibrant photos. Our conversation covers the evolving relationship between publishers and book influencers, activism in the book community, and the authors she finds crush-wrothy. The Stacks Book Club selection for September is The Undocumente...

Brit Bennett ( The Vanishing Half , The Mothers ) is back for our annual discussion of a Toni Morrison novel. This year, we're taking on Sula , Morrison's novel about the bonds between women. Our conversation dives into feminist commentary throughout the book, the desire to create lasting communal art, and the ways Morrison uses gruesome violence and unexpected humor to show us a world that is dee...

Morgan Jerkins author of This Will Be My Undoing joins the podcast today to discuss her newest books Wandering in Strange Lands: A Daughter of the Great Migration Reclaims Her Roots . Morgan shares details of the evolution of the book, the complex relationships between Black and Indigenous people, and how the lack of documentation has helped to obscure Black histories. Tune in on August 26th when...

Young Adult author Liara Tamani is our guest today, and we discuss her newest book All the Things We Never Knew . Liara shares how she came to write for young people, the ways she finds authenticity in her characters, why social media isn’t for her, and the ways school curriculum doesn’t always serve students. Tune in on August 26th when we discuss Sula by Toni Morrison for The Stacks Book Club wi...

Our guest today is Brit Bennett, author of The Mothers , and her latest book, an instant New York Times #1 Bestseller, The Vanishing Half . Brit shares what it has been like having her book optioned by HBO, publishing in the middle of a pandemic and civil rights movement, and how she balances research and creativity. We also talk about the books that Brit loves and the types of characters that exc...