Physician, educator and author Uché Blackstock shares her New York Times Bestselling book Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine . The book is both a memoir and an indictment of disparities in our healthcare system. We hear what legacy means to Uché, and how racism shows up in medicine for Black doctors. We also talk about her most beloved books, and the Pet to Threat phenomenon. The Stacks Book Club selection for February is Viral Justice by Ruha Benjamin . We will discuss th...
Feb 07, 2024•55 min
Vibe Check host Zach Stafford returns to discuss our January book club selection, the 2001 satirical novel Erasure by Percival Everett. Our conversation today delves into ownership of art and stories, what the joke of the novel is, the title of the book, and we even dabble (spoiler-free) into the movie based on the book, American Fiction . There are spoilers for the book, Erasure, on today's episode. Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our January book club pick will...
Jan 31, 2024•1 hr 2 min
*patron-only bonus episode teaser* For today's Unabridged, book lovers Cree Myles ( All Ways Black ) and Sara Hildreth ( Fiction Matters ) join us to reveal their most anticipated reads for the first half of 2024. We talk about our reading goals for the year, list a few 2024 books we've already liked, and get into the books we're most looking forward to. *This episode is exclusive to members of The Stacks Pack on patreon . To join this community, get inside access to the show, and listen now, cl...
Jan 26, 2024•14 min
We are joined by poet and debut novelist Kaveh Akbar to discuss his book Martyr! , the story of a newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants on a quest for answers and meaning. Kaveh explains how fonts play into his revision process, and why he wanted to proselytize the art he likes most in the book. He also reveals what he found most difficult about prose, compared to writing poetry. The Stacks Book Club selection for January is Erasure by Percival Everett . We will discuss the book on Jan...
Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Educator and author Carolina Ixta joins The Stacks to discuss her debut novel Shut Up, This is Serious . Set in East Oakland, the story explores teen friendship, generational cycles and authenticity. Carolina talks about the process of writing about sex in Young Adult fiction, and confronting anti-Black racism in Latine communities. The Stacks Book Club selection for January is Erasure by Percival Everett . We will discuss the book on January 31st with Zach Stafford. You can find everything we d...
Jan 17, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Chef, restaurateur and media personality Sohla El-Waylly joins to talk about her debut cookbook, Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook: A Cookbook . We find out how Sohla balances difficulty, time, and ingredients while writing recipes for home chefs. She also shares how having a child has changed the way she thinks about food and feeding people, and shares tips for cooking related resolutions (including one that Traci is committed to). The Stacks Book Club selection for January is...
Jan 10, 2024•1 hr
Writer, Vibe Check cohost, and Tony winning Producer, Zach Stafford joins The Stacks to discuss being a journalist, his many jobs over the year, and of course, books!. Zach reveals his surprise problematic favorite book, explains how his love of geography has informed his entire professional career and addresses the challenge of squaring his upbeat personality with being a serious journalist. The Stacks Book Club selection for January is Erasure by Percival Everett . We will discuss the book on ...
Jan 03, 2024•59 min
*patron-only bonus episode teaser* This edition of The Stacks Unabridged features audio from our Los Angeles stop on the Live in The Stacks tour. We were joined by Chelsea Devantez , Rachel Lindsay and Sam Sanders in a discussion of celebrity memoirs, pop culture gossip and book recommendations. *This episode is exclusive to members of The Stacks Pack on patreon . To join this community, get inside access to the show, and listen now, click the link below. JOIN THE STACKS PACK TO LISTEN You can f...
Dec 29, 2023•14 min
Author and Shakespeare scholar Farah Karim-Cooper returns for our final book club episode of the year to discuss the Bard's most famous play - Romeo and Juliet . We ask questions around why this play became William Shakespeare's most well known, and why we teach it in schools. We also share the characters we love and hate, and unpack the way race plays into the text. Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our January book club pick will be . You can find everything we d...
Dec 27, 2023•1 hr 13 min
New York Times Book Review editor MJ Franklin and Debutiful 's Adam Vitcavage join The Stacks for our annual best books of the year episode. We reveal our personal picks for the ten best books of 2023, and predict trends we anticipate for 2024. Plus, we discuss all the books we're most looking forward to reading in the new year. The Stacks Book Club selection for December is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare . We will discuss the book on December 27th with Farah Karim-Cooper. You can find ...
Dec 20, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Journalist and author Nathan Thrall joins us to discuss his book A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy . Nathan explains why he wanted to tell this story in 2023, and how the events of October 7th changed how his book about life for a Palestinian family was received. Nathan also shares what folks can do to impact change in the Israel-Palestine conflict. The Stacks Book Club selection for December is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare . We will discuss the book on ...
Dec 13, 2023•1 hr 6 min
*patron-only bonus episode teaser* We're back with friend of The Stacks, Kiese Laymon, with audio from the second New York live show on our national tour. Kiese discusses writing about real people in his life, and reveals what he would change about his memoir Heavy if he could revise it. Plus, we talk about first kisses, Beyonce, and Taylor Swift. *This episode is exclusive to members of The Stacks Pack on Patreon . To join this community, get inside access to the show, and listen now, click the...
Dec 08, 2023•9 min
Author and professor Farah Karim-Cooper joins The Stacks to talk about her book The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking about Race . Farah reveals how she came to be a Shakespeare and race scholar, and how her work has been received thus far. We also discuss her favorite plays by Shakespeare, and the ways in which his legacy doesn't match up with who he was in his life. The Stacks Book Club selection for December is Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare . We will discuss th...
Dec 06, 2023•1 hr
Author Mitchell S. Jackson returns for our book club discussion of Ling Ma's post-apocalyptic novel Severance . On this episode we try to piece together the story's timeline, unpack the ending, and we cast the TV show adaptation. We also discuss quote marks, capitalism, and the role of religion throughout the novel. There are spoilers on this episode. Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our December book club pick will be . You can find everything we discuss on today...
Nov 29, 2023•59 min
*patron-only bonus episode teaser* This Unabridged is a conversation with author and friend of The Stacks Kiese Laymon from our early show in New York City. We hear from Kiese about how he knows when his work is ready for an audience, and get intel on his forthcoming book. We also get into sports, hot topics, and the unmatched confidence of New Yorkers. *This episode is exclusive to members of The Stacks Pack on Patreon . To join this community, get inside access to the show, and listen now, cli...
Nov 24, 2023•14 min
Tony Award Winner Ali Stroker discusses her new middle grade novel Cut Loose! , co-written with Stacy Davidowitz. Ali reveals why she avoided having friends with disabilities in her youth, how she translates choreography for her wheelchair, and how her thinking around accommodations has changed over time. We also hear how she thinks about storytelling versus teaching her audience. The Stacks Book Club selection for November is Severance by Ling Ma . We will discuss the book on November 29th with...
Nov 22, 2023•56 min
Texas politician and author Beto O'Rourke joins The Stacks to talk about his book We've Got to Try: How the Fight for Voting Rights Makes Everything Else Possible . We learn why Beto thinks voting rights is the most important battle we're currently fighting, what he says to people who don't feel represented or served by politicians, and whether he plans to run for office again. The Stacks Book Club selection for November is Severance by Ling Ma . We will discuss the book on November 29th with Mi...
Nov 15, 2023•1 hr 1 min
Award-winning author Jesmyn Ward joins The Stacks to discuss her latest novel Let Us Descend . She reveals how the book came to her, and how audience plays into her writing process. We also learn why Jesmyn changed her normal writing process for this book, how she writes to the center of emotions in her fiction, and how her level of success impacts her ability to write. The Stacks Book Club selection for November is Severance by Ling Ma . We will discuss the book on November 29th with Mitchell S...
Nov 08, 2023•1 hr 7 min
Award-winning author Mitchell S. Jackson joins the show to discuss his new book Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion . He explains why he wanted to write about the intersection of basketball and fashion in this hybrid of lookbook and cultural commentary. We also get into basketball's best and worst dressed, what winning the Pulitzer has meant to Mitchell and why he never reads for pleasure. The Stacks Book Club selection for November is Severance by Ling Ma . We will discuss the book on Novem...
Nov 01, 2023•57 min
It's time for our annual Toni Morrison read for The Stacks Book Club! Author, Minda Honey is back to discuss Tar Baby , a novel about colorism, the class divide and gender roles. We dig into the book's title, unpack the ending and question who we were rooting for throughout the book. There are spoilers on today's episode. Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our November book club pick will be. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:...
Oct 25, 2023•1 hr 10 min
*patron-only bonus episode teaser* This Unabridged episode features audio from our Washington DC stop of The Stacks Tour, featuring bestselling author and friend of the show Jason Reynolds. We discuss Jason's bath routine, the real story behind his book Ghost and our favorite guest on The Stacks. *This episode is exclusive to members of The Stacks Pack on Patreon . To join this community, get inside access to the show, and listen now, click the link below. JOIN THE STACKS PACK TO LISTEN You can ...
Oct 20, 2023•10 min
Children's book author and artist Oliver Jeffers joins to discuss his first all-ages illustrated book Begin Again: How We Got Here and Where We Might Go - Our Human Story. So Far. We talk about cultivating a sense of optimism, the relationship between distance and perspective and the importance of the stories we tell ourselves. We also ask what reconciliation and justice look like if we want to move forward together, and what kind of world Oliver hopes for. The Stacks Book Club selection for Oct...
Oct 18, 2023•51 min
Columnist and commentator Michael Harriot joins The Stacks to talk about his book Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America . Michael reveals why he wanted to write a book about American history told from the perspective of Black people, how he thinks of connecting to his audience, and what makes this moment different than other moments in American history. The Stacks Book Club selection for October is Tar Baby by Toni Morrison . We will discuss the book on October 25th with Minda Ho...
Oct 11, 2023•50 min
Political and relationship essayist Minda Honey is here to discuss her new book The Heartbreak Years: A Memoir . We talk about Minda's experience of being Black and Filipina, colorism and the internet's lack of nuance, how her exes have taken her writing about them and how she cured racism with this book. Also, we hear about Minda's reading tracker and annual mega-reading challenge. The Stacks Book Club selection for October is Tar Baby by Toni Morrison . We will discuss the book on October 25th...
Oct 04, 2023•1 hr 5 min
We're thrilled to welcome back podcaster Brittany Luse to discuss Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer for The Stacks Book Club. We discuss how race does and doesn't show up in the book, and what worked for us versus what didn't. We also consider the nature of punishment and redemption when it comes to monstrous celebrities, and ask whose genius we miss out on when we make space for the monsters. Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our book club pick will be f...
Sep 27, 2023•1 hr 12 min
Myriam Gurba visits The Stacks to discuss her new essay collection Creep: Accusations and Confessions . Myriam describes how a question about catharsis inspired the book, how she knows when she's ready to write about a topic or an event, and how thinking about her audience informs her writing. We also learn how humor plays into Myriam's work, and how her ancestors showed up in her writing process. The Stacks Book Club selection for September is Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer . We wi...
Sep 20, 2023•57 min
*patron-only bonus episode teaser* This episode of The Stacks Unabridged features audio from our Chicago show on the Live in The Stacks tour. Humorist, TV writer and author Samantha Irby joins to talk about her new book Quietly Hostile : Essays . We also discuss books we love, books we hate and Hunter Biden's memoir. This is an edited version of the live show, so if you want more, come join us on tour! Get your tickets here . *This episode is exclusive to members of The Stacks Pack on Patreon . ...
Sep 15, 2023•12 min
Politician, activist and author Stacey Abrams joins us to discuss her romantic suspense novel The Art of Desire , written under her pen name Selena Montgomery. We learn where her pseudonym came from and why she chose to re-release the book. We also talk about how Stacey's political life is influenced by her creative life and vice versa, what comes next for her, and how romance writing has changed in the last 20 years. The Stacks Book Club selection for September is Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by C...
Sep 13, 2023•33 min
Today we're joined by award-winning journalist and cultural critic Brittany Luse upon her first anniversary as host of NPR's It's Been a Minute . We discuss curiosity as a foundational principal of Brittany's life, and what comes easily versus what's more difficult as a veteran podcaster. We also hear about how she decides what to cover on the show, and Brittany's book club with her niece. The Stacks Book Club selection for September is Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer . We will discu...
Sep 06, 2023•1 hr 8 min
Introducing Vibe Check , a podcast where hosts Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones, and Zach Stafford make sense of what’s going on in news and culture – and how it all feels. On this episode of Vibe Check, Sam, Saeed and Zach talk about the literary works that they turn to frequently, what purpose they serve in each of their lives, and why. You can find Vibe Check on every podcast listening platform. * This is a special episode from the Vibe Check hosts, all friends of The Stacks. * Connect with Sam: Inst...
Sep 01, 2023•51 min
