The Stacks

Updated: 15 Jan 2025 • 411 episodes
www.thestackspodcast.com

The Stacks is your one stop shop to talk books and reading. Guests will join the host, Traci Thomas for lively discussions about books and the ways they have shaped their lives, and they way we all understand culture, race, politics, and more. The last Wednesday of each month Traci and guest will break down a book in detail as part of The Stacks Book Club.  Make sure to check the website www.thestackspodcast.com for more details, including upcoming The Stacks Book Club picks.

Show episodes

This week, we're joined by debut author Kaliane Bradley to discuss her novel, The Ministry of Time, which is The Stacks Book Club pick for January. We talk about how her pandemic obsession inspired this book, how she feels about her novel being called "genre-breaking", and what it was like to land on Obama’s summer rea

57 min
00:00
57:36
No file found

This week, we're joined by author and educator Irvin Weathersby Jr. to discuss his new book, In Open Contempt: Confronting White Supremacy in Art and Public Space. We delve into the complicated legacy of monuments and art—what they represent, how they uphold systems of white supremacy, and what it takes to envision som

57 min
00:00
57:55
No file found

Today, we're joined by J Wortham, journalist and culture writer at The New York Times. They are the co-author of Black Futures and a former co-host of the podcast Still Processing. In this conversation, J shares their thoughts on the relationship between reading comprehension and social media, reflects on their evolvin

67 min
00:00
01:07:27
No file found

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re diving into Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to Offer by Rax King with returning guest Nora McInerny. This heartfelt and hilarious essay collection celebrates the pop culture often dismissed as “lowbrow” or “uncool,” exploring how guilty pleasures shape our ident

61 min
00:00
01:01:29
No file found

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* In this episode of The Stacks Unabridged, we’re closing out 2024 with a lively recap of the year in pop culture. Chelsea Devantez and Sam Sanders join the show to hand out superlatives for this year’s biggest moments—from breakout performances to the villain of the year

11 min
00:00
11:17
No file found

It’s time to pick the best books of 2024! Joining me for this year-end celebration are two longtime friends of the show, podcast host Greta Johnsen and MJ Franklin, editor at The New York Times Book Review. In today’s episode, we share our top 10 books of 2024, reflect on the trends that defined this year in reading, a

78 min
00:00
01:18:18
No file found