Today, we're joined by J Wortham, journalist and culture writer at The New York Times. They are the co-author of... more

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re diving into Tacky: Love Letters to the Worst Culture We Have to... more

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* In this episode of The Stacks Unabridged, we’re closing out 2024 with a lively recap... more

It’s time to pick the best books of 2024! Joining me for this year-end celebration are two longtime friends of... more

This week, we’re joined by Mosab Abu Toha, Palestinian poet, activist, and author of the new collection Forest of Noise.... more

This week, we’re joined by Nora McInerny—author, podcaster, and founder of the Hot Young Widows Club. In today’s episode, we... more

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* In this episode of The Stacks Unabridged, Traci wraps up Nonfiction November by pairing audience-submitted... more

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re diving into Luster by Raven Leilani with returning guest Justine Kay of... more

This week, we’re joined by marine biologist and author Ayana Elizabeth Johnson to discuss her new book, What If We... more

This week, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jason Reynolds joins us to discuss his latest book, Twenty-Four Seconds from... more

This week, we’re joined by Justine Kay, one of the hosts of the reality TV show podcast, 2 Black Girls, 1... more

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re diving into The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. Franklin Leonard returns as... more

Author and activist Jessica Valenti joins The Stacks to discuss her latest book, Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths... more

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* This is an abridged version of Traci’s live show “One for the Books.” This time,... more

This week, we’re joined by anthropologist and author Jason De León to discuss his latest book, Soldiers and Kings: Survival... more

Journalist and author Jesselyn Cook joins The Stacks this week to discuss her new book, The Quiet Damage: QAnon and... more

Actor and producer Franklin Leonard joins The Stacks this week to discuss his groundbreaking work with The Black List. Known... more

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re discussing Jazz by Toni Morrison. Professor Eve Dunbar joins us to explore... more

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* In this episode of The Stacks Unabridged, we’re joined by George M. Johnson, author of... more

Actor and comedian Laci Mosley (iCarly, A Black Lady Sketch Show) joins The Stacks to discuss her new book, Scam... more

Danzy Senna joins The Stacks to discuss her latest novel, Colored Television, a satirical take on one novelist's attempt to leave... more

English professor Eve Dunbar is here to discuss her forthcoming book, Monstrous Work and Radical Satisfaction: Black Women Writing under Segregation.... more

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we’re discussing Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo. We’re joined by actor and author... more

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* Today we are joined by author Luvvie Ajayi Jones to discuss the all-important topic of... more

Today we’re joined by author Regina Porter to discuss her new book, The Rich People Have Gone Away. She explains what made... more

Today we’re joined by the multitalented LaDarrion Williams about his fantasy debut Blood at the Root, which re-imagines a magical academy... more

Jay Ellis, star of HBO's Insecure, joins The Stacks to discuss his new memoir, Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just... more

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we are discussing the classic post-apocalyptic novel Parable of the Sower, which is... more

Author Mateo Askaripour is back on The Stacks to talk about his sophomore novel, This Great Hemisphere, a work of speculative fiction about... more

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* This edition of The Stacks Unabridged is dedicated to the New York Times’ 100 Best Books... more

We are joined by journalist and author Adam Higginbotham, whose new book is Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster... more

We are joined by Katherine Lewin, founder of the hosting shop Big Night in NYC, to discuss her new cookbook Big... more

Today author and essayist Emily Raboteau joins The Stacks to discuss her book Lessons for Survival: Mothering Against "The Apocalypse."... more

For this edition of The Stacks Book Club, Melissa Mogollon returns to dissect the popular romantic novel It Ends with Us by... more

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* Los Angeles photographer Aaron Jay Young visits The Stacks Unabridged to discuss Queen, a portrait book... more

Author and multimedia artist Akwaeke Emezi joins us with their latest novel Little Rot, set in the underworld of a... more

Friend of The Stacks Chelsea Devantez is here to tell us about her debut memoir I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This... more

Today we are speaking with Melissa Mogollon about her debut novel Oye, a tragicomic family drama told in a series of... more

It is The Stacks Book Club Day, and we're celebrating James Baldwin and his centennial year by reading his book, No Name... more

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* For today’s Unabridged, book lovers Cree Myles (All Ways Black) and Sara Hildreth (Fiction Matters)... more

Sierra Greer is the novelist behind the new speculative fiction book Annie Bot, about what happens when an AI robot designed... more

Writer and podcaster Carvell Wallace joins us to discuss their debut memoir Another Word for Love. Carvell describes the challenge of... more

Today the prolific and award-winning children's book and Young Adult author Paula Yoo joins us. Her new nonfiction book is... more

Today we are joined by Yahdon Israel - writer, founder of Literaryswag Book Club, and Senior Editor at Simon & Schuster.... more

It's The Stacks Book Club day and writer Hala Alyan is back to discuss this month's pick, The January Children by Safia... more

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* If you've ever felt like you didn't "get it" when it comes to poetry, The... more

Journalist and bestselling author Keith O'Brien joins this episode to talk about his new book Charlie Hustle: The Rise and... more

First-time novelist and award-winning writer Andrew Boryga talks about his new book Victim, a satirical take on diversity initiatives, self-promotion... more

Writer, poet and psychologist Hala Alyan joins this episode to discuss her newest poetry collection The Moon That Turns You... more

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* This episode of The Stacks Unabridged is a special AMA session with your host in... more

Flawless author Elise Hu returns to discuss our March book club pick Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu. We talk about... more

Sociologists and co-authors Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans join The Stacks to talk about their book The Unclaimed: Abandonment and... more

Tommy Orange joins The Stacks today to discuss his new novel Wandering Stars. We talk about writing this prequel/sequel to... more

Author and TED Talks Daily host Elise Hu joins The Stacks to discuss her book Flawless: Lessons in Looks and... more

Physician and bestselling author Uché Blackstock returns to discuss the memoir-manifesto Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want... more

*patron-only bonus episode teaser* This episode features audio from a February live show at Vroman's Bookstore with NYT bestselling novelist Kiley... more

This episode features a discussion with journalist and writer Lauren Markham about her new book A Map of Future Ruins:... more

Romance novelist Tia Williams visits the show to discuss her latest book A Love Song for Ricki Wilde. Tia shares... more

Physician, educator and author Uché Blackstock shares her New York Times Bestselling book Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism... more

Vibe Check host Zach Stafford returns to discuss our January book club selection, the 2001 satirical novel Erasure by Percival... more

*patron-only bonus episode teaser* For today's Unabridged, book lovers Cree Myles (All Ways Black) and Sara Hildreth (Fiction Matters) join us... more

We are joined by poet and debut novelist Kaveh Akbar to discuss his book Martyr!, the story of a newly... more

Educator and author Carolina Ixta joins The Stacks to discuss her debut novel Shut Up, This is Serious. Set in... more

Chef, restaurateur and media personality Sohla El-Waylly joins to talk about her debut cookbook, Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a... more

Writer, Vibe Check cohost, and Tony winning Producer, Zach Stafford joins The Stacks to discuss being a journalist, his many... more

*patron-only bonus episode teaser* This edition of The Stacks Unabridged features audio from our Los Angeles stop on the Live in... more

Author and Shakespeare scholar Farah Karim-Cooper returns for our final book club episode of the year to discuss the Bard's... more

New York Times Book Review editor MJ Franklin and Debutiful's Adam Vitcavage join The Stacks for our annual best books... more

Journalist and author Nathan Thrall joins us to discuss his book A Day in the Life of Abed Salama: Anatomy... more

*patron-only bonus episode teaser* We're back with friend of The Stacks, Kiese Laymon, with audio from the second New York live... more

Author and professor Farah Karim-Cooper joins The Stacks to talk about her book The Great White Bard: How to Love... more

Author Mitchell S. Jackson returns for our book club discussion of Ling Ma's post-apocalyptic novel Severance. On this episode we... more

*patron-only bonus episode teaser* This Unabridged is a conversation with author and friend of The Stacks Kiese Laymon from our early... more

Tony Award Winner Ali Stroker discusses her new middle grade novel Cut Loose!, co-written with Stacy Davidowitz. Ali reveals why... more

Texas politician and author Beto O'Rourke joins The Stacks to talk about his book We've Got to Try: How the... more

Award-winning author Jesmyn Ward joins The Stacks to discuss her latest novel Let Us Descend. She reveals how the book... more

Award-winning author Mitchell S. Jackson joins the show to discuss his new book Fly: The Big Book of Basketball Fashion.... more

It's time for our annual Toni Morrison read for The Stacks Book Club! Author, Minda Honey is back to discuss... more

*patron-only bonus episode teaser* This Unabridged episode features audio from our Washington DC stop of The Stacks Tour, featuring bestselling author... more

Children's book author and artist Oliver Jeffers joins to discuss his first all-ages illustrated book Begin Again: How We Got... more

Columnist and commentator Michael Harriot joins The Stacks to talk about his book Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of... more

Political and relationship essayist Minda Honey is here to discuss her new book The Heartbreak Years: A Memoir. We talk... more

We're thrilled to welcome back podcaster Brittany Luse to discuss Monsters: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer for The Stacks... more

Myriam Gurba visits The Stacks to discuss her new essay collection Creep: Accusations and Confessions. Myriam describes how a question... more

*patron-only bonus episode teaser* This episode of The Stacks Unabridged features audio from our Chicago show on the Live in The... more

Politician, activist and author Stacey Abrams joins us to discuss her romantic suspense novel The Art of Desire, written under... more

Today we're joined by award-winning journalist and cultural critic Brittany Luse upon her first anniversary as host of NPR's It's... more

Introducing Vibe Check, a podcast where hosts Sam Sanders, Saeed Jones, and Zach Stafford make sense of what’s going on in news... more

Podcaster and journalist Sam Sanders returns to discuss You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi... more

*patron-only bonus episode teaser* This Unabridged features audio from our first stop on The Stacks tour in Oakland with Leila Mottley.... more

Podcaster and author Jennifer Baker discusses her YA novel Forgive Me Not, how she created its alternate juvenile justice system... more

After living with the retinitis pigmentosa for decades, Andrew Leland; writer, audio producer, and teacher, decided to write about blindness... more

Emmy-nominated journalist Nora Neus is here to discuss her illuminating new book 24 Hours in Charlottesville: An Oral History of... more

Sam Sanders, host of the Into It and Vibe Check podcasts, joins us to discuss the history of objectivity in... more

*patron-only bonus episode teaser* Friend of The Stacks David Dennis Jr. is back to help us break down the 2019 HBO... more

Cartoonist and author Joel Christian Gill returns for book club day to discuss the graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore... more

Journalist Donovan X. Ramsey joins us to talk about his illuminating narrative nonfiction book When Crack Was King: A People's... more

Physician and writer Ricardo Nuila joins The Stacks to discuss The People's Hospital: Hope and Peril in American Medicine, about... more

Cartoonist and educator Joel Christian Gill joins us to talk about his new book Stamped from the Beginning: A Graphic... more

*patron-only bonus episode teaser* Podcasters and co-authors Jamilah Mapp and Erica Dickerson join Unabridged to talk about their new book A... more