It is The Stacks Book Club day and we're discussing The Lilac People by Milo Todd. Our guest for today's conversation is editor and author, Denne Michele Norris. The Lilac People follows a trans man and his partner as they attempt to survive Nazi Germany and the aftermath of the Allies’ takeover post-war. Together, we discuss the ways Milo Todd uses history to ground the book and its characters, the ever evolving language surrounding gender and identity, plus the ethical questions that arise in times of war. There are spoilers in this episode. Listen to the end of today's episode to find out what our October Book Club pick will be! You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/9/24/ep-391-the-lilac-people Connect with Denne: Instagram | Podcast Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on The Stacks we are joined by former Vice President, Kamala Harris. She is here to discuss her brand new book 107 Days, which chronicles her historic run for the presidency in 2024. In our conversation we cover her biggest regrets from Biden to Gaza, how she balanced her instincts with the political polling, and what she sees as the path forward for America. The Stacks Book Club pick for September is The Lilac People by Milo Todd. We will discuss the book on this Wednesday, September 24th with Denne Michele Norris. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/9/23/ep-390-kamala-harris Connect with Kamala: Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Facebook | Website Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode* In this bonus episode, we’re heading down south to Jackson, Mississippi to join friends of the pod, Jason Reynolds and Hanif Abdurraqib, at the Mississippi Book Festival! Together, we celebrate each other's work, fight over the greatest band of all time, and then debate the state of music and literary criticism. You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/9/19/tsu-51-jason-reynolds-hanif-abdurraqib Connect with Jason: Website | Instagram | Twitter Connect with Hanif: Website | Twitter | Facebook Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on the Stacks, we’re talking literary suspense with Cleyvis Natera and her newest book, The Grand Paloma Resort, which takes place at a luxury resort in the Dominican Republic. Cleyvis explains what drew her to writing about the tourism industry, why she wanted to include the history of the Dominican Republic in her “beach read,” and how she explored sex work in its many forms throughout the book. The Stacks Book Club pick for September is The Lilac People by Milo Todd. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, September 24th with Denne Michele Norris. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/9/17/ep-389-cleyvis-natera Connect with Cleyvis: Instagram | Twitter | Website Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Maggie Smith and Saeed Jones join us this week on the Stacks to discuss their anthology, The People’s Project: Poems, Essays, and Art for Looking Forward. With original work from twenty-seven authors exploring hope in times of difficulty, Maggie and Saeed discuss what inspired them to start the book and how they picked contributors for this project. We also spend some time sharing what keeps us from falling into despair before giving superlatives to the different works in The People’s Project. For the month of September, the Stacks Book Club will be reading The Lilac People by Milo Todd. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, September 24th with Denne Michele Norris returning as our guest. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/9/10/ep-388-maggie-smith-saeed-jones Connect with Saeed: Instagram | BlueSky | Website Connect with Maggie: Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Website Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on The Stacks we are joined by Denne Michele Norris, the editor and chief of Electric Literature. She is the first Black, openly trans woman to helm a major literary publication. She is also behind two 2025 books, her debut novel, When the Harvest Comes and the anthology Both/And: Essays by Trans and Gender-Nonconforming Writers of Color. Today, we discuss her path to becoming “full time literary", and how she's using her seat at the table to bring more trans writers of color into the fold. For the month of September, the Stacks Book Club will be reading The Lilac People by Milo Todd. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, September 24th with Denne Michele Norris returning as our guest. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/9/3/ep-387-denne-michele-norris Connect with Denne: Instagram | Podcast Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's The Stacks Book Club Day, and we're talking about the plant world and nature with this month’s pick, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The wonderful journalist and author Alexis Madrigal is back for this conversation on this modern nonfiction classic. We discuss the influence this book has had on writers and readers alike, as well as the essays that stuck with us most. We also dig into Kimmerer's relationship with city people and how she pushes the boundaries of what is possible. There are no spoilers in this episode. Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our September book club pick will be. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/8/27/ep-386-braiding-sweetgrass Connect with Alexis: Instagram | Website Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode* Another bonus episode this month? Heck yes! We're doing a deep dive into oral history with friend of the pod, journalist, and oral historian, Garrett M. Graff. He has written three stellar books of oral history: The Devil Reached Toward the Sky: An Oral History of the Making and Unleashing of the Atomic Bomb, When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day, and The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11. Today we get Garrett's insights into the key characteristics and importance of oral history, and the challenges that come with the form. We also spend some time on the decision to drop the atomic bomb, and workshop future oral history projects for Garrett. You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/8/21/tsu-50-garrett-graff Connect with Garrett: Website | Twitter | Facebook Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Debut novelist, Addie E. Citchens, joins us this week to discuss her book, Dominion—a Black Southern family drama told through the eyes of two women. Addie talks about how growing up in the church in Mississippi inspired her writing, and why she feels like she’s been writing this story her whole life. We also talk about humor, a writing teacher who stifled her style, and how the ending of Dominion clicked into place.  For the month of August, the Stacks Book Club pick will be reading Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, August 27th with Alexis Madrigal returning as our guest. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/8/20/ep-385-addie-citchens Connect with Tre: Website | Instagram | Twitter Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on The Stacks, essay writer and culture critic, Tre Johnson, joins us to discuss his debut book, Black Genius: Essays on an American Legacy, which examines how black American culture has driven American ingenuity. Tre shares how his grandfather inspired him to write Black Genius and how the book has evolved over the years. We also talk about the struggle of balancing a 9-5 job and making time to write, plus why he decided to leave his job and how that impacted his life as a writer. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/8/13/ep-384-tre-johnson Connect with Tre: Website | Instagram | Twitter Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode* This month you're getting a bonus bonus episode of The Stacks Unabridged. Because we love summer and books, Sara Hildreth of Fiction Matters is here to talk about summer reading guides. We hand out a few literary superlatives like, best book to read on an airplane and most dramatic. Plus we share some books we've read since the guides were dropped that we think you should at to your reading lists. If you haven't gotten The Stacks’ Nonfiction Reading Guide or Sara's Paperback Summer Reading Guide, be sure to grab those and get to listening. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/8/8/tsu-49-sara-hildreth CConnect with Sara: Instagram | Fiction Matters | Novel Pairings | Substack Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Journalist, Alexis Madrigal, joins the Stacks to discuss his debut book, The Pacific Circuit: A Globalized Account of the Battle for the Soul of an American City—the “American city” in question being Oakland, CA. Today, Alexis gives us insight into why he wanted to tell the story of Oakland in particular, and why it matters in broader national and global context. He also explains how COVID impacted this book, both his personal writing process and the city of Oakland at large. For the month of August, the Stacks Book Club pick will be Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, August 27th with Alexis Madrigal returning as our guest. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/8/6/ep-383-alexis-madrigal Connect with Alexis: Instagram | Website Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s The Stacks Book Club Day, and we're discussing Toni Morrison's God Help the Child with Dana A. Williams, author of Toni at Random. Together, we talk about the themes that show up in God Help the Child that have echoes from Morrison's earlier work—generational trauma and racialized beauty. We also discuss why Toni Morrison wanted to write a contemporary novel, the great names in the book, and who we would cast in the film. There are spoilers on this episode. Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our August book club pick will be. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/7/30/ep-382-god-help-the-child Connect with Dana: Instagram | Bluesky | Website Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Haley Cohen Gillian, the director of the Yale Journalism Initiative, joins us this week to discuss her new book, A Flower Traveled in My Blood: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children, which chronicles the grandmothers who searched for their children and grandchildren who were disappeared by Argentina's brutal dictatorship. In this episode, Haley gives us insight into how she came across this history and how she grappled with the moral complexities throughout. She also talks about the subjectivity of truth and details her research process and organization. The Stacks Book Club pick for July is God Help the Child by Toni Morrison. We will discuss next Wednesday, July 30th with Dana A. Williams. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/7/23/ep-381-haley-cohen-gilliland Connect with Haley: Instagram | Website Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on the Stacks, journalist Megan Greenwell joins to discuss her debut book, Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream. She breaks down the ins and outs of private equity, how it works, why it harms communities, and if there is an ethical path for the industry. The Stacks Book Club pick for July is God Help the Child by Toni Morrison. We will discuss next Wednesday, June 30th with Dana A. Williams. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/7/16/ep-378-megan-greenwell Connect with Megan: Instagram | Website Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode* For this month’s bonus episode, we’re mixing things up a little—this time, Traci is the one being interviewed! The fine folks at LARB Radio Hour, Medaya Ocher and Eric Newman, speak with Traci to discuss the impact of social media on publishing, the content creator life, and the way readers discover books today. At the end of the episode, Medaya, Eric, and Traci offer readers a rundown of recommendations for the books getting us through 2025. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/7/11/tsu-48-larb Connect with LARB Radio: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube | Podcast Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mandii B and WeezyWTF, the co-hosts of the Decisions, Decisions podcast, join us today to discuss their New York Times Best-selling book, No Holes Barred: A Dual Manifesto of Sexual Exploration and Power. They talk about the challenges of staying sex positive while writing about their own shame and which parts of the book they were most nervous about having published. We also talk about how the changing political landscape has impacted the kinds of conversations they have around sex. The Stacks Book Club pick for July is God Help the Child by Toni Morrison. We will discuss on Wednesday, June 30th with Dana A. Williams. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/7/9/ep-379-mandii-b-weezywtf Connect with WeezyWTF: Instagram Connect with Mandii B: Instagram Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on the Stacks, we are joined by author and African-American literature professor, Dana A. Williams. She has written a brand new book called Toni at Random: The Iconic Writer’s Legendary Editorship, which chronicles Morrison's time as an editor at Random House. Dana shares with us the behind the scenes story of how her book title came to be, her favorite Morrison book, and why she chose God Help the Child for our July Book Club Pick. The Stacks Book Club pick for July is God Help the Child by Toni Morrison. We will discuss on Wednesday, June 30th with Dana A. Williams returning as our guest. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/7/2/ep-378-dana-williams Connect with Dana: Instagram | Bluesky | Website Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s The Stacks' Book Club Day, and we are joined once again by Ceara O’Sullivan to discuss The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel. The book explores the ethos of Stéphane Bréitwieser—the titular art thief in question—who stole and kept over two billion dollars worth of art. Together, we discuss Finkel's portrayal of Bréitwieser, the myriad of twists throughout this story, and what this book has to say about crime, ownership, and punishment. There are spoilers on this episode. Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our July book club pick will be. You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/6/25/ep-377-art-thief Connect with Ceara: Instagram | Tiktok | Petty Crimes Podcast Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode* We’re halfway through 2025 so this month on The Stacks Unabridged, we've got a literary check-in with friends of the pod, Sara Hildreth and Cree Myles! Together, we discuss the books that blew us away during the first half of the year, the titles we're most looking forward to for the second half of 2025. Plus we share the best backlist we've read and a few award season predictions.  You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/6/20/tsu-47-sara-hildreth-cree-myles Connect with Cree: Instagram | Twitter | All Ways Black | Substack Connect with Sara: Instagram | Fiction Matters | Novel Pairings | Substack Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe Purchasing books through Bookshop.org or Amazon earns The Stacks a small commission. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.