The Stacks

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by writer, psychotherapist, podcast host, and creator of The Kardashian Kolloquium, MJ Corey, to discuss her debut book, Dekonstructing the Kardashians: A New Media Manifesto. In this book, MJ uses the rise of the Kardashians to analyze the evolution of media and celebrity culture in the internet age. We talk about how MJ began studying the Kardashians through a postmodern lens, whether the family shapes or responds to trends, and the factors that make an American icon.The Stacks Book Club pick for May is Lonely Crowds by Stephanie Wambugu. We’ll be discussing the book with Chanda Prescod-Weinstein on Wednesday, May 27.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/5/13/ep-424-mj-coreyConnect with MJ: Website | Instagram | Substack | TikTokConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee 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’re joined by award-winning theoretical physicist and cosmologist, Chanda Prescod-Weinstein, to discuss her newest book, The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie. In it, Chanda uses poetry, pop culture, and Black feminism to explore some of the most abstract concepts and mysteries of the universe, from black holes to dark matter. We talk about why she wants us all to know about advanced scientific concepts, how she simplifies these topics for lay readers, and how all this high-level science relates to the social and political issues of our time.The Stacks Book Club pick for May is Lonely Crowds by Stephanie Wambugu. We’ll be discussing the book with Chanda Prescod-Weinstein on Wednesday, May 27.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/5/6/ep-423-chanda-prescod-weinsteinConnect with Chanda: Instagram | Website | BlueskyConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee 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 joined by Mahogany L. Browne to discuss our April pick, Room Swept Home by Remica Bingham-Risher. In this beautiful poetry collection, Remica explores themes of race, lineage, faith, and mental health through the lens of her own family history. Today, we talk about what makes this collection so unique, how her poems capture historical context, and the ways this collection subverts form and tradition.Listen to the end of the episode to hear what our May book club pick will be!You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/4/29/ep-422-room-swept-homeConnect with Mahogany: Website | Instagram | FacebookConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee 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’re joined by Adrienne Thurman to discuss her debut novel, Don’t Tell Me How It Ends. This book follows Kaia Harper, a floundering 20-something who’s sworn off romance until she’s asked to be the first client in her sister’s matchmaking business. As she suffers through bad dates and failed matches, she finds herself falling for an unexpected man she meets in a chance encounter. We chat about writing romance while going through a divorce, her journey to becoming an author, and why readers take issue with unlikable women finding love.The Stacks Book Club pick for April is Room Swept Home by Remica Bingham-Risher. We’ll be discussing the book with Mahogany L. Browne on Wednesday, April 29.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/4/22/ep-421-adrienne-thurmanConnect with Adrienne: Website | Instagram | Threads | SubstackConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee 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*Happy National Poetry Month! We’re celebrating by bringing back another installment of Poetry Therapy, which is a bonus episode we did back in 2024. If you've ever felt like you didn’t “get it” when it comes to poetry, we've got five incredible poets who can help: José Olivarez, Cortney Charleston, Camonghne Felix, Nate Marshall, and Yesika Zamora. Each poet has selected a poem to break down with me—they'll read it, discuss what they notice and how it works, and talk about why it excites them. Whether you love poetry, don’t understand it, or are somewhere in between, this episode is for you.You can find links to everything we discuss on today’s show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2026/4/17/tsu-58-poetry-therapy-2Connect with José: Instagram | Twitter | Website | SubstackConnect with Cortney: Instagram | Website | Threads | BlueskyConnect with Camonghne: Instagram | Threads | Substack | Twitter/XConnect with Nate: Instagram | Website | SubstackConnect with Yesika: Instagram | Website | Substack | ThreadsSee 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’re joined by the 24th Poet Laureate of the US, Ada Limón, to discuss her 11th book, Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry. Derived from her final lecture as poet laureate, this book explores poetry’s profound ability to heal, inspire, connect, and remind us of our shared humanity. We talk about the things poetry can do that prose cannot, how to approach poems you don’t like, and what came after her tenure as the poet laureate.The Stacks Book Club pick for April is Room Swept Home by Remica Bingham-Risher. We’ll be discussing the book with Mahogany L. Browne on Wednesday, April 29.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/4/15/ep-420-ada-limonConnect with Ada: Website | InstagramConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee 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, I’m joined by award-winning New Yorker staff writer, New York Times best-selling author, and investigative journalist, Patrick Radden Keefe, to talk about his newest book, London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth. Set in London, this true crime story chronicles the sudden death of 19-year-old Zac Brettler and his family’s quest to uncover the details of his secret double life. Today, we discuss how Patrick balances sources' expectations with his own integrity, the connection between his reading habits and his writing, and the meaning behind the title.The Stacks Book Club pick for April is Room Swept Home by Remica Bingham-Risher. We’ll be discussing the book with Mahogany L. Browne on Wednesday, April 29.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/4/8/ep-419-patrick-radden-keefeConnect with Patrick: Website | Instagram | Threads | BlueskyConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee 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’re joined by poet, writer, organizer, and educator Mahogany L. Browne. Mahogany is the author of three novels and several poetry collections, including Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice and the National Book Award–longlisted book, A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe. Today, we talk about who pushed her toward writing for young people, how she’s celebrating her birthday this year, and what motivates her to keep doing the work.The Stacks Book Club pick for April is Room Swept Home by Remica Bingham-Risher. We’ll be discussing the book with Mahogany L. Browne on April 29.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/4/1/ep-418-mahogany-l-browneConnect with Mahogany: Website | Instagram | FacebookConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee 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 Morrison Month here on The Stacks, and today, we're diving into Paradise by Toni Morrison with award-winning writer, professor, and On Morrison author, Namwali Serpell. This book tells the story of Ruby, a small, all-black town in rural Oklahoma founded by the descendants of freed slaves, and its violent conflict with a nearby convent of women. We chat about the novel’s complexity, how it tackles faith and gender, and its connection to Beloved and Jazz.There are spoilers in this episode.Listen to the end of the episode to hear what our April book club pick will be!You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/3/25/ep-417-paradiseConnect with Namwali: Website | X/TwitterConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony was this past Sunday, and we’ve got a lot to talk about. Today, I’m joined by Vibe Check co-hosts and friends of the pod, Saeed Jones and Zach Stafford, to recap all things Oscars, discussing everything from our Timothée Chalamet burnout to why people pitted Sinners and One Battle After Another against each other, and a whole lot more. This is a follow-up to my pre-Oscars chat with Saeed and Zach last week on Vibe Check—you can listen to that episode here.*This episode is exclusive to members of The Stacks Pack on Patreon and our Substack subscribers. You can find links to everything we discuss on today’s show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2026/3/20/tsu-57-saeed-jones-zach-staffordConnect with Saeed: Instagram | BlueSky | WebsiteConnect with Zach: Instagram | ThreadsConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.