The Stacks

Traci Thomas
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Jul 9, 2025 • 1h 1min

Ep. 379 I Gotta Keep Something Nasty with Mandii B & WeezyWTF

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, July 30th with Dana A. Williams.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/7/9/ep-379-mandii-b-weezywtfConnect with WeezyWTF: InstagramConnect with Mandii B: InstagramConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | SubstackSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Jul 2, 2025 • 58min

Ep. 378 I’m Trying to Avoid Toni Morrison with Dana A. Williams

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, July 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-williamsConnect with Dana: Instagram | Bluesky | WebsiteConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | SubstackSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Jun 25, 2025 • 1h 14min

Ep. 377 The Art Thief by Michael Finkel — The Stacks Book Club (Ceara O’Sullivan)

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-thiefConnect with Ceara: Instagram | Tiktok | Petty Crimes PodcastConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Jun 20, 2025 • 16min

Unabridged: A Mid-Year Check-In with Sara Hildreth and Cree Myles

*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-mylesConnect with Cree: Instagram | Twitter | All Ways Black | SubstackConnect with Sara: Instagram | Fiction Matters | Novel Pairings | SubstackConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Jun 18, 2025 • 55min

Ep. 376 People Be Gay with Mia McKenzie

Mia McKenzie is on the show this week discussing her newest book, These Heathens, a coming of age story set in 1960s Georgia. She talks about how she approached fictionalizing real figures from the civil rights movement, the importance of queer representation in her work, and how her grandmother inspired the protagonist in the novel. The Stacks Book Club pick for June is The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel. We will discuss on Wednesday, June 25th with Ceara O’Sullivan returning as our guest.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/6/18/ep-376-mia-mckenzieConnect with Mia: Instagram | Website | BGD BlogConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Jun 11, 2025 • 59min

Ep. 375 The Gospel of the Dispossessed with S. A. Cosby

This week on the Stacks, we are joined by New York Times bestselling crime fiction author, S.A. Cosby, to talk about his brand new book, King of Ashes. Cosby gives us insights into being a self-proclaimed lazy writer, and his approach to violence on the page. We also talk about why he considers reading an integral part of his writing process, and what the genre of “Southern noir” means to him. The Stacks Book Club pick for June is The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel. We will discuss on Wednesday, June 25th with Ceara O’Sullivan returning as our guest.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/6/11/ep-375-sa-cosbyConnect with S.A. Cosby: InstagramConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Jun 4, 2025 • 1h 3min

Ep. 374 Petty Good or Petty Bad with Ceara O’Sullivan

This week on the Stacks, we are joined by Saturday Night Live writer, actor, and host of the Petty Crimes podcast, Ceara O’Sullivan. Ceara talks about how writing for TV has impacted her TV watching life, the importance of editing in storytelling, and what it’s like to read a memoir by a person you know. The Stacks Book Club pick for June is The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel. We will discuss on Wednesday, June 25th with Ceara O’Sullivan returning as our guest.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/6/4/ep-374-ceara-osullivanConnect with Ceara: Instagram | TiktokConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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May 28, 2025 • 1h 1min

Ep. 373 Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley — The Stacks Book Club (Kara Brown)

It’s the Stacks’ Book Club Day, and we’re discussing Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley with returning guest, Kara Brown. We share our thoughts on the story’s twists and turns, especially the big reveal. Then we dive deeper to discuss the significance of this book on the literary landscape, and what about the novel does and doesn’t hold up when viewed through a modern-day lens.There are spoilers on this episode.Be sure to listen to the end of today’s episode to find out what our June book club pick will be.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/5/28/ep-373-devil-in-a-blue-dressConnect with Kara: Instagram | WebsiteConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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May 21, 2025 • 1h 5min

Ep. 372 Apropos of Nothing, There’s This Book with Frederick Joseph

This week on the Stacks, we are joined by author and essayist, Frederick Joseph, to discuss his newest book (and his first foray into YA fiction), This Thing of Ours. He shares with us about how he’s able to write every day without writer’s block, and why he decided not to sell his books in Target. We also spend time exploring Frederick’s favorite and least favorite book classics.The Stacks Book Club pick for May is Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley. We will discuss on Wednesday, May 28th with Kara Brown returning as our guest.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/5/21/ep-372-frederick-josephConnect with Frederick: Instagram | WebsiteConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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May 16, 2025 • 16min

Unabridged: Poptimism in the Age of Beyoncé with Sam Sanders

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*It's Cowboy Carter SZN and we're breaking down Beyoncé's latest tour with friend of the pod and podcast host extraordinaire Sam Sanders. We talk about Queen Bey's latest tour, the good and the not so good, plus our thoughts on Blue Ivy's exposure and the future of stadium tours. We also quickly gab about the Pulitzer drama, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Lionel Richie.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/5/16/tsu-46-sam-sandersConnect with Sam: Twitter | InstagramConnect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | SubscribePurchasing 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.

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