The Stacks
Latest Episodes
Unabridged: Poetry Therapy
*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser* If you've ever felt like you didn't "get it" when it comes to poetry, The Stacks is here for a little poetry therapy featuring five spectacular poets breaking down their favorite poems. We are joined by J
Ep. 315 Pete Rose: The Great Anti-hero with Keith O'Brien
Journalist and bestselling author Keith O'Brien joins this episode to talk about his new book Charlie Hustle: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball. Keith reveals his thoughts on Rose's complex story, which is anything but bl
Ep. 314 Being Chesty with Andrew Boryga
First-time novelist and award-winning writer Andrew Boryga talks about his new book Victim, a satirical take on diversity initiatives, self-promotion and the art of the hustle. Andrew reveals how he thought about audience while composing the book, and dis
Ep. 313 Auditioning for Empathy with Hala Alyan
Writer, poet and psychologist Hala Alyan joins this episode to discuss her newest poetry collection The Moon That Turns You Back. We hear about how she thinks about form, and cultivating empathy in art. Hala also talks about her experience promoting a boo
Unabridged: Ask Me Anything, Hosted by Mr. Stacks
*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser*This episode of The Stacks Unabridged is a special AMA session with your host in the hot seat. We collected questions from social media and our Patreon and Substack communities, and Mr. Stacks asked Traci
Ep. 312 Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu -- The Stacks Book Club (Elise Hu)
Flawless author Elise Hu returns to discuss our March book club pick Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu. We talk about the satirical novel's themes of assimilation, the performance of imposed identity and the myth of the model minority. We also ask, who get
Ep. 311 They Say We Die Twice with Pamela Prickett & Stefan Timmermans
Sociologists and co-authors Pamela Prickett and Stefan Timmermans join The Stacks to talk about their book The Unclaimed: Abandonment and Hope in the City of Angels. The book follows four people whose bodies go unclaimed after their deaths, and how and wh
Ep. 310 The Absence of Story with Tommy Orange
Tommy Orange joins The Stacks today to discuss his new novel Wandering Stars. We talk about writing this prequel/sequel to his debut nove,l the Pulitzer Prize finalist, There There. Tommy reveals how he thinks about the relationship between faith and addi
Ep. 309 Chasing Artificial Standards with Elise Hu
Author and TED Talks Daily host Elise Hu joins The Stacks to discuss her book Flawless: Lessons in Looks and Culture from the K-Beauty Capital. Elise explains how Korea became a pop culture superpower, and how she approached writing about a culture outsid
Ep. 308 Viral Justice by Ruha Benjamin -- The Stacks Book Club (Uché Blackstock)
Physician and bestselling author Uch Blackstock returns to discuss the memoir-manifesto Viral Justice: How We Grow the World We Want by Ruha Benjamin. We talk about viral justice and viral injustice, and how American individualism is one of the biggest c