We welcome back Nate Marshall today to discuss Cortney Lamar Charleston's poetry collection Doppelgangbanger, which grapples with the tensions that impact a Black boy's struggle through self-destructive definitions of manhood. We discuss the narratives around coming of age in the suburbs and the city, and ask ourselves, is there really such a thing as an objectively good poem?

Be sure to listen to the end of today's episode to find out what our May book club pick will be! 

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2022/04/27/ep-212-doppelgangbanger/

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Today we're speaking with Julie Otsuka, whose nationally-bestselling novel The Swimmers explores what happens to a group of obsessed recreational swimmers when a crack appears at the bottom of their local pool. Our conversation covers the art of crafting sentences and finding the right voice. We also discuss the joy of writing in cafes, and the element of surprise.

There are no spoilers on this episode.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2022/04/20/ep-211-julie-otsuka

The Stacks Book Club selection for April is Doppelgangbanger by Cortney Lamar Charleston. We will discuss the book on April 27th with Nate Marshall.

Episode Transcript

Connect with Julie: Website

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Today we're joined by the delightful Danny Pellegrino, author of How Do I Un-Remember This?: Unfortunately True Stories, a collection of essays about growing up as a closeted gay kid in small-town Ohio. We discuss the need to spotlight books in pop culture, the responsibility of media to tell stories that include gay characters, and how we handle grief. Traci also urges Danny to start his own LGBTQIA+ book club, watch out Reese!

The Stacks Book Club selection for April is Doppelgangbanger by Cortney Lamar Charleston. We will discuss the book on April 27th with Nate Marshall.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2022/04/13/ep-210-danny-pellegrino/

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In this episode we speak with the lauded writer, educator and MC Nate Marshall, whose latest poetry collection Finna was named one of NPR's best books of 2020. We discuss poetry's early-2000s pop culture heyday, its evolving cultural voice and our first introductions to the oft-intimidating, wonder-evoking art form.

The Stacks Book Club selection for April is Doppelgangbanger by Cortney Lamar Charleston. We will discuss the book on April 27th with Nate Marshall.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2022/04/06/ep-209-nate-marshall

Connect with Nate: Twitter | Instagram | Website

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SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

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.

Today on The Stacks Book Club we speak again with Imani Perry, author of the New York Times bestselling South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon Line to Understand the Soul of a Nation. In our discussion of Toni Morrison's novel A Mercy, we talk destroying ourselves over heartbreak, treating people tenderly and the book's central metaphor of the house. We also touch on the seduction of beauty, and breathlessness.

There are spoilers on this episode.

Be sure to listen to the end of today's episode to find out what our April book club pick will be! 

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2022/03/30/ep-208-a-mercy

Connect with Imani: Twitter | Instagram

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Today we're joined by Julissa Arce, author, and education and immigration activist. On this episode we have a conversation around Julissa's third book, You Sound Like a White Girl: A Case for Rejecting Assimilation. We talk about the myths around U.S. citizenship, colorism in Latine communities, plus the histories that the Black-white binary excludes.

The Stacks Book Club selection for February is A Mercy by Toni Morrison, we will discuss the book on March 30th with Imani Perry.

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2022/03/23/ep-207-julissa-arce

Connect with Julissa: Instagram | Twitter | Website

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Our guest today is author and poet Destiny O. Birdsong. Destiny's debut novel, Nobody's Magic, is about three Black women with Albinism in Shreveport, LA. We talk about the ways Destiny approached representation and nuance when writing about Albinism, her personal training ground for crafting dialogue, and the pressures people can feel around grief.

The Stacks Book Club selection for February is A Mercy by Toni Morrison, we will discuss the book on March 30th with Imani Perry.

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2022/03/16/ep-206-destiny-o-birdsong

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Stephanie Foo is a writer and radio producer, most recently on This American Life, and she is the author of What My Bones Know: A Memoir of Healing from Complex Trauma. Today we talk about Stephanie's journey toward healing from Complex PTSD , fighting model minority stereotype, and the lasting impact of generational trauma.

The Stacks Book Club selection for February is A Mercy by Toni Morrison, we will discuss the book on March 30th with Imani Perry.

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2022/03/09/ep-205-stephanie-foo

Connect with Stephanie: Twitter | Instagram | Website

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SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Imani Perry is the author of seven books including her latest, the New York Times bestselling, South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon Line to Understand the Soul of a Nation. She is an American interdisciplinary scholar of race, law, literature, and African-American culture, and the Hughes-Rogers Professor of African American Studies at Princeton University. Imani shares with us today about her writing process, inspirations, and sweet tooth.

The Stacks Book Club selection for February is A Mercy by Toni Morrison, we will discuss the book on March 30th with Imani Perry.

You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2022/03/02/ep-204-imani-perry

Connect with Imani: Twitter | Instagram

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

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.

Today for The Stacks Book Club we're discussing I Live a Life Like Yours, a memoir by Jan Grue, which explores his experiences as a wheelchair user in Norway. We are joined by author and journalist, Tessa Miller (What Doesn't Kill You) for this conversation on the importance of community, accessibility, and pushing back against stereotypical depictions of disabled people.

There are no spoilers on today's episode.

Be sure to listen to the end of today's episode to find out what our March book club pick will be! 

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2022/02/23/ep-203-i-live-a-life-like-yours

Connect with Tessa: Instagram | Twitter | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe

SUPPORT THE STACKS

Join The Stacks Pack on Patreon

To support The Stacks and find out more from this week’s sponsors, click here.

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.