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-cosby

Connect with S.A. Cosby: Instagram

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 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-osullivan

Connect with Ceara: Instagram | Tiktok

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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.

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-dress

Connect with Kara: Instagram | 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.

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-joseph

Connect with Frederick: 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*

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-sanders

Connect with Sam: Twitter | Instagram

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | 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.

Today we are joined by Daria Burke, an award-winning business leader, investor, speaker, and now author. She is here to discuss her memoir, Of My Own Making, which is about how she healed from childhood trauma to build her life. Daria talks about how systemic and personal harms are intertwined, how she engaged with leading experts in the fields of trauma work, and her shift from survival to success.

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/2025/5/14/ep-371-daria-burke

Connect with Daria: 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.

Today on The Stacks, we’re talking with screenwriter and producer, Kara Brown. She shares what she looks for when adapting a book to the screen, and the key to making sure an adaptation is a success. We also discuss Kara’s love of massive tomes, the three writers that inspired her career, and her problematic fave.

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/2025/5/7/ep-370-kara-brown

Connect with Kara: 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 Blessing the Boats by Lucille Clifton with returning guest, Tiana Clark. We discuss how Clifton welcomes audiences usually excluded from poetry and how her work still manages to have urgency 25+ years later. We also work through some of the poems that were challenging for us, and uncover some hidden meanings.

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/2025/4/30/ep-369-blessing-the-boats

Connect with Tiana: Instagram | Website | Twitter

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | 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 on The Stacks, Brian Goldstone is here to talk about his book, There Is No Place for Us: Working and Homeless in America. The book examines the growing phenomenon of the "working homeless"—people who work full time and still remain unhoused—by following five families in Atlanta over the course of a few years. Goldstone explains how he connected with the families he followed in the book, who officially is counted as homeless, and why he decided to center his book in Atlanta.

The Stacks Book Club pick for April is Blessing the Boats: New and Selected Poems 1988–2000 by Lucille Clifton. We will discuss on Wednesday, April 30 with Tiana Clark returning as our guest.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/4/23/ep-368-brian-goldstone

Connect with Brian: Twitter | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | 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.

*Patreon- and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*

In this episode of The Stacks Unabridged, we are joined once again by author Kiese Laymon, to discuss his first children’s book, City Summer, Country Summer, and the emotional resonance of sports narratives. We also share how we’re staying human in the midst of so much inhumanity.

You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website:

https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/4/18/tsu-45-kiese-laymon

Connect with Kiese: Twitter | Instagram | Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | 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.