The Stacks

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by Joel Anderson, senior staff writer at The Ringer and co-host of sports & media podcast The Press Box. We discuss his transition from athlete to sports journalist, how his relationship with his audience has changed alongside public perceptions of the media, whether we’re freaking out enough about the state of media, and why he loves books on place.The Stacks Book Club pick for December is Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream by H.G. Bissinger. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, December 31st, with Joel Anderson returning as our guest.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It is The Stacks Book Club day, and Page Break founder Mikey Friedman is back to discuss National Book Award-winner Justin Torres's debut novel, We the Animals. Set in rural upstate New York in the 1980s, this coming-of-age novel traces the experiences of three mixed-race brothers bustling through boyhood while navigating the violence and chaos within their household. In our conversation, we chat about what sets this book apart from other coming-of-age stories, how this functions as a sensory novel, and the ways the book explores shame and desire without judgment. There are spoilers in this episode.Make sure you listen to the end of the episode to hear what our January book club pick will be!You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/11/26/ep-400-we-the-animalsConnect with Mikey: Instagram | TikTokConnect with Page Break: Instagram | WebsiteConnect 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.

*This is a teaser for this Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode, click here to listen to the full episode*Ever wondered who else brings The Stacks to life? Well, lucky for you, you’re about to meet them. For the first time ever, we're bringing you behind the scenes to introduce you to the team that helps make this podcast happen. Join Traci as she chats with Sahara Clement, Cherie Marquez, and Christian Dueñas about who they are, what they do, the biggest surprises and hardest parts of their jobs, and the things she does that annoy them. This podcast wouldn’t be what it is without their hard work, and you can support that by joining The Stacks Pack on Patreon and subscribing to our Substack.You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/11/21/tsu-53-meet-the-stacks-teamConnect with Sahara: Website | Instagram Connect with Cherie: Website | InstagramConnect with Christian: InstagramConnect 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.

Today on The Stacks, we are joined by author and Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes to talk about her new novel, The White Hot. This book explores an exhausted young mother’s life-changing, “white hot” rage-induced decision to abandon her daughter, break her family’s cycle of generational trauma, and discover herself in the process. We chat about why she wanted to write about women leaving home, how she views the audience for her plays versus her books, and how she creates in the face of her own success.The Stacks Book Club pick for November is We the Animals by Justin Torres. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, November 26th, with Mikey Friedman.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/11/19/ep-399-quiara-alegria-hudesConnect with Quiara: Instagram | WebsiteConnect 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 are joined by Sarah Aziza to talk about her debut book, The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders. In this memoir, Sarah explores her struggle with anorexia through the lens of her family’s history of violent displacement from Gaza, drawing haunting parallels between her personal and ancestral trauma. We talk about why she wanted to trace these connections, how she uses footnotes to complicate the narrative, and how she sees her work in conversation with those of Black feminist scholars. The Stacks Book Club pick for November is We the Animals by Justin Torres. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, November 26th, with Mikey Friedman.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/11/12/ep-398-sarah-azizaConnect with Sarah: Instagram | Threads | Website Connect 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 are joined by Mikey Friedman, the founder of Page Break, a New York–based, weekend-long retreat centered on community reading. We discuss all things Page Break, including how it came to be, the book selection process, the focus on fiction, and why reading aloud is at the heart of the experience. Plus, tune in for a special announcement.The Stacks Book Club pick for November is We the Animals by Justin Torres. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, November 26th, with Mikey Friedman.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/11/5/ep-397-mikey-friedmanConnect with Mikey: Instagram | TikTokConnect with Page Break: Instagram | WebsiteConnect 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.

Angela Flournoy, author of The Wilderness, returns to discuss Mary Shelley's Gothic classic, Frankenstein. They dive into the novel's complex nesting structure and the evolution from its 1818 to 1831 editions. The conversation shifts to the creature's identity, exploring readings of race and disability, and the societal reflections on monstrosity. Angela highlights the roles of women and how Shelley's life influenced her characters. They also tackle modern themes like responsibility, technology, and the ethics behind creation, making the tale feel relevant today.

*This is a teaser for this Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode, click here to listen to the full episode*In this bonus episode, I chat with author Kiley Reid for the inside scoop on the Booker Prize, an annual literary award given to the best fiction book written in English and published in the UK and Ireland. As a 2025 judge—and the author of a 2020 Booker Prize-longlisted book—Kiley offers insider knowledge on everything from what makes a "Booker book" to the process of narrowing down the list from 153 titles to one winner.You can find links to everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2025/10/24/tsu-52-kiley-reidConnect with Kiley: Website | Instagram | TwitterConnect 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.

Today on The Stacks, we are joined by author and journalist Jade Chang to discuss her newest novel, What a Time to Be Alive. This book follows Lola Treasure Gold, a down-on-her-luck 31-year-old balancing accidental internet fame with enduring grief after her speech at her best friend’s wake goes viral. We discuss the book’s 20-year journey, the ways fame and celebrity culture have evolved in that time, and the unexpected pleasures of grief.The Stacks Book Club pick for October is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, October 29th, with our guest Angela Flournoy.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/10/22/ep-395-jade-chang Connect with Jade: Instagram | WebsiteConnect 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 are joined by anthropologist and former wildland firefighter Jordan Thomas. He’s here to discuss his first book, When It All Burns: Fighting Fire in a Transformed World, a gripping exploration of his experience battling a brutal, six-month fire season with the Los Padres Hotshots, an elite force of wildland firefighters. We discuss Jordan’s transition from firefighter to author, what the general public gets wrong about wildfires, and the connection between fires, climate change, and Republican politics.The Stacks Book Club pick for October is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, October 29th, with our guest Angela Flournoy.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/10/15/ep-394-jordan-thomasConnect with Jordan: Instagram | WebsiteConnect 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.