The Stacks

*Patreon and Substack-only bonus episode teaser, click here for the full episode*
Happy National Poetry Month! We’re celebrating by bringing back another installment of Poetry Therapy, which is a bonus episode we did back in 2024. If you've ever felt like you didn’t “get it” when it comes to poetry, we've got five incredible poets who can help: José Olivarez, Cortney Charleston, Camonghne Felix, Nate Marshall, and Yesika Zamora. Each poet has selected a poem to break down with me—they'll read it, discuss what they notice and how it works, and talk about why it excites them. Whether you love poetry, don’t understand it, or are somewhere in between, this episode is for you.
You can find links to everything we discuss on today’s show on The Stacks Website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/unabridged/2026/4/17/tsu-58-poetry-therapy-2
Connect with José: Instagram | Twitter | Website | Substack
Connect with Cortney: Instagram | Website | Threads | Bluesky
Connect with Camonghne: Instagram | Threads | Substack | Twitter/X
Connect with Nate: Instagram | Website | Substack
Connect with Yesika: Instagram | Website | Substack | Threads
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Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by the 24th Poet Laureate of the US, Ada Limón, to discuss her 11th book, Against Breaking: On the Power of Poetry. Derived from her final lecture as poet laureate, this book explores poetry’s profound ability to heal, inspire, connect, and remind us of our shared humanity. We talk about the things poetry can do that prose cannot, how to approach poems you don’t like, and what came after her tenure as the poet laureate.
The Stacks Book Club pick for April is Room Swept Home by Remica Bingham-Risher. We’ll be discussing the book with Mahogany L. Browne on Wednesday, April 29.
You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/4/15/ep-420-ada-limon
Connect with Ada: Website | Instagram
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Today on The Stacks, I’m joined by award-winning New Yorker staff writer, New York Times best-selling author, and investigative journalist, Patrick Radden Keefe, to talk about his newest book, London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family’s Search for Truth. Set in London, this true crime story chronicles the sudden death of 19-year-old Zac Brettler and his family’s quest to uncover the details of his secret double life. Today, we discuss how Patrick balances sources' expectations with his own integrity, the connection between his reading habits and his writing, and the meaning behind the title.
The Stacks Book Club pick for April is Room Swept Home by Remica Bingham-Risher. We’ll be discussing the book with Mahogany L. Browne on Wednesday, April 29.
You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/4/8/ep-419-patrick-radden-keefe
Connect with Patrick: Website | Instagram | Threads | Bluesky
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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.

Today on The Stacks, we’re joined by poet, writer, organizer, and educator Mahogany L. Browne. Mahogany is the author of three novels and several poetry collections, including Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice and the National Book Award–longlisted book, A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe. Today, we talk about who pushed her toward writing for young people, how she’s celebrating her birthday this year, and what motivates her to keep doing the work.
The Stacks Book Club pick for April is Room Swept Home by Remica Bingham-Risher. We’ll be discussing the book with Mahogany L. Browne on April 29.
You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/4/1/ep-418-mahogany-l-browne
Connect with Mahogany: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | 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 Morrison Month here on The Stacks, and today, we're diving into Paradise by Toni Morrison with award-winning writer, professor, and On Morrison author, Namwali Serpell. This book tells the story of Ruby, a small, all-black town in rural Oklahoma founded by the descendants of freed slaves, and its violent conflict with a nearby convent of women. We chat about the novel’s complexity, how it tackles faith and gender, and its connection to Beloved and Jazz.
There are spoilers in this episode.
Listen to the end of the episode to hear what our April book club pick will be!
You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2026/3/25/ep-417-paradise
Connect with Namwali: Website | X/Twitter
Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | Subscribe
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.