DaMaris B. Hill is an author and scholar, and her latest book, A Bound Woman is a Dangerous Thing, is a collection of poetry dealing with the incarceration of Black women. Today on The Stacks she talks with us about how she came to be a writer, her perfectionist spirit, and the books that have inspired her along the way.
Everything we talk about on today’s episode can be found below in the show notes. If you’d like to support your local indie, you can shop through IndieBound.
To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.
The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.
April was not my best reading month as far as content. I liked a lot of what I read, but I really didn’t love anything. I reread Cheryl Strayed’s Tiny Beautiful Things and still found it excellent, but it wasn’t as thrilling as the first time around. I loved Fatimah Asghar’s poetry collection If They Come for Us, and was happy too participate in reading poems as part of National Poetry Month.I enjoyed mostly what I read all month, but was never really blown away.
You can find my reading month by the numbers and short reviews of everything I read below, and check out reviews of all of these books over on The Stacks Instagram
April by the Numbers
Total Books Read: 10 Audiobooks: 1 Five Star Reads: 2 Unread Shelf: 1 Books Acquired: 37
By Women Authors: 6 By Authors of Color: 6 By Queer Authors: 2 Nonfiction Reads: 7 Published in 2019: 4
The Stacks received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. For more information click here. (Photo: amazon.com)
In her collection of poetry that covers the history of incarceration of Black women in America, DaMaris Hill crafts poems that highlight the pain of being a Black woman and the undeniable strength that comes along with it. She tells of some of the most famous women of the Diaspora as well as many women whose stories were nearly lost to history.
The collection is both poems and small bits of historical context that allow the reader to get a deeper understanding of the poetry. I really enjoyed the contextual bits of this book. Not all of the poems resonated with me, some were too fare removed from the context given. I also found some to be extremely powerful. The section on Assata Shakur was my favorite.
Three Stars | Bloomsbury Publishing | January 15, 2019 | 192 Pages | Hardcover | Purchase on IndieBound DaMaris Hill is our guest on The Stacks, hear that conversation now, by clicking HERE.
Every once in a while I will read a book that I can appreicate for its artistic beauty and masterful use of themes, language, and characters. I will be impressed by the dialogue and wowed by the sheer craft of the thing. And despite all of the beauty and skill, I won’t really like the book. That was the case for me with Beloved, Toni Morrison’s most famous and well regarded book. Its not that I didn’t think the book was spectacular, its just that it wasn’t for me. When I say a book is “too fiction-y” this book is a prime example.
If you’re not familiar with the book, it is the story of a runaway slave woman, Sethe, and her life as she lives free in Ohio mixed with the haunting of her past on the plantation and the early days of freedom. It is supernatural and haunting, and contains so many layers. I didn’t love the book, but I look forward to talking about it on The Stacks Book Club on May 22. I have a hunch that every time I discuss and dissect the book I will like it more and more. Toni Morrison’s works have a funny way of always having more to give.
A collection of poetry about violence, race, gender, and mortality both in a cultural sense and in the more intimate context of what it means to be alive and human. These poems are so smart and tough and vibrant and some are funny and snarky in the best ways.
What I appreciate in these poems beyond the craft itself is that the content ties in the historical and deeply personal. Asghar talks about being an orphan along side the fracturing of India and Pakistan. She takes the many parts of her identity and reflects them back to her audience. She reminds us all of the pain and joy in the world to which we must bear witness.
Five Stars | One World Books | August 7, 2018 | 128 Pages | Paperback | Purchase on IndieBound
A collection of short stories about drifters, drug addicts and life on the margins. It is both about the falling down and the getting back up of life. Before we recognized the opioid crisis as a crisis and before we sympathized with addicts, Jesus’ Son gave a human perspective to those that suffer from addiction. The book feels ahead of its time in this way. I couldn’t help but see Johnson’s ability to tell this story as a part of his own privilege. He gets to tell the stories of this specific group of users, instead of having to be responsible for all people who have ever been addicted. It is a great thing for an artist to be able to do, though I wonder if a Black author’s work would have been granted that kind of specificity.
Jesus’ Son is a well crafted collection, sparse in words but big in feeling. Johnson is fantastic at all the twists and the short sentences that pack a huge punch. While there were moments of great emotional resonance, this one wasn’t for me, in the end, I just didn’t care about the people in the stories.
This month for the #ShakeTheStacks Challenge I read Richard II. It looks at the reign and fall of King Richard II, and is a glimpse into the fragility of power and the necessity of legitimacy. This play has the potential to be boring, however Shakespeare crafts dynamic characters who use their speech as a way to influence and persuade. I was particularly struck by the diversity in oratory style between Bolingbroke and Richard. Both men attempt to convince those around them to follow their lead, and both do it in drastically different ways. I found a couple of Richard’s speeches to be some of Shakespeare’s most beautiful. On top of the beauty, the play is easy to read and understand, which isn’t always the case for The Bard.
Richard II is an engaging and thrilling read. It is a play about politics and legitimacy. It feels especially relevant in today’s climate. What does it take to overthrow the leader? It is a dramatization of a theoretical question of who has the will of the people. The play is more cerebral than action packed, but it works beautifully and leaves the reader with much to think about.
Three Stars | Penguin Classics; reprint edition | December 1, 2000 | 160 Pages | Paperback | Purchase on IndieBound
The Stacks received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. For more information click here. (Photo: amazon.com)
A collection of essays that are at once smart, funny, and truly thought provoking. Cottom is one of the most critical and nuanced thinkers on race and gender in this moment in The United States.Thick is effortless in its ability to move between ideas of intersectionality, the art of “the turn” is perfected in these pages. As the collection goes on the essays build on each other and deepen the readers understanding of Cottom and the work she has dedicated her life to. It is because of this depth that the second half of the book really stood out for me.
Some of Thick was challenging to read. I often had to go back and reread sentences and passages because I found myself lost in her arguments. That is less a criticism and more an observation about the style of the book. I applaud Cottom for not making her work small to accommodate her reader. Her writing is too important for that. Go read Thick. You will learn things, you will connect dots you never knew you could. It is powerful and empowering.
Five Stars | The New Press | January 8, 2019 | 224 Pages | Hardcover | Purchase on IndieBound
In June 1973, there was a fire at the Up Stairs Lounge, a gay bar in New Orleans that left 32 people dead. This tragedy was barely acknowledged when it happened and has since, been largely lost to history. In his book, Tinderbox, Robert Fieseler attempts to shed light on the events of June 24, 1973, and the connect those events with the early days of the Gay Liberation Movement.
Tinderbox functions on two levels, one the story of the fire and the people and city directly involved, and two the story of the movement that was connected to it. The true crime part of this book is fantastic. In particular, the pages where Fieseler describes the fire itself were vivid and horrifying. The history of the movement falls a little flatter, the connection feels forced. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and if you like true crime, you will too, even if some sections are not as good as the rest.
Three Stars | Liveright | June 5, 2018 | 384 Pages | Hardcover | Purchase on IndieBound Hear Robert W. Fieseler on The Short Stacks HERE, and hear our in depth discussion of Tinderbox on The Stacks HERE.
A reread of one of my favorite books from last year (you can find my first review here). Cheryl Strayed’s advice column from her days at The Rumpus strikes all the right chords. I love this book. I don’t know how else to say it. It is full of reminders and suggestions on how to live life a little better. Its not polite or even precious, its more in your face. Its the kind of book that opens you up a little bit. Thats what makes it so great. Strayed even says, most of the time you know what you must do, this book, like her advice, is just a nudge in the right direction.
The Truths We Hold is part of a tradition of books for future presidential candidates, they almost all have them. One part memoir, one part policy platform, and one part resume. These books aren’t particularly insightful, though they are a glimpse into the candidate on their very best days (even the bad ones are good or have packaged lessons to take away). Barack Obama famously wrote The Audacity of Hope on the eve of his candidacy, and that book gave America a glimpse into the changes Obama wanted to make in this country. Likewise Harris lays out the things she has achieved as prosecutor and attorney general, and the direction she thinks America should go. It is all well written and readable, but it is all so safe. I understand why, but I wish there was another way. I will wait and read her tell all after she is president.
The final section of the book are the truths she lives by, and aside from learning about her courtship with her husband, this is the best part of the book. Its a little insight into how she ticks. It should also be said, she reads her book and does a fantastic job. Her charisma shines through, and if nothing else, you finish the book and really like the woman.
Three Stars | Penguin Audio | January 8, 2019 | 9 hours and 26 minutes | Audiobook | Listen Through Libro.Fm
The Stacks received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. For more information click here. (Photo: amazon.com)
What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker is the exact book you might expect from Damon Young, of Very Smart Brothas. It is smart and funny, and yet it still makes you think. The book is dynamic and covers a range of topics from what is a “good dude” to Black anxiety, to gentrification, homophobia, to name a few. The book is good, though some of the essays are stronger than others, and sometimes thats frustrating.
There are four essays that really stand out, and whats interesting is they all have a common thread: Women. Each one of these essays (about his controversial piece on rape on VSB, his wife, his mother, and his daughter) is vulnerable but still maintains the style that Young is known for. There is an ease to his voice though saying the hard things, admitting fault, calling out his own privilege, and taking others to task must have been extremely challenging. There is a humility to these essays that allows them to soar above the rest. The book is worth a read, even if at times I found Young to be reaching for a laugh when he didn’t need one. His story is enough.
Three Stars | Ecco | March 26, 2019 | 320 Pages | Hardcover | Purchase on IndieBound Hear our conversation with Damon Young on the Short Stacks HERE
To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/thestacks). We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of The Stacks.
The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.
We’ve selected our books for May and couldn’t be more excited. One is a collection of advice columns from an author known for her own sense of honesty and adventure. The other, a Classic American novel, written by a literary icon.
A collection of advice from Cheryl Strayed’s time as the advice columnist for The Rumpus, we’re reading Tiny Beautiful Things on May 8th. This collection is not the kind of advice you’re used to, it is the perfect mixture of humor, honesty, and compassion. It is advice at its best.
On May 22nd we’re returning to the work Toni Morrison, and tackling her novel Beloved. Beloved is a novel about family, spirit, memory, and freedom, and ultimately what it truly means to be alive. It is an American classic.
As with all our TSBC books, we want to hear from you, so if you’ve got thoughts or questions send them our way, they just might get featured on the show! You can email us at thestackswithtraci@gmail.com, comment on this post, or reach out to us through our Instagram @thestackspod.
To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/thestacks). We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of The Stacks.
The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.
Its a little bit hard to even believe that one year ago today the first ever episode of The Stacks aired with our guest Dallas Lopez, and now 365 days later we have 62 episodes out in the world. In that time we have discussed 26 books for the The Stacks Book Club, met 33 different guests, had nine Short Stacks, and talked about countless books. But more than any of that, we’ve connected with so many wonderful bookish friends around the world. It has been my greatest pleasure.
In honor of our first trip around the sun, I wanted to share some of my The Stacks superlatives with all of you. While, I have loved every guest and every conversation, here are a handful that have stood out for me.
Whenever I ask listeners which episode they like most, the most common answer is Between the World and Me with Jay Connor. Jay is the creator and co-host of The Extraordinary Negroes podcast and hearing him discuss Ta-Nehisi Coates’ book is as engaging as it is revelatory. We talk race, parenting, and Coates’ skill as a writer in this fan favorite.
Some people can just talk about books and make the stories come to life, and Aja Gabel is one of those people. The author of The Ensemble came to talk with us about her reading life, and playing the cello, and having a PhD. Then she blew our minds in her thoughtful and insightful reflections of If You Leave Me by Crystal Hana Kim, and it was a dream. Aja is so smart and creative and her understanding of writing and story telling added a true depth to this conversation.
Becca Tobin is best known for her work on the LadyGang Podcast and playing Kitty Wilde on Glee, and while most people wouldn’t think that she’d even be on a book podcast, here she is talking about women in prison with us as we break down The Mars Room. Here at The Stacks, we like a surprise. Don’t worry she still brings her signature sass and sense of humor, which you can hear even more on her first episode where she talks about life in Hollywood.
Sometimes you just want to talk books with your gal pals, and this episdoe with Vella Lovell is just that. You may know Vella from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but I know her from our days acting in college, and we have blast talking theatre and Shakespeare. It is a great time.
I don’t like to brag, but it must be said, The Stacks was ahead of the curve when it came to Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos. We were talking about America’s favorite scammer back in August with author and journalist Nancy Rommelmann (To The Bridge). Not only did Nancy break down Bad Blood, the book all about the Theranos scandal, she also talks about her own experiences with serial killers and psychopaths. Both of Nancy’s episodes will excite the true crime lover in you. By the way, if you love Nancy, you should also check out our episode where we break down her book, To The Bridge with journalist Heather John Fogarty.
Our first guest for The Short Stacks was author Crystal Hana Kim, and holy cow is she a delightful human. She has the best energy and loves Earl Grey tea as much as I do. Plus, Crystal is a force on the page, her bookIf You Leave Me, is a stunner. The writing is gorgeous and flowing and leaves you gutted. After you listen tell me you don’t want to be BFFs with this badass author.
If there is one book I can not stop raving about, it is The Reckonings by Lacy M. Johnson. This collection of essays is powerful and creative and necessary and took my completely by surprise. In order to complete my life’s mission, to get this book in all of your hands, I invited Lacy on the show for one of our Short Stack episodes and she did not disappoint, she was as interesting and smart in conversation as she is on the page.
Tawny Newsome is the best. She is smart, funny, cool, gorgeous, and is the kind of person you just want to be around. Lucky for all of us, we got her on tape, and we can listen to her over and over (and we do). Tawny is a co-host of Yo, Is This Racist? podcast and an actress, and she talks with us about what its like to be the race police, her love of travel and appreciations for lady comedians. But the truth is what makes this episode is just Tawny being Tawny.
On her 24 hour stint in Los Angeles, we got to meet up with Renèe Hicks aka Book Girl Magic to talk books and it was, well, magical. Renèe shares her own, relatively recent, journey into reading and about her book club which centers the work of Black women authors. Then for The Stacks Book Club we talk about the great Toni Morrison’s debut, The Bluest Eye. Two truly special episodes with a truly special woman.
Actor and writer Wade Allain-Marcus joined the podcast to discuss perhaps our most challenging read, Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. Friday Black is collection of short stories that deal with race and class, gender and capitalism. The book is so smart and layered a ton of it went over my head, and that’s where Wade stepped in to give his insightful analysis. I don’t know what we would have done without him. He gave me, and many listeners a new understanding of Friday Black. It is also worth noting, author Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah joined us for The Short Stacks to share his own perspectives on this award winning and thought provoking book.
You can’t have a year anniversary if you never get started, and so this superlative goes to the first ever episode with our guest, and my friend, Dallas Lopez. Dallas, a high school English teacher, joined the show before I ever knew what the show was, and helped shape The Stacks. I would be lost without his ability to talk about books.
I would love to hear what books or episodes stick out for you. Share in the comments below. This list is making me want to go back and listen to every single episode of the podcast. Thank you again and again for being a part of this show and this community. Without all of you, there is no The Stacks.
To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/thestacks). We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of The Stacks.
The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. This in no way effects opinions on books and products reviewed here. For more information click here.
Instead of giving you a round up of the “best books” of 2018, I’ve reached out to past guests from the podcast and asked them to share their favorite reads in 2018. I loved talking to this diverse group of humans about reading, hearing their unique perspectives on books and their power to change, inspire, excite, and frustrate, so I decided I’d ask them for more! Each guest shared with me, in their own words, their favorite book they read in 2018 and one book they hope to get to in 2019.
Thank you all for listening to the show, and thank you again to this group of amazing humans for sharing their reading life with all of us.
Traci
Alessandra Montalto/The New York Times
Dallas Lopez Teacher and Law Student
Moving to Oakland and identifying as an Urban Indian, I was enthralled by the complexity of Tommy Orange’s There There and how he wove in the stories of multiple characters who all converge into one powerful yet, ironic ending. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi
Zora Neal Hurston’s Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo moved me in a profound way. The Atlantic Slave Trade looms large in US history and yet it often feels as if we know very little about it. This of course is not true as there are many, many studies and stories written about the Middle Passage and the experience of slavery once captives reached the Americas. What is largely absent from the literature on US slavery, however, are the personal stories of those who lived it. Barracoon gifts us a deeply human glimpse of what enslavement meant for one man. In the telling of this story, I was struck by the interactions between Hurston and Kossola. I couldn’t help but wonder what the experience of interviewing Kossola meant for Hurston, and what that can tell us about how the legacy of slavery continues to ramify across generations. Book(s) I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective edited by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor and As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
My favorite book I read in 2018 was Mystery in Harare by Dr. M. J. Simms-Maddox. Not only was I trilled to read my grandmother’s second novel within her trilogy, but I also enjoyed learning aspects about Apartheid amidst a page-turning thriller. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:Gone So Long by Andre Dubus III
My favorite read of 2018 was Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. Friday Black , is a short story collection that must be read to be believed. He creates totally surreal universes that are more real than real life. This is the kind of book that made me breathless in the first few pages; that gave me that totally rare and specific feeling of knowing you’re reading something for the first time that you’ll carry with you forever. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:East of Eden by John Steinbeck
I think my favorite book I read this year was An American Marriage by Tayari Jones. It is the story of a young black couple whose marriage is interrupted in its first year by the young man being falsely accused of rape and imprisoned. It is a harsh, tender, unpredictable story about relationships, the inevitability of change, being black in America, the prison system, and love. Jones is incredibly skilled at left turns, and it is one of those books that completely drew me in. I can’t wait to read whatever she writes next. Book(s) I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:Swing Time by Zadie Smith and On Beautyby Zadie Smith
My favorite read of 2018 was The Cannabis Manifesto by Steve DeAngelo. It is to the industry, what the documentary 13th is to incarceration. It’s an intelligent read and great knowledge base for a debate that will only consume more of the country with time. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
One of my favorite reads of 2018 was The Hours by Michael Cunningham. He seamlessly weaved the stories of three women living in different places at different times so effortlessly. The writing was beautiful and eloquent with richly drawn characters. This book had such a profound effect on me. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh
The book I enjoyed the most this year was Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History by Vashti Harrison. I read it with my girls and it was fun to learn along with them. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:Becoming by Michelle Obama
My favorite read of 2018 was Kiese Laymon’s Heavy. It’s one of the most emotional journeys I’ve ever experienced while reading a memoir. From it’s deconstruction and examination of the black male body’s place in America to it’s fascination with discovering truth, it’s an exceptional read. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Blacker by Damon Young
Favorite book I read this year, Truly, Madly, Guilty by Liane Moriarty. I absolutely loved this read! Moriarty is the same author of another one of my favorite books, (and TV show) Big Little Lies. Her writing is fantastic and this is a very juicy read!!! Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:The Sound of Gravelby Ruth Wariner
I usually HATE short story collections. I feel like they’re usually just a big MFA masturbation, but I still think about every single story in Florida by Lauren Groff. I couldn’t wait to get to the next one and I have gifted it to at least 15 people. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:Becoming by Michelle Obama
My favorite read of 2018 was The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge by M.T. Anderson and Eugene Yelchin. It’s a (light) fantasy romp with elves and goblins, diplomats and spies. Part graphic novel, part prose, Brangwain plays with point of view in a way that challenges perceptions of politics, friendship, and diplomacy. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:Real Queer America: LGBT Stories from Red States by Samantha Allen
My favorite book of 2018 — which I had the delight of discussing with Traci on The Stacks! — was Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup, by John Carreyrou. It’s a masterful portrait of a charming sociopath/narcissist/whatever you want to call Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of the “is there really anything here but hype?” blood-testing company Theranos. A friend recently told me that Carreyrou is his neighbor so you might be in for some real-life fan-girling from me in 2019. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:Panic Attack: Young Radicals in the Age of Trump by Robby Soave
It’s been years since I’ve read a novel as beautifully written as The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner, which centers around a woman incarcerated in a California prison. It’s as bleak as it is beautiful, offering grittier snap shots of San Francisco and Los Angeles while also exploring the women’s prison system. I found myself rereading paragraphs just because the writing was so incredible. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:The Source of Self-Regard by Toni Morrison
My favorite read of 2018 was Eloquent Rage: A Black Feminist Discovers Her Superpower by Brittney Cooper. It is such an empowering book for black women (and probably all women) to read. Cooper reminds us that being angry isn’t necessarily a bad thing, that we should never settle for less than we deserve and that our “rage” is our superpower. OWN IT! Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory
My favorite read of 2018 was Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado. This collection of surreal feminist stories is the Joy Williams/George Saunders mashup of your dreams. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:Exhalation by Ted Chiang
Men We Reapedby Jesmyn Ward is a haunting memoir that has stuck with me throughout the year. Ward’s account of life in rural Mississippi set against the backdrop of the deaths of five young Black men in her life who died over four consecutive years. Ward’s writing is fantastic, and her story is as devastating as it is empowering, and what it all says about Black life in America is powerful beyond measure. A Black Lives Matter memoir, before we had the hashtag. Book I’m looking forward to reading in 2019:How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.
The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website, and this comes at no cost to you. Shopping through these links helps support the show, but does not effect my opinions on books and products. For more information click here
Reading The Bluest Eyefor The Stacks Book Club was my first time ever reading the work of Toni Morrison. I knew it would be great, simply because so many people told me so, but getting a chance to read her words for myself, I now understand. You can listen to my conversation with Renée Hicks (founder of Book Girl Magic) about The Bluest Eye right here on The Stacks.
Pecola Breedlove, a young black girl, prays every day for beauty. Mocked by other children for the dark skin, curly hair, and brown eyes that set her apart, she yearns for normalcy, for the blond hair and blue eyes that she believes will allow her to finally fit in.Yet as her dream grows more fervent, her life slowly starts to disintegrate in the face of adversity and strife. A powerful examination of our obsession with beauty and conformity, Toni Morrison’s virtuosic first novel asks powerful questions about race, class, and gender with the subtlety and grace that have always characterized her writing.
Morrison does an expert job of writing about the darkest parts of our humanity. The book is haunting. Her characters are real and simple and purely themselves, for better or worse. She uses her words to make sure we never look away, that we examine the humanity of these characters. She finds our own vulnerabilities and uses them, forcing the reader to confront pain and trauma in a three dimensional way. To extend our sympathy to the abusers and the abused. Even when it feels impossible.
As we follow the life of our protagonist, a young dark-skinned Black girl named Pecola Breedlove, we see the world she sees, and we flashback to how her 1940s Ohio world was created. Morrison is brilliant in setting the scene as we think it should be, and then showing how it really is, how we got here, and why it is more complicated than we could have imagined.
The Bluest Eye takes on much that ails our society. The book confronts racism, colorism, beauty, sexism, sexuality, sexual abuse, trauma, rage, toxic masculinity, and more. Instead of looking at each idea as an isolated problem, she folds everything together and dares us to unpack the mess. To see that none of these isms or societal failures works on its own, but rather that they are entangled. While the story itself is painful and bleak, Morrison’s writing makes it palatable, something her readers are willing to stick with and sift through.
I could have read more of this book, but Morrison says what she needs to say in about 200 pages. She is specific and direct. There is no extra fluff. She doesn’t give us time to wallow. That directness enhances the book. She shows us the evils of humanity, the tender moments of kindness and never allows one to take on more weight than the other. Never allows us to pick sides. We just have to keep moving forward.
This is Morrison’s first novel, she wrote it at age 39, which is hard to believe, but then again seems right. This book is a force of a debut and while I did sometimes find myself confused, especially during the ending, I was engrossed with her language and her characters. You can feel that there is room for growth in The Bluest Eye, which says more about Morrison’s potential to be one of the greats than anything else. For many authors, this would be their top, this would be the best they could do. I look forward to reading more Toni Morrison, and I am so glad I finally got started reading her at all.
To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.
The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website. Shopping through these links helps support the show, but does not effect my opinions on books and products. For more information click here.
The Bluest Eyeis the first novel of Nobel Laureate, Toni Morrison, it is also The Stacks Book Club pick this week. We dissect this American classic and discuss its many themes including race, beauty, love and abuse with Renée Hicks, founder of Book Girl Magic. Our conversation covers the entire book, which means there are a lot of spoilers. Go read the book and then come back and listen.
You can find everything we talk about this week in the show notes below. By shopping through the links you help support The Stacks, at no cost to you. Shop on Amazon and iTunes.
To contribute to The Stacks, join The Stacks Pack, and get exclusive perks, check out our Patreon page. We are beyond grateful for anything you’re able to give to support the production of this show. If you prefer to do a one time contribution go to paypal.me/thestackspod.
My Mentor Book Club – for 50% off your first month of new nonfiction from My Mentor Book Club go to mymentorbookclub.com/thestacks
The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website. Shopping through these links helps support the show, but does not effect my opinions on books and products. For more information click here.
This week on the podcast, our guest is Renée Hicks, founder of Book Girl Magic, an online book club that centers books by and about Black women. Renée shares with us her journey into reading, how her reading has inspired the reading life of her children, and her love of romance novels, one in particular.
You can find everything we talk about this week in the show notes below. By shopping through the links you help support The Stacks, at no cost to you. Shop on Amazon and iTunes.
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My Mentor Book Club – for 50% off your first month of new nonfiction from My Mentor Book Club go to mymentorbookclub.com/thestacks
The Stacks participates in affiliate programs. We receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on this website. Shopping through these links helps support the show, but does not effect my opinions on books and products. For more information click here.
I am thrilled to announce the two books we will be reading in November as part of The Stacks Book Club. Both books are written by women, and tell the stories of women. While their subjects are wildly different, the books both discuss family, abuse, and identity.
The first book we’re reading in November is To The Bridge by Nancy Rommelmann. To The Bridgetells the true story of Amanda Stott-Smith, a mother who dropped her two young children off a bridge in Portland, OR. Through investigative journalism, the book tries to answer the questions of why and how something like this could happen. We will read and discuss To The Bridge on November 7th.
Then on November 21st, we will discuss an American classic, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison. In Morrison’s first novel, we examine our obsessions with beauty and conformity through the eyes of a young Black girl, Pecola Breedlove. The Bluest Eyeasks powerful questions about race, gender, and class, and is a testament to Morrison’s artful skill as one of America’s greatest writers.
As with all our TSBC books, we want to hear from you. If you’re reading along, send over your thoughts or questions so we can have the conversations you want to hear. You can email us at thestackswithtraci@gmail.com, comment on this post, or reach out to us through our Instagram @thestackspod.
Order your copies of our November books on Amazon:
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The Stacks received To The Bridge free from the publisher. For more information on our commitment to honesty and transparency click here.
The Stacks participates in affiliate programs in which we receive a small commission when products are purchased through some links on this website. This does not effect opinions on books and products. For more information click here.
This week on the podcast, our guest is Renée Hicks, founder of 
I am thrilled to announce the two books we will be reading in November as part of The Stacks Book Club. Both books are written by women, and tell the stories of women. While their subjects are wildly different, the books both discuss family, abuse, and identity.