The Stacks – Ep. 388: A Community in Book Form with Maggie Smith and Saeed Jones

Host: Traci Thomas
Guests: Maggie Smith & Saeed Jones
Date: September 10, 2025
Main Topic: The Story and Impact of The People's Project: Poems, Essays and Art for Looking Forward

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Traci Thomas is joined by acclaimed writers Maggie Smith and Saeed Jones to discuss their new anthology, The People’s Project, which gathers the work of 27 writers, poets, and artists in response to America’s current sociopolitical moment and the need for collective wisdom and hope. The conversation dives into the book's genesis, editorial philosophy, and the idea of books as a form of community and resistance. The trio also share personal anecdotes, muse on surprise, hope, and disappointment in the face of political turmoil, and hand out some playful “superlatives” to contributions in the anthology.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Genesis of The People's Project

(05:00–07:28)

• The anthology grew organically from ongoing, increasingly earnest conversations between Maggie and Saeed during the turbulent 2024 election and its aftermath.
• Their editor, Jenny Xiu, noticed these conversations and suggested there was a broader book in their exchanges.
• Quote (Maggie Smith, 05:01):
  “The book really came about organically as a series of conversations via phone, text, and voice memo that Saeed and I were having... really just trying to sort out, okay, so what now? How do we move forward through this time and what do we do?”

Building a “Community in Book Form”

(08:03–09:32)

• The editors reached out to writers and artists they personally confide in or admire, using prompts focused on collective wisdom and looking generations ahead, not just addressing the political crisis of the moment.
• Many contributors were friends or within their extended circles—occasionally brought in by their editor.
• Quote (Saeed Jones, 08:03):
  “We call it a community in book form...We sent them some prompts when we realized we wanted to do this book...Let’s think the next 50 years. And so we asked writers, ‘What is some wisdom that you’re drawing from?’”

Editorial Philosophy—Depth over Timeliness

(13:23–15:58, 17:07–19:51)

• The hosts acknowledge skepticism around anthologies that seem “timely” but shallow; The People’s Project strives for work that’s resonant both now and decades ahead.
• Their editorial control was less about content and more about carefully selecting contributors known for depth and insight.
• Quote (Maggie Smith, 18:18):
  “We trusted the contributors...There’s no way that any of those people would have given us something that we couldn’t use.”

Serendipity and Prescience in the Contributions

(21:54–26:05)

• Some topics (e.g., “know your place aggression") seemed prescient, arriving just before real-life headlines—demonstrating how grounded contributors were in historical and lived truths.
• Quote (Saeed Jones, 22:36):
  “I just remembered that, you know, I call it, like, lovingly bullying people...But at the time...I just have these memories of walking back and forth...and the texts and the voice memos started getting more and more earnest.”

Avoiding Cliché and Shallow “Resistance”

(27:00–28:36)

• Deliberately avoided the language of “resistance” often used in hasty political art post-2016, aiming instead for soulfulness and continuity with historical struggles.
• Quote (Saeed Jones, 27:03):
  “This was like, what is... We’re helping people look forward.”

On Surprise, Disappointment, and Hope

(33:43–41:38)

• The group explores society’s aversion to expressing surprise or horror at injustices—as if to admit shock is naïve.
• Saeed calls out the posture of “I don’t know why you’re surprised” as an Internet performance, not how friends would genuinely respond to one another’s fears.
• Quote (Saeed Jones, 35:32):
  “I find that ‘I don’t know why you’re surprised’ response...is a specifically Internet posture because it’s people who aren’t in dialogue. They’re performing.”
• They agree true horror and disappointment stem from holding hope and expectations.
• Maggie:
  “Hope is vulnerable, right? Like once you get your—don’t get your hopes up, right? Because what happens if you get your hopes up? Then you just get completely obliterated if you’re disappointed... This idea that you just live with a very low baseline expectation...is no way to live.” (41:38)

Practices for Maintaining Optimism

(41:38–47:22)

• Teaching, creating art, and spending time with young people are cited as antidotes to cynicism.
• Stepping out of isolation and into acts of service or community ground them in purpose and hope.
• Quote (Saeed Jones, 42:26): "I knew I liked teaching, but I think I really underestimated how much it grounds me in reality."

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Building Community in an Anxious Era (Maggie Smith, 09:58):
  “Whose voices do we need to hear from right now? Who else would I love to have on a group chat just to tell me something that’s going to make today or this week or the next 30 minutes slightly more bearable?”

• On Editorial Trust (Maggie Smith, 18:16):
  “We trusted the contributors...Even just coming up with the Google doc with the list of people we wanted to hear from—I kind of felt like, well, it can’t be bad because these are amazing writers.”

• On Teaching as Antidote to Cynicism (Saeed Jones, 42:26):
  “It is so—I think that’s the same reason Maggie and I are writers...helping people, it gets you out of your head.”

• On The Book’s Place in the Classroom (Traci Thomas, 47:22):
  “I have a lot of teachers who listen...I do feel like this is something that should be in schools—maybe not taught, but just, like, play with this all year.”

Fun Segment: Superlatives for the Anthology

(49:16–55:31)

• Most Tear Jerking: Alexander Chee’s essay
  • “I keep meaning to print out the end of that essay and put it above my desk.” — Saeed Jones (49:24)
• Most Surprising: Marlon James’s piece (for its focus on clothes and emotional depth), Sam Sax’s poem (for inventiveness of form)
• Most Likely to Return To: Eula Biss’s “the Fast One” (Maggie Smith), Jason Brian Silverstein’s essay on healthcare (Saeed Jones)
• Wish List Contributor: Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson (who, for ethical reasons, declined); Tressie McMillan Cottom (“always the voice I am turning to” — Traci, 57:47); Arundhati Roy (Saeed Jones, 59:09)

Closing Reflections

• The book is praised as both timely and enduring, offering wisdom, empathy, and community for those struggling in difficult times.
• Both guests reflect on their intentions: not to create a work of fleeting #resistance, but an anthology grounded in history, personal truth, and a vision for the future.

Key Timestamps

• Book Origin & Editorial Approach: 05:00–09:32
• On Trusting Contributors & Editorial Philosophy: 13:23–19:51
• Prescience & Relevance of the Book: 21:54–26:05
• Avoiding Topical Cliché: 27:00–28:36
• Surprise, Hope, and Disappointment: 33:43–41:38
• Antidotes to Cynicism: 41:38–47:22
• Superlatives for the Book’s Pieces: 49:16–55:31
• Dream Contributors: 56:51–59:49

Recommended For

• Anyone interested in the intersection of literature, activism, and cultural critique.
• Educators, librarians, and community builders seeking to foster meaningful dialogue.
• Readers drawn to anthologies and voices that blend the personal with the political.

Final Thought

The People’s Project is praised as a “community in book form”—a portable chorus of wisdom for navigating present and future challenges, built on trust, hope, care, and fierce commitment to looking forward together.

Episode Link & More:
For more information and book club picks, visit thestackspodcast.com