The Stacks Podcast
Unabridged: A Conversation Between Friends
Guests: Jason Reynolds & Hanif Abdurraqib
Host: Traci Thomas
Date: September 19, 2025
Episode Overview
This special Unabridged episode, recorded live at the Mississippi Book Festival, features acclaimed authors Jason Reynolds and Hanif Abdurraqib in conversation with host Traci Thomas. Titled “A Conversation Between Friends,” the panel is just that—an intimate, playful, and insightful exploration of the authors’ recent and upcoming works, their creative journeys, the experience of returning to earlier projects, and how their own favorites line up (or don’t) with reader favorites. The conversation is rich with authenticity, self-reflection, humor, cultural touchstones, and the unique perspective you get only when close friends talk shop.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Revisiting Earlier Work
[04:31 – 09:50]
- Why Jason and Hanif Are “Going Back”:
- Both authors’ next books are returns to previous territory: Reynolds with “Coach,” a new addition to his Track series, and Abdurraqib with a new book of poems.
- Jason Reynolds shares his initial hesitancy about returning to the Track series:
- He felt pressure from fans and teachers for “Coach’s” story.
- The main challenge: writing about Coach’s past means the beloved kids from the original series aren’t present.
- “If I write Coach’s story, then all the characters that you’ve come to love won’t exist because they weren’t alive when Coach was a kid.” (Jason, 04:43)
- Navigating a historical setting for young readers is tricky—balancing relevant pop culture references and significant social context (like the crack epidemic in 1988).
- Ultimately, he felt the story “germinating” and decided he wanted to do it, despite hesitation.
- “At some point, all that matters is I like it… But it really was a struggle for me to make that decision.” (Jason, 06:21)
- Hanif Abdurraqib discusses his return to poetry after “Fortune for Your Disaster”:
- He’s never stopped writing poems, and poetry infuses all his work, even nonfiction.
- His new poems wrestle with difficult personal history—surviving while losing many friends young.
- The new book is more deeply challenging than “Fortune for Your Disaster,” which he describes as “run of the mill breakup book—maybe not run of the mill, because most divorce books by men are kind of punishing… I was trying to be a little more introspective.” (Hanif, 08:24)
- The challenge now is finding “bewilderment and joy” in survival:
“It’s a much harder book to reckon with. But I’m having an incredible time. It’s going to be bizarre when the poems trickle into the world because people will be like, ‘these are so, so sad.’ But I’m having the time of my life writing them… it’s weird that I’m still here, but isn’t it kind of great?” (Hanif, 09:37)
On Favorite Works (of Their Own)
[09:50 – 12:30]
- Do authors have a favorite among their work—and do they share it?
- Many authors find their own favorites aren’t the crowd favorites.
- Jason Reynolds:
- His favorites: “Boy in the Black Suit” and “As Brave As You”—the “quiet novels” that made the least noise.
- “I think they’re the best written… and most special to me than all those books.” (Jason, 10:44)
- Hanif Abdurraqib:
- Public favorite: “Go Ahead in the Rain” (also Jason’s favorite of Hanif’s).
- Hanif’s favorite is his recent, more personal memoir:
“There’s Always This Year. Only because I didn’t know how to write it until I wrote it.” - Insight into editorial collaboration: his editor Maya Millette played a crucial role in shaping that book, especially shifting its structure for greater reader impact.
- “You wrote a very hard book… Let’s make it good. There’s a difference between writing a challenging book and writing a good book.” (Hanif quoting Maya, 11:42)
- Hanif describes the joy of “bridging” from a book for himself to a book for everyone.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
“If I write Coach’s story, then all the characters that you’ve come to love won’t exist because they weren’t alive when Coach was a kid… Sometimes this goes well, and sometimes [kids] are like, ‘We don’t care what happened in the past!’”
– Jason Reynolds [04:45]
“The poem is putting a filter of beautiful language over what some would consider the mundane. And so that’s kind of always been the project of the work.”
– Hanif Abdurraqib [07:51]
“So much of my avoidance of the poem, making a book of poems, was like, I know what it’s like to make the kind of book of poems I want to make. And I don’t know if I can do it. Like I don’t know if I can actually emotionally do it.”
– Hanif Abdurraqib [08:14]
“I like it. Which at some point, is all that matters. Right?”
– Jason Reynolds [06:21]
“Most divorce books by men are kind of, you know, they’re kind of punishing… [mine’s] trying to be a little bit more introspective.”
– Hanif Abdurraqib [08:28]
“I think they’re the best written and most special to me than all those books.”
– Jason Reynolds on his “quiet novels” [10:44]
“There’s a difference between writing a challenging book and writing a good book. And I didn’t know that before.”
– Hanif Abdurraqib (quoting his editor, Maya Millette) [11:42]
“The bridge between the book for me and the book for everyone was a really fun one to cross.”
– Hanif Abdurraqib [12:20]
Noteworthy Timestamps
- 03:34 — Traci sets up the conversation: starting with books, then shifting to the “friend stuff.”
- 04:31 – 06:28 — Jason unpacks the creative and market pressures in revisiting the Track series.
- 06:35 – 09:50 — Hanif explores his poetic continuity and new personal themes.
- 09:50 – 12:30 — Reflections on favorite works and how public taste aligns (or doesn’t) with artistic pride.
- 06:21 / 08:14 / 10:44 — Standout moments where authors articulate the heart of their creative drive and vulnerability.
Tone & Energy
The conversation is easy, warm, and marked by gentle teasing, candid admissions, and the kind of insightful shop-talk that only happens among friends. The tone flips effortlessly between deep reflection and playful banter, making the episode both intellectually rich and emotionally accessible.
Summary
In this episode, listeners are invited into a rare space: acclaimed writers sharing not just about their latest projects, but about the real, sometimes messy, always meaningful reasons behind why (and how) they make art. The discussion is equal parts literary shop talk and soul-searching, offering inspiration and solidarity for anyone curious about the creative process—from fans to fellow writers.
[For the full conversation, listeners are directed to The Stacks Patreon or Substack.]