Podcast Summary: The Stacks – Unabridged: Meet The Stacks Team

Host: Traci Thomas
Date: November 21, 2025

Main Theme / Purpose

In this bonus “Unabridged” episode, host Traci Thomas pulls back the curtain to introduce listeners to the behind-the-scenes team that makes The Stacks podcast possible. Traci sits down with each of her three team members: assistant Sahara Clement, jack-of-all-trades Cherie Marquez, and editor Christian Duenas. The conversation focuses on their roles, their backgrounds, the inner workings of the podcast, and, of course, their connections to books and reading. This episode is both a celebration of teamwork and a candid look at the labor and love that keeps The Stacks thriving.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet the Team: Focus on Sahara Clement

(00:00–11:21)

• Introduction: Traci introduces the concept for this special episode and the team members who keep The Stacks running.

  • "I am talking to the three people who make up the team here at the Stacks who are not named Tracy Thomas." (00:33, Traci)

• Team Structure: Sahara is the first guest, described as the “brand new assistant” and a Philadelphia native.

  • “I've just been calling myself like editorial assistant. Executive assistant?” (02:18, Sahara)

• How Sahara Joined: Traci and Sahara recount how Sahara was referred to the show by author Trey Johnson.

  • "He was like, I know just the person. And he did know just the person because it was literally you." (03:59, Traci)

• Sahara’s Background: Former book editor, worked on a book of essays about Black Panther and edited the graphic novel Wash Day Diaries—a recognized favorite among listeners.

  • “It's like my. One of my favorite things I've ever edited. It was so good.” (06:00, Sahara)

• Challenges in Publishing: Sahara honestly discusses the difficulties of being a person of color in a predominantly white publishing industry and the shortcomings of 2020’s diversity promises.

  • “It's difficult for a person of color to be in that industry... I found it hard to stay genuine to my goal as an editor, but also operate within a system that I didn't feel like was designed to support us.” (05:00, Sahara)

• Her Day Job(s): Sahara splits her time as a copy editor for fashion and beauty digital publications and her work for The Stacks.

2. What Does an Assistant Do at The Stacks?

(06:25–10:58)

• Weekly Workflow: Ensuring episodes are uploaded is “the biggest thing everyone's responsible for.”

  • “The meat and potatoes of The Stacks is, believe it or not, a podcast.” (06:40, Traci)

• Show Notes and Admin: Sahara decodes and formats show notes, writes episode descriptions, updates the website, manages the Bookshop page, and maintains the Substack newsletter.

  • “You upload the episodes, but you also do all the show notes. You link all the show?” (06:58, Traci)

• Episode Descriptions: Sahara describes the creative process for writing episode descriptions, often pretending to have read the books discussed.

  • "Even though...I haven't read, like, any of the books that...you've talked about, it's kind of fun to pretend I have." (08:10, Sahara)

• Process Coordination: Detailed overview of the workflow from recording to editing to final publishing.

  • “I get on the thing. We record the episode. I upload it to a Dropbox, Christian...edits everything...I listen through the full episode edit, and I give Christian notes...I send it over to Zahara, and I say, do your best.” (08:23, Traci)

3. The Joys and Challenges of the Job

(09:18–11:21)

• Deciphering Traci’s Notes: Sahara shares her sometimes detective-like role in decoding Traci’s sometimes cryptic notes for book titles.

  • “My favorite was when you said, like, that one book by that one lady. And I was like, I. I'm trying so hard. Can't figure this out.” (09:37, Sahara)

• Satisfaction and First-Look Perks: Sahara enjoys being among the first to review the episode transcripts, even though the process is time-consuming.

  • “Honestly, it takes a while. But it's also kind of fun because I feel like I'm getting, like, a first look at the episode.” (10:58, Sahara)

• Making it All Happen: Sahara outlines the last steps—linking everything, scheduling, and making sure distribution happens smoothly.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Team Titles:

  • “I've just been calling myself like editorial assistant. Executive assistant?” (02:18, Sahara)
  • “Does that make me an executive?” (02:29, Traci)
  • “Yeah, you're an exec.” (02:31, Sahara)

• On Industry Challenges:

  • “It's difficult for a person of color to be in that industry...I found it hard to stay genuine to my goal as an editor, but also operate within a system that I didn't feel like was designed to support us.” (05:00, Sahara)

• On Editing Fun:

  • “Even though...I haven't read, like, any of the books that...you've talked about, it's kind of fun to pretend I have.” (08:10, Sahara)

• On Deciphering Notes:

  • “That one book by that one lady. And I was like, I. I'm trying so hard. Can't figure this out.” (09:37, Sahara)

• On the Privilege of Teamwork:

  • “Having help is such a privilege and such an honor and such a joy for me. But also I forget that, like, you have to decipher my nonsense.” (10:15, Traci)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Traci opens the episode, sets up the team interviews | | 02:18 | Sahara introduces herself and her ambiguous job title | | 03:05 | Story of how Sahara was referred to The Stacks | | 05:00 | Sahara on challenges in the publishing industry | | 06:00 | Discussion of Wash Day Diaries as an editing highlight | | 06:25 | Sahara’s current job and duties at The Stacks | | 08:10 | Writing episode descriptions—improvising when needed | | 08:23 | Traci breaks down the show’s episode production workflow | | 09:37 | Memorable “that one book by that one lady” moment | | 10:58 | Sahara describes the fun and logistics of her role | | 11:21 | End of preview, call to subscribe for full episode |

Tone & Style

The episode maintains Traci’s characteristic warmth and humor, blending behind-the-scenes candor with appreciation for her team’s personalities and professionalism. The conversation is informal and lively, peppered with laughter and inside jokes—creating an inviting, relatable atmosphere, especially for long-time listeners.

Summary Conclusion

This Unabridged episode offers listeners an engaging deep dive into the real people and collaborative processes that make The Stacks possible. Through personal stories, candid reflections about work and industry challenges, and a generous helping of team camaraderie, Traci and Sahara demystify podcast production while reaffirming the value of community and shared creative labor. To hear more from the rest of the team—including Cherie Marquez and Christian Duenas—listeners are encouraged to subscribe for access to the full conversation and all bonus episodes.