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The Stacks

Ep. 211 A Radical Shift with Julie Otsuka

The Stacks

Traci Thomas

Literature, Society & Culture, Books, Arts

4.81.8K Ratings

🗓️ 20 April 2022

⏱️ 58 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today we're speaking with Julie Otsuka, whose nationally-bestselling novel The Swimmers explores what happens to a group of obsessed recreational swimmers when a crack appears at the bottom of their local pool. Our conversation covers the art of crafting sentences and finding the right voice. We also discuss the joy of writing in cafes, and the element of surprise.

There are no spoilers on this episode.


You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks' Website: https://thestackspodcast.com/2022/04/20/ep-211-julie-otsuka


The Stacks Book Club selection for April is Doppelgangbanger by Cortney Lamar Charleston. We will discuss the book on April 27th with Nate Marshall.


Connect with Julie: Website

Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Twitter | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Subscribe


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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.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

All right, the live in the stack store is on its last leg literally. We only have one show left

0:08.5

Join me in Los Angeles on Wednesday, October 18th with three of my favorite ever podcast guests and friends of this show

0:16.2

We are gonna be joined by Rachel Lindsey. Yes, that Rachel Lindsey the first black bachelor at also

0:22.2

She is an author a podcaster a TV host and a wonderful human being

0:26.4

We're gonna be joined by Sam Sanders podcast host journalist and I think arguably the cultural critic of our time and

0:33.7

The wonderful hilarious and super duper smart Chelsea Devantes who is an any nominated TV writer, comedian director and of course the host of

0:42.6

Glamrs trash formerly known as the celebrity book club podcast

0:46.6

We are going to have a blast bringing this tour to a close and not to mention that our friends from reparations book club

0:52.6

One of my favorite bookstores here in L.A. is curating a pop-up bookshop of our dreams

0:57.7

It's not too late to get your tickets head to the stacks podcast dot com slash tour before they sell out

1:14.7

Welcome to the stacks a podcast about books and the people who read them

1:17.8

I'm your host Tracy Thomas, and today we are joined by Julie Otsuka author of when the emperor was divine the Buddha in the attic and

1:26.1

The swimmers which is her newest novel about a group of obsessed recreational swimmers

1:30.8

And what happens to them when a crack appears at the bottom of their local indoor pool

1:35.9

This book is easily one of the best novels I have read since starting the stacks in 2018

1:42.4

Julie and I are so careful today not to spoil any part of this book

1:46.7

I hope you'll enjoy this conversation on craft artistic medium and the pleasure and community

1:52.3

Then I hope you'll go and buy yourself a copy of the swimmers you deserve it

1:57.4

Remember this is national poetry month the stacks book club pick for April is doppelganger by Courtney Lamar Charleston

2:04.2

Which we will discuss on Wednesday April 27th with Nate Marshall and a quick reminder every single thing we talk about on this episode in every episode of the

2:12.0

stacks can be found in the link in the show notes if you love the stacks and want more of it

2:17.6

Please consider joining the stacks pack our exclusive community for all you book lovers out there

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