We're thrilled to welcome back Traci Thomas, host of The Stacks Podcast, for a thought-provoking discussion on one of Shakespeare's darkest comedies, Measure for Measure. In this conversation, we'll dive deep into the play's timeless themes including punishment, gender, power, and politics. We discuss how these themes continue to resonate with modern audiences, revealing the parallels between the play and our contemporary world. We also talk about how Shakespeare masterfully uses this satire in this work, even when satire doesn't necessarily equate to laugh-out-loud humor. Listen to the end for Traci’s book recommendations, including Shakespeare pairings and a soon-to-be-released title.  Connect with Traci: The Stacks Podcast  Unstacked  Instagram: @thestackspod    Join our community! Patreon Substack Instagram: @novelpairingspod   Books Mentioned: Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare The Great White Bard: How to Love Shakespeare While Talking About Race by Farah Karim-Cooper Blackface (Object Lessons) by Ayanna Thompson New People by Danzy Senna Color Television by Danzy Senna Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu Erasure by Percival Everett Severance by Ling Ma Victim by Andrew Boryga Love’s Labor Lost by William Shakespeare All’s Well That Ends Well by William Shakespeare Othello by William Shakespeare Richard III by William Shakespeare Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare   Also Mentioned: Ask a Shakespeare Professor  Macbeth The Stacks episode on Romeo and Juliet