Poured Over

Latest Episodes:

John Gwynne on THE WOLVES OF WAR Nov 10, 2026

Show notes

Known for his sweeping epic fantasy, John Gwynne returns with The Wolves of War, a new tale in which the future of the Clans hangs in the balance, and only one girl's powers can save them, even while she sleeps. John joins us to talk about his research process, Slavic mythology, and his heroic daughter Harriett with cohost Jenna Seery.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang.

New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.

Featured Books & Authors:

The Wolves of War by John Gwynne

The Bloodsworn Saga by John Gwynne

The Faithful and The Fallen Series by John Gwynne

Of Blood and Bone Series by John Gwynne

Iron Gold by Pierce Brown

The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Devils by Joe Abercrombie

The Poetic Edda

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Salem's Lot by Stephen King

Legend by David Gemmell

The Sword in the Storm by David Gemmell

Shogun by Robert Clavell

Robin Hobb

Dreaming the Eagle by Manda Scott

The Warlord Chronicles by Bernard Cornwell

John U. Bacon on THE GALES OF NOVEMBER Nov 07, 2026

Show notes

The Gales of November by John U. Bacon tells the harrowing true story of the "Mighty Fitz," a 729-foot-long ship that perished in November 1975, and the lasting impact of the tragic maritime disaster. John joins us to talk about his research, the history of the Great Lakes, Gordon Lightfoot, and more with cohost Christine Ruhe.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Christine Ruhe and mixed by Harry Liang.

New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.

Featured Books:

The Gales of November by John U. Bacon

Let Them Lead by John U. Bacon

The Great Halifax Explosion by John U. Bacon

The Perfect Storm by Sebastian Junger

The Death and Life of the Great Lakes by Dan Egan

The Wager by David Grann

The Wide, Wide Sea by Hampton Sides

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Robert Kolker on THE VANISHING FAMILY Nov 05, 2026

Show notes

Expertly researched and intimately narrated, The Vanishing Family by Robert Kolker is the harrowing and hopeful account of one family's experience with a terrifying genetic illness. Robert joins us to talk about memory, personality, agency, illness, and resilience with host Miwa Messer.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.

New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.

Featured Books & Writers:

The Vanishing Family by Robert Kolker

Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker

Lost Girls by Robert Kolker

The Right Stuff by Tom Wolfe

Nick Cohn

Joan Didion

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo

Moneyball by Michael Lewis

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

The Fifties by David Halberstam

Ariel Lawhon on THE PIRATE QUEEN Nov 03, 2026

Show notes

The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon follows the headstrong Grace O'Malley, a young woman who defies her family's expectations by becoming a sea captain with her own mighty fleet of ships. As she sails, she learns to defend her land, her people and herself. Ariel joins us to talk about the craft of historical fiction, defying genre, and Irish folklore with cohost Brenda Allison.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Brenda Allison and mixed by Harry Liang.

New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.

Featured Books & Authors:

The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon

Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls

Code Name Helene by Ariel Lawhon

Lisa Gardner

I Was Anastasia by Ariel Lawhon

The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress by Ariel Lawhon

Flight of Dreams by Ariel Lawhon

Madeline L'Engle

Emily St. John Mandel on EXIT PARTY Oct 31, 2026

Show notes

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel begins in future America, where society is crumbling, and a bewildering mystery unravels after a man vanishes during a house party. Emily joined us live in Philadelphia to talk about the craft of fiction, hinge moments, world-building, transience, and quantum entanglement with host Miwa Messer.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.

New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.

Featured Books & Authors:

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Zone One by Colson Whitehead

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Sebastian Junger

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu

Nathaniel Philbrick on THE RUSH: CALIFORNIA GOLD, THE CIVIL WAR, AND THE MAKING OF THE MODERN WORLD Oct 29, 2026

Show notes

The Rush: California Gold, the Civil War, and the Making of the Modern World by Nathaniel Philbrick vividly brings to life the western migration that changed the United States forever, propelling it into a new era of expansion and conflict. Nathaniel joins us to talk about the Wild West, vigilante justice, Herman Melville, and the value of reading history with host Miwa Messer.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.

New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.

Featured Books:

The Rush by Nathaniel Philbrick

The Last Stand by Nathaniel Philbrick

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

Away Off Shore by Nathaniel Philbrick

Why Read Moby-Dick by Nathaniel Philbrick

Mayflower by Nathaniel Philbrick

In the Hurricane's Eye by Nathaniel Philbrick

Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick

Sea of Glory by Nathaniel Philbrick

Second Wind by Nathaniel Philbrick

Suttree by Cormac McCarthy

The Confidence-Man by Herman Melville

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

McTeague by Frank Norris

The Octopus by Frank Norris

The Great Game by Peter Hopkirk

Jane Schoenbrun on PUBLIC ACCESS AFTERWORLD Oct 27, 2026

Show notes

Public Access Afterworld, a harrowing mystery from filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun, follows a content moderator who discovers the horrific realm beyond the television static. Jane joins us to talk about creating a mythology, nostalgia, screenwriting and more with cohost Jenna Seery.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang.

New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.

Featured Authors & Films:

Public Access Afterworld by Jane Schoenbrun

I Saw The TV Glow

Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

Cormac McCarthy

Don DeLillo

TBR Featured Books:

Slade House by David Mitchell

Dead but Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay

T. Geronimo Johnson on THE OCCIDENTAL BOOK OF THE DEAD Oct 24, 2026

Show notes

The Occidental Book of the Dead by T. Geronimo Johnson is a sharp-eyed look at America which follows George Washington Jonson across two decades of his life as a Black cop in Atlanta. T. Geronimo joins us to talk about class, community, belonging, and empathy with host Miwa Messer.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.

New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.

Featured Books & Authors:

The Occidental Book of the Dead by T. Geronimo Johnson

Welcome to Braggsville by T. Geronimo Johnson

Hold It 'Til It Hurts by T. Geronimo Johnson

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Percival Everett

Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace

Tibetan Book of the Dead

Egyptian Book of the Dead

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

James Baldwin

There Is No Place for Us by Brian Goldstone

Julie Orringer on LUNA, PHOENIX, QUEEN Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

Luna, Phoenix, Queen is Julie Orringer's latest, a thoughtful, and thought-provoking novel about the stories we tell about ourselves—and who gets to tells them. Julie joins us to talk about autonomy, memory, patience, and her adopted dog, Hazel with cohost Jenna Seery.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang.

New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.

Featured Books:

Luna, Phoenix, Queen by Julie Orringer

The Flight Portfolio by Julie Orringer

How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer

Dear Life by Alice Munro

How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend by The Monks of New Skete

The Art of Raising a Puppy by The Monks of New Skete

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Last Days of the Dog-Men: Stories by Bad Watson

Have Dog, Will Travel: A Poet's Journey by Stephen Kuusisto

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Day for Night by Frederick Reiken

Intimacies by Katie Kitamura

Foster by Claire Keegan

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

Yiyun Li on MUSIC AGAINST THE NIGHT Oct 20, 2026

Show notes

Music Against the Night is an epic story about love and betrayal, music and power, creativity and lust, that cuts across time and countries, from Yiyun Li, the acclaimed author of The Book of Goose. Yiyun joins us to talk about Hilary Mantel, movement and music, laughter and more with host Miwa Messer.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.

New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.

Featured Books:

Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li

Book of Goose by Yiyun Li

Wednesday's Child by Yiyun Li

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel

Childhood; Boyhood; Youth by Leo Tolstoy

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

King Lear by William Shakespeare

Moby Dick by Herman Melville