Poured Over

Latest Episodes:

Geraldine Brooks on MEMORIAL DAYS Feb 06, 2025

Show notes

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks explores what it means to truly grieve — a moving account of what it is to love, to lose and to heal. Brooks joins us to talk about her relationship with her late husband, Tony Horwitz, how writing this book helped process her grief, themes of isolation, growth and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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 (Episode):

Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks

Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Nine Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks

Who is Government? by Michael Lewis

Allegra Goodman on ISOLA Feb 04, 2025

Show notes

Isola by Allegra Goodman is a story of courage and isolation and a sweeping tale of companionship against all odds. Goodman joins us to talk about the real historical events that inspired the novel, her meticulous research process, her unique experience writing this book and more with cohost Jenna Seery. We end this episode with TBR Top Off book recommendations from Jamie and Donald.

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 (Episode):

Isola by Allegra Goodman

Sam by Allegra Goodman

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Gulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift

Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson

Featured Books (TBR Top Off):

Burial Rite by Hannah Kent

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor

Charmaine Wilkerson on GOOD DIRT Feb 01, 2025

Show notes

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson takes us from New England to West Africa and France on a quest to uncover the secrets of the past and build a new future. Wilkerson joins us to talk about the history in the novel, the importance of storytelling, balancing heavy tones in her writing and more with guest host 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 (Episode):

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson

Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

James by Percival Everett

The Grand Paloma Resort by Cleyvis Natera

Neruda on the Park by Cleyvis Nater

Adrienne Young on A SEA OF UNSPOKEN THINGS Jan 30, 2025

Show notes

A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young is a breathtaking journey of grief, love and history about a woman that loses her twin brother in a freak accident. Young joins us to talk about her descriptive and atmospheric style, what it's like to write for both adults and young people, creating the connection between twin characters and more with guest host, Allyson Gavaletz.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Allyson Gavaletz and mixed by Harry Liang.

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

Featured Books (Episode):

A Sea of Unspoken Things by Adrienne Young

The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young

Wrong Place, Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

Imani Perry on BLACK IN BLUES Jan 28, 2025

Show notes

In Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People Imani Perry studies the color blue in all its history and hues in this remarkable analysis. From West Africa to the American South, Black in Blues examines the color's relation to Blackness and culture. Perry joins us to talk about the symbolic history of the color blue, her research process, the role of storytelling in identity and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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 (Episode):

Black in Blues by Imani Perry

South to America by Imani Perry

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

A Little Devil in America by Hanif Abdurraqib

Cannibal by Safiya Sinclair

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Native Son by Richard Wright

Black Boy by Richard Wright

Looking For Lorraine by Imani Perry

Revisiting Colson Whitehead on THE NICKEL BOYS Jan 25, 2025

Show notes

The Nickel Boys, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead, is a story of injustice and ultimately hope about two young men at a Florida reform school. We love this interview with Miwa Messer and Whitehead from the novel's release in 2019.

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 (Episode):

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

Elizabeth Harris on HOW TO SLEEP AT NIGHT Jan 23, 2025

Show notes

How to Sleep at Night is a tender and timely novel telling a heartfelt story about marriage, love and politics. Harris joined us live to talk about writing about people who are challenging their values, how her characters surprised her, the effects of being a journalist on pacing and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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 (Episode):

How to Sleep at Night by Elizabeth Harris

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Paraic O'Donnell on THE NAMING OF THE BIRDS Jan 21, 2025

Show notes

The Naming of the Birds by Paraic O'Donnell takes readers back to dark and gloomy Victorian London with a relentless killer on the loose. O'Donnell joins us to talk about continuing a series, balancing tone with humor, his writing process and more with guest host Chris Gillespie. We end this episode with TBR Top Off book recommendations from Donald and Marc.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang.

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

Featured Books (Episode):

The Naming of the Birds by Paraic O'Donnell

The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O'Donnell

Featured Books (TBR Top Off):

Things in Jars by Jess Kidd

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

Aria Aber on GOOD GIRL Jan 16, 2025

Show notes

Good Girl by Aria Aber is a coming-of-age novel featuring the daughter of Afghan immigrants set against the backdrop of Berlin's creative scene. Aber joins us to talk about themes of identity and exile, speaking and reading in multiple languages, her literary influences in prose and poetry and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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 (Episode):

Good Girl by Aria Aber

Hard Damage by Aria Aber

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

Luster by Raven Leilani

The Coin by Yasmin Zaher

The Girls by Emma Cline

Nnedi Okorafor on DEATH OF THE AUTHOR Jan 14, 2025

Show notes

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor is a novel about what it means to be a storyteller, told in an ingenious blend of sci-fi and literary fiction. Okorafor joins us to talk about what freedom means, technology and authenticity, the personal nature of this story and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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 (Episode):

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor

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