Poured Over

Latest Episodes:

Lauren Groff on THE VASTER WILDS Sep 23, 2023

Show notes

"This book is the most personal because it is what I feel about the world itself."

The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff is a beautiful and propulsive survival story that brings new life to wilderness fiction. Groff joins us to talk about her extensive drafting process, her varied influences, getting language right in historical fiction and more live at Barnes & Noble Union Square with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Executive Producer 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 Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff

Arcadia by Lauren Groff

Matrix by Lauren Groff

Middlemarch by George Eliot

Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe

The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Anagrams by Lorrie Moore

A Place of Greater Safety by Hilary Mantel

Poured Over Double Shot: Daniel Mason and Paul Murray Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

Daniel Mason's North Woods follows one house in the woods of New England as it passes through families (with inhabitants both human and not) and endures natural and human history. Mason joins us to talk about how he connected with his setting, writing a novel covering a large timespan, playing with form and more.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray chronicles the saga of a family in a post-economic-collapse Ireland. Murray joins us to talk about the cultural background of his novel, writing a dysfunctional family, the influences of Joyce and Faulkner and more.

Listen in as these authors speak separately with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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

Featured Books (Episode):

North Woods by Daniel Mason

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason

The Winter Soldier by Daniel Mason

Walden by Henry David Thoreau

Skippy Dies by Paul Murray

Waiting for Godot by Samuel Beckett

Ulysses by James Joyce

Gravity's Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

Who Will Run the Frog Hospital by Lorrie Moore

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Poured Over Double Shot: Nathan Hill and Ben Fountain Sep 19, 2023

Show notes

Wellness by Nathan Hill follows a marriage over decades through a variety of successes, challenges and surprises. Hill joins us to talk about how long it took him to write his novel, describing a realistic marriage, the power of algorithms and more.

Ben Fountain's Devil Makes Three brings readers to Haiti in 1991 with a cast of characters ranging from divers looking for shipwrecked treasure to CIA agents navigating a country in the midst of political unrest. Fountain joins us to talk about his connection to Haiti and the research he has done, the unique historical events that provide the backdrop for the novel, his influences and more.

Listen in as these authors speak separately with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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

Featured Books (Episode):

Wellness by Nathan Hill

Devil Makes Three by Ben Fountain

The Nix by Nathan Hill

A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

Sixty Stories by Donald Barthelme

Forty Stories by Donald Barthelme

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain

Brief Encounters with Che Guevara by Ben Fountain

Beautiful Country Burn Again by Ben Fountain

The Immaculate Invasion by Bob Shacochis

Andrew Leland on THE COUNTRY OF THE BLIND Sep 16, 2023

Show notes

"I feel like I could actually follow you through this journey and come out of it changed rather than abused by my ignorance."

The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland blends memoir, history and culture in a study of the experience of blindness and how it effects both the individual and society as a whole. Leland joins us to talk about the connection between blindness and literacy, the language around disability, the long process he took to write this book and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

This episode of Poured Over was produced and 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 Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland

Paradise Lost by John Milton

Finnegans Wake by James Joyce

Poured Over Double Shot: Claudia Dey and Sheena Patel Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

Claudia Dey's novel Daughter is a stark and beautiful portrait of the complicated dynamic between a young artist and her father. Dey joins us to talk about creating the distinct voice of the novel, complicated family relationships, writing a novel that's true and more.

I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel is a visceral look at one young woman's descent into the world of social media obsession with a sharp look at today's internet culture and what it means to exist online. Patel joins us to talk about the absurdity of internet fame, unlikable female characters, combining memes with literature and more.

Listen in as these authors speak separately with guest host Jenna Seery.

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

Featured Books (Episode): Daughter by Claudia Dey

I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel

Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey

Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel

I Love Dick by Chris Kraus

Motherhood by Sheila Heti

Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong

Life with Picasso by Françoise Gilot

Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi

Mona Awad on ROUGE Sep 12, 2023

Show notes

"… this was a book about beauty, and I wanted it to be very honest."

In Mona Awad's Rouge, gothic family-drama meets fairy tale (with a hint of horror) as a young woman navigates the world of youth and beauty in the aftermath of her mother's death.

Awad joins us to talk about how her obsession with skincare led to writing this book, creating a mother and daughter dynamic, the importance of writing with a distinct voice and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. We end this episode with TBR Topoff book recommendations from Marc and Madyson.

Featured Books (Episode): Rouge by Mona Awad Bunny by Mona Awad 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad American Psycho Bret Easton Ellis Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys

Featured Books (TBR Topoff): Maeve Fly by CJ Leede Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

Emma Donoghue on LEARNED BY HEART Sep 09, 2023

Show notes

"My specialty is digging up obscure stories where there are just enough facts to really stimulate the imagination."

Emma Donoghue's newest novel, Learned by Heart, tells the story of young, enigmatic Anne Lister and her first love, an orphaned heiress born in India. Donoghue joins us to talk about the role Anne Lister has played in her life, crowdsourcing research, the importance of historical fiction and more with guest host, Jenna Seery. We end this episode with TBR Topoff book recommendations from Marc and Mary.

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

Featured Books (Episode):

Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue

Room by Emma Donoghue

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

Haven by Emma Donoghue

Slammerkin by Emma Donoghue

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Featured Books (TBR Topoff):

Matrix by Lauren Groff

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Maria Bamford on SURE, I'LL JOIN YOUR CULT: A MEMOIR OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND THE QUEST TO BELONG ANYWHERE Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

Maria Bamford's hilarious memoir Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and a Quest to Belong Anywhere blends the honesty and compassion of a memoir about mental health with her unique brand of absurd, laugh-out-loud humor. Bamford joins us to talk about the realities of writing a book, the importance of honesty around tough subjects, some of the books she loves and more with guest host, Jenna Seery. We end this episode with TBR Topoff book recommendations from Marc and Jamie.

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

Featured Books (Episode):

Sure, I'll Join Your Cult by Maria Bamford

The Center Cannot Hold by Elyn R. Sacks

Madness by Marya Hornbacher

Marbles by Ellen Forney

Rock Steady by Ellen Forney

Hogbook and Lazer Eyes by Maria Bamford and Scott Marvel Cassidy

Featured Books (TBR Topoff):

Sleepwalk With Me by Mike Birbiglia

The World's Worst Assistant by Sona Movsesian

Zadie Smith on THE FRAUD Sep 05, 2023

Show notes

"There's no higher version of historical fiction to me than that, the feeling of being transported."

Zadie Smith's The Fraud brings all the excitement of a Victorian novel with a cast of characters that will be familiar (Charles Dickens, anyone?) and a wild web of plots that combine the best of historical fiction with themes that still resonate. Smith joins us to talk about the different process she used while writing, the importance of knowing and understanding history, freedom, resistance and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. We end this episode with TBR Topoff book recommendations from Marc and Jamie.

This episode of Poured Over was produced and 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 Fraud by Zadie Smith

NW by Zadie Smith

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald

The New Life by Tom Crewe

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Featured Books (TBR Topoff):

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

The Book of Salt by Monique Truong

Joanna Moorhead on SURREAL SPACES: THE LIFE AND ART OF LEONORA CARRINGTON Sep 02, 2023

Show notes

"I think that she would have given — to anyone who had been lucky enough to spend time with her — was just this thirst for curiosity."

Surreal Spaces is Joanna Moorhead's in-depth and personal biography of her own long-lost cousin, Surrealist artist Leonora Carrington. Moorhead joins us to talk about uncovering the truth about her famous relative, Carrington's eventful life and career, the importance of highlighting women artists and more with guest host, Allie Ludlow.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Allie Ludlow and mixed by Harry Liang.

Featured Books (Episode):

Surreal Spaces: The Life and Art of Leonora Carrington by Joanna Moorhead

The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel

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