Poured Over

Latest Episodes:

Lorrie Moore on I AM HOMELESS IF THIS IS NOT MY HOME Jun 20, 2023

Show notes

"Does one ever move on from someone they love dying?"

Lorrie Moore's I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home is a story of love, family, life and death, written with the unmistakable wit and humor her readers cherish. Moore talks with us about her distinct authorial voice, balancing humor and grief, the difference in reviewing television and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. We end this episode with TBR Topoff book recommendations from Marc and Madyson.

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):

I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home by Lorrie Moore

Arcadia by Tom Stoppard

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Birds of America by Lorrie Moore

The Hours by Michael Cunningham

A Gate at the Stairs by Lorrie Moore

Feature Books (TBR Topoff):

Dept. of Speculation by Jenny Offill

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

Poured Over Double Shot: Celia Bell and Claudia Cravens Jun 17, 2023

Show notes

Two authors take on historical fiction with these novels featuring queer love, heartbreak, coming of age and agency with rich settings and vibrant casts, from 17th century France to the wild, wild American West.

Celia Bell's The Disenchantment finds Paris amidst political and social upheaval, while one noblewoman balances her unhappy marriage and her female lover in the tenuous world of high society intrigue. Bell joins us to talk about this particularly interesting time period, how a fairy tale inspired the novel, incorporating real people from history and more.

Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens is a nonstop Western following a scrappy and resilient young woman who faces hardship head-on by taking a job at a brothel where she finds strength, friendship and maybe even love with an alluring gunfighter. Cravens talks with us about creating a tactile world, telling queer stories, writing hot mess characters and more.

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):

The Disenchantment by Celia Bell

Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens

Kissing the Witch by Emma Donoghue

Regeneration by Pat Barker

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

Lone Women by Victor LaValle

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

Poured Over Double Shot: Keziah Weir and Katie Williams Jun 15, 2023

Show notes

These two new novels ask a crucial question: who gets to tell our stories?

Keziah Weir's The Mythmakers follows one young journalist as she seeks answers within the unpublished manuscript of a recently dead author while her own life starts to crumble. Weir joins us to talk about likeable female characters, what makes the literary canon, AI storytelling and more.

My Murder by Katie Williams is a fast-paced, inventive mystery where the victims of a serial killer are brought back to life to solve the case. Williams talks with us about how she came to write her book, including technology in her fiction, what she learns from teaching and more.

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 (Episode):

The Mythmakers by Keziah Weir

My Murder by Katie Williams

The Guest by Emma Cline

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

American Pastoral by Philip Roth

Beowulf translated by Maria Dahvana Headley

The Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson

The Wife by Meg Wolitzer

Delicious Foods by James Hannaham

Tell the Machine Goodnight by Katie Williams

Featured Books (TBR Topoff):

The Muse by Jessie Burton

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

Poured Over Double Shot: Tania James and Julia Fine Jun 13, 2023

Show notes

These two novels transport readers into rich, vivid historical settings — whether it's a journey from colonial India to Europe, or through the canals of 18th century Venice.

Loot by Tania James follows one young artist from his homeland across the world to retrieve a stolen wooden tiger in an engrossing adventure. James joins us in conversation about the choice to write historical fiction, the vast web of colonization and empire (including stolen art), how she came to the voice of the novel and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

Obsession meets ambition in Julia Fine's Maddalena and the Dark, with two teenage girls set to bargain for their futures — whatever the price. Fine joins us to talk about the particular politics of Venice, the distinct nature of teen girl friendship, highlighting contemporary issues through the past and more with guest host Jenna Seery.

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

Featured Books (Episode):

Loot by Tania James

Maddalena and the Dark by Julia Fine

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Beloved by Toni Morrison

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

The Passion by Jeanette Winterson

Poured Over Double Shot: Juno Dawson and Emma Törzs Jun 10, 2023

Show notes

Powerful women, families of all kinds, fantastical adventures and so much more unite these two spellbinding tales.

Juno Dawson's The Shadow Cabinet is the second installment in her series of witches, intrigue and the unbreakable bonds of friendship. Dawson joins us to talk about the importance of complex female characters, the response to This Book is Gay, the strength her characters find together and more with Poured Over guest host, Marie Hendry.

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs finds two estranged sisters tasked with protecting the most important thing of all: the books in a magical library. Törzs talks about the challenging dynamics of writing about family, fairy tale tropes, her favorite things about writing fantasy and more with Poured Over guest host, Kat Sarfas.

This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Marie Hendry and Kat Sarfas and mixed by Harry Liang.

Featured Books (Episode):

The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson

How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran

You Need to Chill by Juno Dawson

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez

The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty

Featured Books (TBR Topoff):

Unnatural Magic by C.M. Waggoner

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine

Elif Batuman on EITHER/OR Jun 08, 2023

Show notes

Either/Or, Elif Batuman's sequel to Pulitzer Prize finalist The Idiot, is the humorous and relatable ongoing story of a Turkish American surviving college in the 90s. Batuman joins us to talk about her approach to writing fiction, how her own life influences her work, analyzing literature and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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

Featured Books (Episode):

The Idiot by Elif Batuman

Either/Or by Elif Batuman

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin

Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert

The Possessed by Elif Batuman

In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust

Barbara Kingsolver on DEMON COPPERHEAD Jun 06, 2023

Show notes

"This is the place; this is the right place for me, it's home."

Demon Copperhead, Barbara Kingsolver's Pulitzer Prize-winning return to Appalachia, is the story of a young boy growing into adulthood amid the struggle and beauty of this oft-overlooked corner of America. Kingsolver joins us to talk about the truth of Appalachian culture, how journalism made her the novelist she is today, the politics of art and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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

Featured Books (Episode):

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver

Dopesick by Beth Macy

Raising Lazarus by Beth Macy

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

Dreamland by Sam Quinones

Cannery Row by John Steinbeck

The Leavers by Lisa Ko

Moonrise Over New Jessup by Jamila Minnicks

Ramona Ausubel on THE LAST ANIMAL Jun 03, 2023

Show notes

"What if we could do anything? Should we do it? What are the consequences?"

Ramona Ausubel's new novel The Last Animal asks big questions about motherhood, grief and our responsibility to the planet. And there's a woolly mammoth. Ausubel joins us to talk about the realities of working in male dominated fields, the differences in writing novels and short stories, the power of storytelling 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 hosted by Executive Producer Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.

Featured Books (Episode):

The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel

A Guide to Being Born by Ramona Ausubel

Pastoralia by George Saunders

Mrs. Bridge by Evan S. Connell

Featured Books (TBR Topoff):

Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler

Poured Over Double Shot: Héctor Tobar and Jonathan Eig Jun 01, 2023

Show notes

These two authors tackle important subjects with new research and keen insight.

Héctor Tobar's Our Migrant Souls delves into the "Latino" identity with thorough analysis of history, culture and extensive interviews. Tobar joins us to talk about the concepts of ethnicity and race, hearing stories from people across the country and more.

King: A Life is the comprehensive new biography of Martin Luther King Jr. compiling new information with in-depth research to create a definitive portrait of this brilliant and complicated figure. Jonathan Eig joins us to talk about new declassified documents that aided his work, what surprised him about this project and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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

Featured Books (Episode):

Our Migrant Souls by Héctor Tobar

King: A Life by Jonathan Eig

The Barbarian Nurseries by Héctor Tobar

Bearing the Cross by David Garrow

G-Man by Beverly Gage

The Sword and the Shield by Peniel Joseph

Featured Books (TBR Topoff):

The Dead are Arising by Les Payne

Women in the Picture by Catherine McCormack

Poured Over Double Shot: Luis Alberto Urrea and Rita Chang-Eppig May 30, 2023

Show notes

Starring strong female characters in rich, captivating, historical settings, we can't wait for you to dive into these two new novels we love.

Our June B&N Book Club Pick is Good Night, Irene by Pulitzer Prize finalist Luis Alberto Urrea. Inspired by the life of his mother, this is the story of the bravery of women on the frontlines of WWII. Urrea joins us to discuss connecting his writing to his own family, what surprised him as he wrote and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig is our June Discover Pick, full of pirates, adventure and intrigue as one woman becomes a queen of the high seas in early 19th century China. Chang-Eppig talks with us about erasure of female stories, morally grey characters, and more with Poured Over guest host, Jenna Seery. We end this episode with TBR Topoff book recommendations from Madyson and Jamie.

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 (Episode):

Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea

Deep as the Sky, Red as the Sea by Rita Chang-Eppig

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

Featured Books (TBR Topoff):

The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig