
Poured Over
Poured Over is a show for readers who pore over details, obsess over sentences and ideas and stories and characters; readers who ask a lot of questions, just like Poured Over’s host, Miwa Messer, a career bookseller who’s always reading. Follow us here for surprising riffs, candid conversations, a few laughs, and lots of great book recommendations from big name authors and authors on their way to being big names. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional bonus episodes on Saturdays).
Latest episodes

May 8, 2025 • 38min
Florence Knapp on THE NAMES
The Names by Florence Knapp is a stunning story about the power of family, legacy, language and lineage. Florence joins us to talk about writing in alternate timelines, the power of a name, fate vs choice, parenting 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): The Names by Florence Knapp This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

May 6, 2025 • 47min
Jemimah Wei on THE ORIGINAL DAUGHTER
The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei is a story about the dawn of the internet, budding influencer culture and complicated family ties. Jemimah joins us to talk about Singapore, sisterhood, ambition, the rise of social media and more with 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 (Episode): The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin A Heavy Feather by A.L. Barker A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood The Most by Jessica Anthony Heaven by Mieko Kawakami The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

May 3, 2025 • 45min
Michael Luo on STRANGERS IN THE LAND
Strangers in the Land by Michael Luo is a gripping history of Chinese immigrants in America, from the nineteenth century to modern times. Michael joins us to talk about researching archives, the Chinese Exclusion Act, writing narrative nonfiction, working as a journalist 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 (Episode): Strangers in the Land by Michael Luo The Cycles of American History by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe The Wager by David Grann The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan

May 1, 2025 • 38min
Shelby Van Pelt on REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is the big-hearted tale of a detective octopus helping a grieving aquarium employee solve the mystery of her missing son. Shelby joins us to talk about living in an octopus renaissance, small towns, feeling uprooted, writing about grief, creating chapter titles 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 Books (Episode): Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Apr 29, 2025 • 57min
Omar El Akkad On Writing
Omar El Akkad began writing fiction while working as a journalist, leading to two novels and an essay collection: American War, What Strange Paradise and One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This. Omar joins us to talk about the relationship between journalism and fiction writing, worldbuilding, living in translation, interiority and inversion 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 (Episode): American War by Omar El Akkad What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson A Bright Shining Lie by Neil Sheehan There’s Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib

Apr 26, 2025 • 37min
Denne Michele Norris on WHEN THE HARVEST COMES
When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris is a story about fathers and sons, love, life and inheritance. Denne joins us to talk about capturing music on the page, sibling relationships, literary influences, Ohio 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 (Episode): When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris Going to Meet the Man by James Baldwin Light Years by James Salter Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

Apr 24, 2025 • 41min
Andrew Porter on THE IMAGINED LIFE
The Imagined Life by Andrew Porter is a novel about fathers and sons, complex family mythologies and buried secrets. Andrew joins us to talk about finding the right tone for his novel, writing about the 1980s, Proust, the evolution of language 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 (Episode): The Imagined Life by Andrew Porter How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee The Crack-Up by F. Scott Fitzgerald Swann’s Way by Marcel Proust

Apr 22, 2025 • 43min
Suleika Jaouad on THE BOOK OF ALCHEMY
If you've ever wanted to start journaling, we’ve got you covered. The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad is filled with inspiration, advice and anecdotes from a lifelong journaler and bestselling author. Suleika joins us to talk about flexing your creative muscles, the importance of constancy over output, finding community in reading and writing, navigating uncertainty 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 Books (Episode): The Book of Alchemy by Suleika Jaouad Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Apr 17, 2025 • 37min
Camilla Barnes on THE USUAL DESIRE TO KILL
Our favorite book families tend to be delightfully dysfunctional, and there are none quite like the one in The Usual Desire to Kill by Camilla Barnes. With two sisters, a pair of aging parents and barn animals aplenty, this is a quirky and heartfelt novel that reminds readers our parents had lives before us. Camilla Barnes joined us live at the Barnes & Noble on NYC's Upper West Side to talk about long-term marriage, family folklore, llamas 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 Books (Episode): The Usual Desire to Kill by Camilla Barnes The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr How Not to Be a Politician by Rory Stewart

Apr 15, 2025 • 47min
Kevin Nguyen on MY DOCUMENTS
Mỹ Documents by Kevin Nguyen follows four cousins navigating a tumultuous political landscape, internment camps, exploitation and isolation. Kevin joins us to talk about Japanese incarceration, media misinformation, writing family stories, war movies 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): Mỹ Documents by Kevin Nguyen New Waves by Kevin Nguyen Farewell to Manzanar by Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen O Sinners! by Nicole Cuffy Giant Robot by Eric Nakamura The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam No-No Boy by John Okada