Poured Over

Marie-Helene Bertino’s Beautyland gives insight into the human experience through the eyes of a young woman (who may or may not be an extraterrestrial) and reflects the joys and heartaches of life in way that will resonate with all readers. Bertino joins us to talk about her unforgettable character, looking at the world from an outsider’s perspective, the mysticism of a fax machine and more.    Poor Deer by Claire Oshetsky starts with a childhood game ending in the unimaginable and sets off on a journey of grief, acceptance and the stories we tell ourselves to survive. Oshetsky joins us to talk about the inception of the novel, the themes of healing and connection, and writing in the natural world.   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.            Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).    Featured Books (Episode): Beautyland by Marie-Helene Bertino Poor Deer by Claire Oshetsky Parakeet by Marie-Helene Bertino The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw The Final Revival of Opal & Nev by Dawn Walton Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz Chouette by Claire Oshetsky The Discomfort of Evening by Lucas Rijneveld The Witch Family by Eleanor Estes 

How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice, and Skill is edited by Jericho Brown and contains diverse and expansive essays and other works on the craft of writing from acclaimed Black authors like Nikki Giovanni, Barry Jenkins, Jacqueline Woodson and more. Brown joins us to talk about identity and language, the necessity of treating yourself like a writer, creating a new form of poetry 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.                   New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.         Featured Books (Episode):   How We Do It: Black Writers on Craft, Practice, and Skill by Jericho Brown  Black on Black by Daniel Black   The Tradition by Jericho Brown  The New Testament by Jericho Brown 

Vintage Contemporaries by Dan Kois is a fiction debut that blends a coming-of-age story with the themes of lasting friendship and what it takes to be an artist. Kois joins us to talk about the publisher that inspired the novel’s title, some of the important influences on his work, what he does in his day jobs 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.                   New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.         Featured Books (Episode):  Vintage Contemporaries by Dan Kois  Asa, as I Knew Him by Susanna Kaysen  Bad Behavior by Mary Gaitskill   Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin  Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin   I Am Homeless If This Is Not My Home by Lorrie Moore  Angels in America by Tony Kushner  The World Only Spins Forward by Isaac Butler & Dan Kois  Eat Your Mind by Jason McBride  The Zone of Interest by Martin Amis  The Fraud by Zadie Smith  The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride 

Bonnie Jo Campbell’s The Waters follows the interwoven and often complicated lives of a family of women inhabiting an island in a Michigan swamp. Campbell joins us to talk about the challenges in crafting this novel, matching her unique characters with an equally intriguing setting, small-town storytelling 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.                   New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.           Featured Books (Episode):  The Waters by Bonnie Jo Campbell   Once Upon a River by Bonnie Jo Campbell  American Salvage by Bonnie Jo Campbell  King Lear by William Shakespeare  The Beans of Egypt, Maine by Carolyn Chute  Bastard out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison  Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 

“I think it is a moment where we are thinking a lot about our relationship to the places and the societies that we have … wanting to create deeper connections.”   My Friends by Hisham Matar reflects family and friendships in the shadow of revolution as a man navigates life in exile. Matar joins us to talk about his journey to telling this story, the importance of time in a novel, exploring themes of political strife and identity and more with host, Miwa Messer.   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:   My Friends by Hisham Matar  The Return by Hisham Matar  Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson 

The Fetishist by Katherine Min is a darkly humorous and provocative novel of love, revenge, and identity published after her death in 2019. Min’s daughter, Kayla Min Andrews, joins us to talk about her mother’s work, taking on the task of finishing and publishing this novel, creating and continuing a legacy and more with host, Miwa Messer.   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 Fetishist by Katherine Min  Secondhand World by Katherine Min  Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert  Another Country by James Baldwin  Holding Pattern by Jenny Xie  All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg  Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney 

Julie Myerson’s newest novel Nonfiction is intricate and raw, featuring themes of motherhood, addiction and what it means to write. Myerson joins us to talk about her approaches to writing a novel, her interwoven and often personal themes, how she picks her titles and more with guest host, Jenna Seery.  This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang.                 Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).          Featured Books (Episode):   Nonfiction by Julie Myerson  Something Might Happen by Julie Myerson  Cheri by Jo Ann Beard  Trust by Domenico Starnone  The Tax Inspector by Peter Carey  The Guest by Emma Cline 

"People always asked 'what made you want to write fiction?' And I'm like, this isn't a departure. I feel like this is me going back to how it actually started..."   All Good People Here, our January Mystery & Thriller Pick, has everything you want in a crime thriller — a cold case, an intrepid journalist and more twists and turns than you could count, all told from the host of the hit podcast Crime Junkie. Author Ashley Flowers and her co-writer Alex Kiester joined us to talk about their collaboration process, writing suspenseful moments, creating their small-town backdrop and more with guest host, Jenna Seery.   This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Jenna Seery and mixed by Harry Liang.                Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).         Featured Books (Episode): All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers & Alex Kiester  Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn  I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai  Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll  The Only One Left by Riley Sager 

“Our ancestors, our grandparents, love us by not speaking…”    The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan follows one family in 1945 Malaya as they face the realities of a life shaped by war and colonization. Chan joined us to talk about her family connection to her novel, her unique journey to becoming an author, the things about writing that surprised her 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.                 New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.              Featured Books (Episode):  The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan  Sea Change by Gina Chung  The Great Reclamation by Rachel Heng  The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett   The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade  In Memoriam by Alice Winn 

“New York is a character in the book, and I hate it when people are like ‘the city's almost a character’”  One of our favorites of 2023, Colson Whitehead’s Crook Manifesto is a crime novel and so much more with unforgettable characters and a gritty portrait of New York in the 70s. Whitehead joined us to talk about his portrayal of the city he grew up in, creating a code of honor for criminals, important movie references 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.                New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app.             Featured Books (Episode):  Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead  Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead  The World According to Fannie Davis by Bridgett Davis  The Colossus of New York by Colson Whitehead