Poured Over

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.            Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).            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 

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.            Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).           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 

“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 

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.           Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).    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 

“… 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.      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):  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 

“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.            Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).       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’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.          Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).      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 

"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 

“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.          Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).      Featured Books (Episode):  Surreal Spaces: The Life and Art of Leonora Carrington by Joanna Moorhead The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel 

“I've been asked, why do you blend genres so much? And the simple answer is that it's what I want to read.” Horror meets romance meets historical fiction in Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas. This genre-bending novel will have something for any reader — whether they’re looking for spooky, spicy or something in between. Cañas joins us to talk about her research process, the connection between this book and her own family, the importance of genre fiction and more with guest host, Jenna Seery. We end this episode with TBR Topoff book recommendations from Madyson and Mary.       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):  Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas  The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas  Dracula by Bram Stoker  Lone Women by Victor LaValle  Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno Garcia  A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine  Island Witch by Amanda Jayatissa  The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro  Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood    Featured Books (TBR Topoff): Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda  Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison