

Poured Over
Barnes & Noble
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).
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 18, 2023 • 41min
Gabriel Bump on THE NEW NATURALS
“My favorite parts of this book are when you have two characters … talking about what they want from the world and how they can achieve it.” The New Naturals by Gabriel Bump showcases a cast of relatable and deeply human characters as they attempt to create a perfect society in an imperfect world. Bump joins us to talk about his writing process, creating characters that feel messy and real, grief and hope 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 New Naturals by Gabriel Bump Everywhere You Don’t Belong by Gabriel Bump War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Finnegans Wake James Joyce The Unconsoled by Kazuo Ishiguro Divine Days by Leon Forrest

Nov 16, 2023 • 46min
Sigrid Nunez on THE VULNERABLES
The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez reflects our complicated and constantly changing world, featuring unlikely connections and even a parrot named Eureka. Nunez joins us to talk about the autobiographical details in her works, her unique writing process, incorporating humor into her novels 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 Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez The Friend by Sigrid Nunez What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez A Feather on the Breath of God by Sigrid Nunez Sempre Susan by Sigrid Nunez Sleepless Nights by Elizabeth Hardwick My Phantoms by Gwendoline Riley First Love by Gwendoline Riley Seven Steeples by Sarah Baume

Nov 14, 2023 • 38min
Michael Cunningham on DAY
Set on one day in April in three different years, Day by Michael Cunningham is an intimate analysis of family love and connection. Cunningham joins us to talk about translating his writing from thoughts to words, writing a pandemic novel that isn’t really a pandemic novel, using literature as a connection to the world 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): Day by Michael Cunningham Specimen Days by Michael Cunningham The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot Death in Venice by Thomas Mann The Hours by Michael Cunningham Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert By Nightfall by Michael Cunningham

Nov 11, 2023 • 29min
Melissa Broder on DEATH VALLEY
In this engaging discussion, Melissa Broder, an author known for blending absurdity with profound human experiences, dives deep into the themes of grief and survival in her novel, 'Death Valley.' She candidly shares her thoughts on anticipatory grief and how humor can help cope with difficulties. Broder also explores the intersection of reality and absurdity in literature, dissecting complex female characters and the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on storytelling. Her journey of personal growth through writing adds a rich layer to the conversation.

Nov 9, 2023 • 39min
Stephanie Land on CLASS
“I think the bigger stuff isn't going to happen if we can't change the fact that we're not really seeing each other.” Class by Stephanie Land is a portrait of motherhood, the institutions of education, and the realities of life for those under the poverty line, full of heart, compassion and wit. Land joins us to talk about her hopes for the book, her experiences with secondary education and motherhood, her identity as a writer 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): Class by Stephanie Land Maid by Stephanie Land

Nov 7, 2023 • 49min
Viet Thanh Nguyen on A MAN OF TWO FACES
Viet Thanh Nguyen’s new memoir, A Man of Two Faces, is an unconventional and impeccable personal narrative that tackles the author’s own life alongside larger themes of culture and colonization. Nguyen joined us live at The Grove to talk about understanding his own story through writing, his interpretations of memory 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): A Man of Two Faces by Viet Thanh Nguyen The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen The Committed by Viet Thanh Nguyen The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston

Nov 4, 2023 • 37min
Alix E. Harrow on STARLING HOUSE
Starling House by Alix E. Harrow is a haunted house story for those of us who love books, creepy fairy tales and Southern Gothic themes. Harrow joins us to talk about her personal connections to the novel, the ties to children’s literature, the differences in writing novels vs. short stories and more with guest host, Kat Sarfas. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Kat Sarfas and mixed by Harry Liang. Follow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays). Featured Books (Episode): Starling House by Alix E. Harrow The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Nov 2, 2023 • 50min
Alice McDermott on ABSOLUTION
"It does come down to that moment, when as a reader or as a writer entering into a story we say — it's not about me, it's about you." Alice McDermott’s Absolution shines a light on the dynamic lives of American women as they navigate the tumultuous era of the Vietnam War. McDermott joins us to talk about the untold pieces of American history, the evolution of her career as a writer, the power and impact of language in fiction 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): Absolution by Alice McDermott The Quiet American by Graham Greene The Ninth Hour by Alice McDermott A Flag for Sunrise by Robert Stone Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard Family Meal by Bryan Washington The Bee Sting by Paul Murray

Oct 31, 2023 • 33min
Amanda Peters on THE BERRY PICKERS
“There's nothing truer than fiction, because you can always find yourself in the work.” The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters is the story of a Mi’kmaq girl who goes missing and the grief, turmoil and hope that they find as they move forward. Peters joins us to talk about her personal connections to the novel, crafting her characters, connection through storytelling 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): The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters The Underpainter by Jane Urquhart The Circle by Katherena Vermette If an Egyptian Cannot Speak English by Noor Naga

Oct 28, 2023 • 1h 13min
Poured Over Double Shot: K-Ming Chang and Anbara Salam
Organ Meats by K-Ming Chang connects lyrical, dreamy prose and visceral reality in the story of two girls who navigate their complicated friendship in a world they build with feral dogs and otherworldly connection. Chang joins us to talk about writing in a nonlinear way, creating personal and cultural mythologies and finding connection through literature. Anbara Salam’s Hazardous Spirits explores the mystical, opulent and sometimes dangerous world of Spiritualism in 1920s Scotland. Salam joins us to talk about writing the time period after a crisis and its connection to today, the specificity of her research and creating stories that may not wrap up neatly. 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): Organ Meats by K-Ming Chang Hazardous Spirits by Anbara Salam Bestiary by K-Ming Chang Gods of Want by K-Ming Chang Belladonna by Anbara Salam Affinity by Sarah Waters Blithe Spirit by Noël Coward The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters