Poured Over

"My writing is always trying to open that up and to say — you can start here; you can start now." Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin reminds us that our imaginations already know what a better world looks like. From education to challenging our systems of oppression and more, this insightful work shows a new place for us all to start from. Benjamin joins us to talk about the split between imagination and technology, changing our narratives to tell new stories, the importance of community 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): Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin Race After Technology by Ruha Benjamin

Filterworld by Kyle Chayka investigates one of our most prevalent yet often unnoticed influences — the algorithms that shape our online experiences from social media to shopping and more. Chayka joins us to talk about his own internet evolution, the concept of passive consumption and what we lose when the algorithms take over our feeds 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): Filterworld by Kyle Chayka The Longing for Less by Kyle Chayka

"I really wanted to find connection with these creatures that I'll never meet…" Sabrina Imbler's How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures is as unique and intriguing as the animals it explores. This book combines personal themes of race, gender, and family with reflections from the natural world in an unforgettable series of essays. Imbler joins us to talk about how they started writing about nature, the incredible and interesting creatures featured in their work, the connection between science and memoir 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): How Far the Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler The Underworld by Susan Casey Bitch by Lucy Cooke Vagina Obscura by Rachel E. Gross The Women's House of Detention by Hugh Ryan

"I hope that when there is laughter, it's laughter made wise by having known real grief — and when there is grief, it is made wise by having known real joy." Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar is the story of a young Iranian American man searching for meaning through art, addiction, and connection. Akbar joins us to talk about writing both poetry and prose, collaboration with other novelists, creating compassion through writing 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): Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar Calling a Wolf a Wolf by Kaveh Akbar Pilgrim Bell by Kaveh Akbar Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff Ordinary Notes by Christina Sharpe

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