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Poured Over

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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).

Play
  • 26 episodes
  • a few times a week
  • Avg 53 min
  • English
Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.
  • Thursday · 44 min

    Jill Lepore on THE RISE AND FALL OF THE ARTIFICIAL STATE

    The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State by Jill Lepore explores technology's impact on human community and self-government, and what the future holds. Jill Lepore joins us to talk about AI, citizenship, personal data, the public sphere, local newspapers and touching grass 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: The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State by Jill Lepore If/Then: How the Simulmatics Corporation Invented the Future by Jill Lepore Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes Robot Dreams by Isaac Asimov Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells The Wild Robot by Peter Brown The Wind and the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

  • Tuesday · 59 min

    Edwidge Danticat on DÈY

    Dèy by acclaimed writer Edwidge Danticat is multigenerational story of family, resilience, and hope in the wake of an unexpected tragedy. Edwidge joins us to talk about evolving ideas of the American Dream, the Haitian diaspora, ghost stories and expanding canon 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: Dèy by Edwidge Danticat Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat Brother, I'm Dying by Edwidge Danticat Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala The Art of Death by Edwidge Danticat The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk My Brother by Jamaica Kincaid Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder Love, Anger, Madness: A Haitian Triptych by Marie Vieux-Chauvet Paule Marshall: A Writer's Life by Mary Helen Washington Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Moderation by Elaine Castillo Windward Heights by Maryse Condé Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Krik? Krack! by Edwidge Danticat

  • August 22 · 47 min

    John Manuel Arias on CROCODILOPOLIS

    Crocodilopolis by John Manuel Arias is a riveting meditation on legacy, myth and masculinity which follows brothers locked in a power struggle after a dark family secret threatens their once-powerful political dynasty. John joins us to talk about the anxiety of a sophomore novel, sibling rivalry, global mythology, and tropical plants with cohost Isabelle McConville. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Isabelle McConville and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books: Crocodilopolis by John Manuel Arias One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison East of Eden by John Steinbeck The Dew Breaker by Edwidge Danticat The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy Sula by Toni Morrison Beloved by Toni Morrison The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende Lonely Crowds by Stephanie Wambugu Blindness by José Saramago The Grand Paloma Resort by Cleyvis Natera Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov TBR Featured Books: Crocodilopolis by John Manuel Arias Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras Swamplandia! by Karen Russell

  • August 20 · 49 min

    Addie E. Citchens on DOMINION

    Dominion by Addie E. Citchens explores the clash of small-town secrets, unspoken rules and family drama in a Mississippi church community. Addie joins us to talk about Faulkner, self-belief, and reading Harlequin novels in church 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: Dominion by Addie E. Citchens As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner Intruder in the Dust by William Faulkner Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon The American Daughters by Maurice Carlos Ruffin Sula by Toni Morrison Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison The Complete Stories by Zora Neale Hurston American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

  • August 18 · 47 min

    Ed Park on THREE TENSES: A TRANSMISSION FROM THE NINETIES

    Three Tenses: A Transmission from the Nineties by Pulitzer Prize finalist Ed Park is an experimental portrait of the author, pieced together from his early twenties to now. Ed Park, joined us live from B&N Upper West Side to talk about The Village Voice, reconnecting with his younger self, the art of juxtaposition 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: Three Tenses: A Transmission from the Nineties by Ed Park Personal Days by Ed Park An Oral History of Atlantis: Stories by Ed Park Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park Transparent Things by Vladimir Nabokov The Colossus of New York by Colson Whitehead Apex Hides the Hurt by Colson Whitehead Ordinary Notes by Christina Sharpe Alphabetical Diaries by Sheila Heti Amazons by Don DeLillo White Noise by Don DeLillo A Visit from the Good Squad by Jennifer Egan East Goes West by Younghill Kang American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis Moderation by Elaine Castillo Maus by Art Spiegelman Wittgenstein's Mistress by David Markson AVA by Carol Maso The Rings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton Inglorious Columbus by Edward P. Vining Grass Roof by Younghill Kang Reader's Block by David Markson

  • August 15 · 47 min

    Daisy Dixon on DEPRAVED: THE STORY OF DANGEROUS ART

    Depraved: The Story of Dangerous Art by Daisy Dixon is an art guide unlike any other, exploring the history and meaning of depraved art through a fresh lens. Daisy joins us to talk about philosophy, censorship, and morality 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: Depraved: The Story of Dangerous Art by Daisy Dixon The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty The Stranger by Albert Camus The Second Sex by Simone de Beauvoir The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall Being and Nothingness by Jean-Paul Sartre

  • August 13 · 54 min

    Téa Obreht on SUNRISE

    Sunrise by Téa Obreht is a riveting tale about one woman's survival, a Wyoming ghost town and a past that refuses to stay quiet. Téa joins us to talk about memory, mythology, and the Wild West 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: Sunrise by Téa Obreht Inland by Téa Obreht The Morningside by Téa Obreht The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht Butcher's Crossing by John Williams True Grit by Charles Portis TBR Featured Books: Sunrise by Téa Obreht Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel Beginning Middle End by Valeria Luiselli

  • August 11 · 1 hr 5 min

    Chang-rae Lee on A TENDER AGE

    A Tender Age by Chang-rae Lee is a coming-of-age story which explores complex family dynamics, masculinity and the search for the American dream. Chang-rae joins us to talk about retrospection, the hidden drama of the suburbs, childhood in the 70's 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: A Tender Age by Chang-rae Lee Native Speaker by Chang-rae Lee My Year Abroad by Chang-rae Lee On Such a Full Sea by Chang-rae Lee Aloft by Chang-rae Lee A Gesture Life by Chang-rae Lee The Surrendered by Chang-rae Lee A Typing Lady by Ruth Ozeki Dubliners by James Joyce Dominion by Addie E. Citchens

  • August 8 · 50 min

    David Szalay on FLESH

    Now out in paperback, Flesh is a poignant examination of one teenage boy's brush with trauma that continues to haunt him far into adulthood. David joins us to talk about Hungary, agency, free will, physicality, realism and more with cohost Chris Gillespie. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Chris Gillespie and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books: Flesh by David Szalay All That Man Is by David Szalay Turbulence by David Szalay London and the South-East by David Szalay

  • August 6 · 47 min

    Colson Whitehead on COOL MACHINE

    The final installment in the vibrant Harlem trilogy, Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead is a portrait of New York in transition during the 1980s. Colson joined us live at B&N Union Square to talk about the evolution of his career, ghost stories, researching the perfect coffee table and New York nostalgia 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: Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead Cool Machine by Colson Whitehead The Intuitionist by Colson Whitehead The Odyssey by Homer Ulysses by James Joyce Night Shift by Stephen King The Colossus of New York by Colson Whitehead The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead The Noble Hustle by Colson Whitehead The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney Apex Hides the Hurt by Colson Whitehead Zone One by Colson Whitehead The Taking of Pelham One Two Three by John Godey The Living Dead by George A. Romero and Daniel Kraus The New York Trilogy by Paul Aster John Henry Days by Colson Whitehead Sag Harbor by Colson Whitehead The Hunter by Richard Stark

  • August 4 · 43 min

    Stacey Yu on KITTEN

    Kitten by Stacey Yu is a darkly funny modern love story from a debut novelist. Stacey joins us to talk about character, repression, coming of age, relationships, animals 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): Kitten by Stacey Yu Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt The Friend by Sigrid Nunez Intermezzo by Sally Rooney All About Love by bell hooks Hot Milk by Deborah Levy My Baby's First Birthday by Jenny Zhang Lost Cat by Mary Gatskill Featured Books (TBR Top Off): Kitten by Stacey Yu The Friend by Sigrid Nunez Fruit Fly by Josh Silver

  • August 1 · 53 min

    Alison Espach on THE WEDDING PEOPLE

    The Wedding People by Alison Espach is a tender, wise and witty story following a luxe wedding at the Cornwell Inn. Alison joins us to talk about character, middle age, liminal spaces, relationships and more with cohost 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: The Wedding People by Alison Espach Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Heart the Lover by Lily King

  • July 30 · 55 min

    Jenny Jackson on THE SHAMPOO EFFECT

    The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson is a hilarious tale of old friends, new lovers and the pressures they face. Jenny joined us live at B&N Upper West Side to talk about small-town gossip, parenting, invisible labor, friendships, editing and more with cohost 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 Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson Couples by John Updike Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke Make Nice by Ryan Effgen On the Calculation of Volume, Book I by Solvej Balle Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close Marrying the Ketchups by Jennifer Close Featured Books (TBR Top Off): The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson Sunburn by Chloe Michelle Howarth Salty by Kate Myers

  • July 28 · 42 min

    Emilee Hackney on ALL THAT'S UNSEEN

    All That's Unseen by Emilee Hackney is a triumphant memoir of hope, home and reinvention. Emilee joins us to talk about growing up in Appalachia, faith, shame, craft 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): All That's Unseen: An Appalachian Memoir by Emilee Hackney Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover Shiner by Amy Jo Burns The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed

  • July 23 · 52 min

    Melissa Murray on THE U.S. CONSTITUTION: A COMPREHENSIVE AND ANNOTATED GUIDE FOR THE MODERN READER

    The U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader by Melissa Murray is an irreverent and accessible guide to understanding our nation's history, amendment by amendment. Melissa joins us to talk about tyranny, translation, the founding fathers, the curation of history, the Electoral College, 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 U.S. Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for the Modern Reader by Melissa Murray The Lost Founder: James Wilson and the Forgotten Fight for a People's Constitution by Jesse Wegman How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith Kin by Tayari Jones The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

  • July 21 · 1 hr 4 min

    Eddie S. Glaude Jr. on AMERICA, U.S.A.

    America, U.S.A. by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. is a gripping exploration of the United States' history and its anniversaries. Eddie joins us to talk about storytelling, music, the semiquincentennial, language, W.E.B. Du Bois, James Baldwin 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): America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadow's the Nation's Anniversaries by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. We Are the Leaders We Have Been Looking For by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. The 42nd Parallel: The U.S.A. Trilogy, Volume 1 by John Dos Passos The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families by J. Anthony Lukas Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 by Eric Foner Black Reconstruction in America, 1860-1880 by W.E.B. Du Bois Slave Religion: The "Invisible Institution" in the Antebellum South by Albert J. Raboteau Race Matters by Cornel West Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People by Imani Perry Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin The Evidence of Things Not Seen by James Baldwin How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith Featured Books (TBR Top Off): America, U.S.A.: How Race Shadow's the Nation's Anniversaries by Eddie S. Glaude Jr. The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America by Richard Rothstein The War Within a War: The Black Struggle in Vietnam and at Home by Wil Haygood

  • July 18 · 40 min

    Nelio Biedermann on LÁZÁR

    Lázár by Nelio Biedermann tells the story of an aristocratic Hungarian family plagued by secrets, desire and tragedy. Nelio joins us to talk about WWII, family history, complicity, the literary canon 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): Lázár by Nelio Biedermann Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family by Thomas Mann Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf Ulysses by James Joyce Middlemarch by George Eliot Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

  • July 16 · 43 min

    Maria Reva on ENDLING

    Endling by Maria Reva is an inventive tale that takes on war, art and human connection. Maria joins us to talk about modern dating, malacology, research, character, dark humor and more with cohost Isabelle McConville. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Isabelle McConville and mixed by Harry Liang. New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): Endling by Maria Reva Good Citizens Need Not Fear by Maria Reva Barn 8 by Deb Olin Unferth The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia Best Canadian Stories 2026 Edited by Zsuzsi Gartner The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood Eradication by Jonathan Miles

  • July 14 · 48 min

    Julie Buntin on FAMOUS MEN

    Famous Men by Julie Buntin is a captivating novel following one woman's pursuit of home, family and identity. Julie joins us to talk about young womanhood, art, ambition, class, genre, structure and more with cohost 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): Famous Men by Julie Buntin Marlena by Julie Buntin Goodbye, Columbus: And Five Short Stories by Philip Roth Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee Great Expectations by Charles Dickens The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton Trust Exercise by Susan Choi My Education by Susan Choi The Children by Melissa Albert A Splintering by Dur e Aziz Amna

  • July 11 · 49 min

    Ben Reeves on EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT

    Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves follows Travis, the human embodiment of Death. Ben joins us to talk about mortality, time, grief, character and more with cohost 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): Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves Slaughterhouse-Five, or The Children's Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut The Book Thief by Markus Zusak If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor The Overstory by Richard Powers Grief Is the Thing with Feathers by Max Porter Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry into Values by Robert M. Pirsig Beloved by Toni Morrison North Woods by Daniel Mason

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