Rachel Kushner’s Creation Lake is a spy novel and philosophical exploration told with humor, intrigue and a propulsive plot. Kushner joins us to talk about writing in the noir genre, the question of her narrator’s reliability, the purpose and reward of reading 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): 

Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner 

The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner 

The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner 

Featured Books (TBR Top Off): 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson 

Scrap by Calla Henkel 

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor is a stunning coming-of-age tale of a girl caught on the precipice between adulthood and childhood, familiarity and the unknown. O’Connor joins us to talk about crafting a short novel, isolated settings, her influences and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. We end this episode with TBR Top Off book recommendations from Jamie and Donald.

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):

Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor

Clear by Carys Davies

Orbital by Samanta Harvey

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Featured Books (TBR Top Off):

The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry

Clear by Carys Davies

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors is a story about sisterhood and how grief can pull a family apart — and put them back together again. Mellors joins us to talk about creating her characters’ distinct voices, sibling dynamics, connection through writing 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):

Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

All Fours by Miranda July

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer analyzes the artistic and creative life and those who live it in a page-turning conversation about the way we consume art. Dederer joins us to talk about the subjectivity of criticism, the intensity of fandom, ethics in art and more.

Sonora Jha’s The Laughter is a satirical novel taking on academia, obsession, race and class in with wit and, of course, laughter. Jha joins us to talk about creating her characters, writing an unreliable narrator, her 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 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):

Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer

The Name of This Band is R.E.M. by Peter Ames Carlin

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

The Laughter by Sonora Jha

Vladimir by Julia May Jonas

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

The Remains of The Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

The Sea, The Sea by Iris Murdoch

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Kate DiCamillo joins us to talk about her work from Because of Winn Dixie to The Puppets of Spelhorst and beyond. DiCamillo and co-host Jenna Seery discuss her start as a writer, the joys a good book can bring, the importance of reading for young people and more. We end this episode with TBR Top Off book recommendations from Marc and Donald.

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):

The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Ferris by Kate DiCamillo

The Watsons Go to Birmingham — 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

Mercy Watson to the Rescue by Kate DiCamillo

The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

A Bear Called Paddington by Michael Bond

Holes by Louis Sachar

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Howard’s End by E.M. Forster

On Beauty by Zadie Smith

Featured Books (TBR Top Off):

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo

We’re Alone by Edwidge Danticat is a collection of essays that combines personal stories with global themes. Danticat joins us to talk about evolution in storytelling, the role of community in writing, the joy of connection and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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):

We’re Alone by Edwidge Danticat

Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat

The Farming of Bones by Edwidge Danticat

Everything Inside by Edwidge Danticat

Claire of the Sea Light by Edwidge Danticat

James by Percival Everett

Colored Television by Danzy Senna

Caucasia by Danzy Senna

In And So I Roar, Abi Daré returns to the story she began in The Girl with the Louding Voice, with characters both old and new in an ongoing story of resilience, sisterhood and hope. Daré joins us to talk about character development, balancing her narrative with emotional truth, the exploration of new themes and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. 

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):  

And So I Roar by Abi Daré 

The Girl With the Louding Voice by Abi Daré 

The Color Purple by Alice Walker 

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak is a story of love, grief and hope told across humanity, time and history. Shafak joins us to talk about her central themes, empire and identity, her literary influences and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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):

There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak

The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak

10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

The Epic of Gilgamesh translated by Andrew George

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Orlando by Virginia Woolf

Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen is an unnerving and disturbing novel with ancient secrets, modern lies and messy family ties. Pedersen joins us to talk about gothic horror in rural Nebraska, blending mythologies, the complexity of writing about trauma and more with cohost Jenna Seery. We end this episode with TBR Top Off book recommendations from Marc and Donald. 

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): 

Sacrificial Animals by Kailee Pedersen  

My Ántonia by Willa Cather 

The Road by Cormac McCarthy  

The Lover by Marguerite Duras  

Featured Books (TBR Top Off): 

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones 

Grey Dog by Elliot Gish  

Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)? by Jay Ellis is a collection of essays that chronicle his time growing up in a world he couldn't make sense of. Ellis joined us live at The Grove to talk about growing up in the 80s and 90s, the process of writing about your life, processing heavy moments through creativity and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. 

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): 

Did Everyone Have an Imaginary Friend (or Just Me)? by Jay Ellis 

Deacon King Kong by James McBride 

Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 

Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo 

Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg 

Gilbert Cruz, Books Editor for the New York Times joins us to talk about the 100 Best Books of the 21stCentury list. Cruz talked about the creation of the list, the varied participants, the importance of recent literature and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.

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):

Filterworld by Kyle Chayka

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead

Trust by Hernan Diaz

Stay True by Hua Hsu

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

There’s Always This Year by Hanif Abdurraqib

Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjeh-Brenyah

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

The Round House by Louise Erdrich

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu