Poured Over – Details, episodes & analysis

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

Someone Like Us by Dinaw Mengestu tells the story of the son of Ethiopian immigrants unraveling family history, connection and memory. Mengestu joins us to talk about the experiences that lead to his writing, diasporic communities, power in storytelling 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): 

Someone Like Us by Dinaw Mengestu  

The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears by Dinaw Mengestu 

Lost in the City by Edward P. Jones 

“Our ancestors, our grandparents, love us by not speaking…”  

 The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan follows one family in 1945 Malaya as they face the realities of a life shaped by war and colonization. Chan joined us to talk about her family connection to her novel, her unique journey to becoming an author, the things about writing that surprised her 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 Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan 

Sea Change by Gina Chung 

The Great Reclamation by Rachel Heng 

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett  

The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade 

In Memoriam by Alice Winn 

“New York is a character in the book, and I hate it when people are like ‘the city's almost a character’” 

One of our favorites of 2023, Colson Whitehead’s Crook Manifesto is a crime novel and so much more with unforgettable characters and a gritty portrait of New York in the 70s. Whitehead joined us to talk about his portrayal of the city he grew up in, creating a code of honor for criminals, important movie references 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): 

Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead 

Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead 

The World According to Fannie Davis by Bridgett Davis 

The Colossus of New York by Colson Whitehead  

“I think it's actually good for discussion, because you want to see a range of variety of books on these top 10 lists.” 

It’s been a great year for books! With best-of-the-year lists rolling out, Gilbert Cruz, Books Editor at the New York Times, sat down with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over, to discuss some favorites of the year, how the top lists are compiled, the joys of recommending books and more.   

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): 

Lone Women by Victor LaValle 

Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton 

North Woods by Daniel Mason 

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride 

Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah 

The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel 

Fire Weather by John Vaillant 

Master Slave Husband Wife by Ilyon Woo 

The Wager by David Grann 

Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park 

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond 

A Living Remedy by Nicole Chung 

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray 

The Fraud by Zadie Smith 

The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis 

A Man of Two Faces by Viet Thanh Nguyen 

Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang 

Loot by Tania James 

Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead 

Whalefall by Daniel Kraus 

This Other Eden by Paul Harding 

Winner of the National Book Award for Nonfiction, The Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk puts Indigenous history at the center to create a fuller and more accurate depiction of America’s past and future. Blackhawk joins us to talk about the erasure of Indigenous peoples from American history, retelling narratives from new perspectives, the surprises he found in his research 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 Rediscovery of America by Ned Blackhawk 

Fashion Killa by Sowmya Krishnamurthy offers an in-depth look at the significant cultural intersection between hip-hop music and the world of fashion. Krishnamurthy joins us to talk about her career leading up to writing this book, the research she did, gender roles in hip-hop and fashion 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): 

Fashion Killa by Sowmya Krishnamurthy  

Hot Springs Drive by Lindsay Hunter is a raw and visceral novel that explores primal desires, shocking secrets and the effects they have on those that uncover them. Hunter is joined by her publisher, Roxane Gay, a prolific author in her own right including her new collection, Opinions. The two join us to discuss collaboration and revision, writing the gritty details of life, advice for writers 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 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):  

Hot Springs Drive by Lindsay Hunter 

Opinions by Roxane Gay 

O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker 

Empty Theatre by Jac Jemc 

The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure 

 Featured Books (TBR Topoff): 

Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh 

The Need by Helen Phillips 

Emily Wilson’s new translation of The Iliad brings to life this divine tale of conflict, love and honor in a way that feels fresh and compulsively readable. Wilson joins us to talk about the universality of Homer’s work, working with gods and epic themes, translating for modern audiences 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 Odyssey translated by Emily Wilson 

The Iliad translated by Emily Wilson