Poured Over

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...

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...

"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 a...

"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 Se...

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...

In Roman Stories Jhumpa Lahiri translates her own writing from Italian in a feat of language and a love and connection to Rome itself. Lahiri joins us to talk about the role of a translator in literature, language and identity, exophonic authors 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.       ...

"I think that messy, sort of evolving spiritual element of Black Americans' lives ... has allowed us to survive, and not only to survive, but also to thrive." Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward balances grief and injustice with joy and reclamation in a sweeping, lyrical novel that brings often overlooked history into the light. Ward joins us to talk about exploring historical fiction, writing beyond th...

Percy Jackson returns at long last in The Chalice of the Gods. Rick Riordan brings ba ck the characters that started it all in a new adventure as they face down one of their toughest challenges yet — getting into college. Riordan joins us to talk about the return to his beloved series, collaborating with incredible authors in his publishing imprint, adapting his work for the screen and more with M...

Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell by Sy Montgomery with illustrations by Matt Patterson brings these wondrous creatures to the forefront as we learn about their personalities, complex ecosystems and their connections to humanity in a variety of ways. Montgomery and Patterson join us to talk about their love of turtles, the importance of local conservation and rescues...

"I expect my reader to meet me halfway with their own experiences and fill in the white space, fill in what's left unsaid." Remember Us   by Jacqueline Woodson brings the reader to Brooklyn in the 70s to examine memory and acceptance through the eyes of one girl from her childhood and beyond. Woodson joins us to talk about writing for young people, the themes of childhood and nostalgia, creating i...

Family Meal by Bryan Washingto n features the importance of food, friends and connection with a cast of characters working through the transitions in life. Washington joins us to talk about the identity of place , how he writes the messiness of life, staying truthful to characters and their struggles and more. Curtis Chin's Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant follows the author...

"I want people to read it with joy, just for the story. But I do hope that they'll pick up something else along the way about … deeper things." The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok finds two women on incredibly different paths in life in collision as they grapple with issues of culture, class and motherhood. Kwok joins us to talk about how she started a career in writing, the importance and language an...

"I wanted it to feel like stepping off the world..." Blackouts by Justin Torres explores love, loss and the stories we leave behind with inventive and transformative form and prose. Torres joins us to talk about the source material for this novel, the importance of telling queer stories, navigating legacy, loneliness and identity and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. This episode of Pour...

Our October Discover Pick is The Refugee Ocean by Pauls Toutonghi, featuring musical prose and interwoven stories that cross generations and countries to explore what it means to be an immigrant and the resiliency of the human spirit. Toutonghi joins us to talk about his family connection to the novel, using fiction to connect to the human experience, the long process of writing this book and more...

"Language doesn't just exist on the page … It's about how you embody it."  How to Say Babylon by Safiya Sinclair is a poetic memoir about growing up as a Rastafari woman in Jamaica and how words and writing empowered her voice. Sinclair joins us to talk about the literary connections in her poetry, shedding light on the reality of her upbringing, and the identity that comes with writing and readin...

Jonathan Lethem's Brooklyn Crime Novel brings readers to New York in the 70s and the cast of characters it contains . Lethem joins us to talk about creating something different than he'd done before, writing memory and nostalgia, the joy of bookselling and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over. The Maniac  by Benjamín Labatut defies genre with an examination and exploration of science and hum...

"My biggest goal was to convert people who said they don't like fantasy." V.E. Schwab's Shades of Magic series has enchanted us with wit, wonder and a world not unlike our own, filled with heroes and intrigue. Her newest addition, The Fragile Threads of Power , brings our favorite characters on a new adventure. Schwab joins us to talk about returning to her magical version of London, the role of s...

The Unsettled by Ayana Mathis follows a family through generations from small town Alabama to Philadelphia in the 80s as they struggle, succeed and learn to care for each other. Mathis joins us to talk about how long it took her to write this book, keeping joy in hard stories, how real events and culture shape her characters and more with Miwa Messer, host of Poured Over.  This episode of Poured O...

"It really illuminates these questions of privilege and pleasure, and what kind of joy we can look forward to in the human experience as things continue to get worse." In a world facing food scarcity and limited resources, a young chef enters a world of allure, privilege, abundance (and their consequences) in  Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang. Zhang joins us to talk about the mythology of the...

"This book is the most personal because it is what I feel about the world itself." The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff is a beautiful and propulsive survival story that brings new life to wilderness fiction. Groff joins us to talk about her extensive drafting process, her varied influences, getting language right in historical fiction and more live at Barnes & Noble Union Square with Miwa Messer, hos...

Daniel Mason's North Woods follows one house in the woods of New England as it passes through families (with inhabitants both human and not) and endures natural and human history. Mason joins us to talk about how he connected with his setting, writing a novel covering a large timespan, playing with form and more.  The Bee Sting by Paul Murray chronicles the saga of a family in a post-economic-coll...

Wellness by Nathan Hill follows a marriage over decades through a variety of successes, challenges and surprises. Hill joins us to talk about how long it took him to write his novel, describing a realistic marriage, the power of algorithms and more. Ben Fountain's Devil Makes Three brings readers to Haiti in 1991 with a cast of characters ranging from divers looking for shipwrecked treasure to CIA...

" I feel like I could actually follow you through this journey and come out of it changed rather than abused by my ignorance ."   The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland blends memoir, history and culture in a study of the experience of blindness and how it effects both the individual and society as a whole . Leland joins us to talk about the connection between blindness and literacy, the langua...

Claudia Dey's novel Daughter is a stark and beautiful portrait of the complicated dynamic between a young artist and her father. Dey joins us to talk about creating the distinct voice of the novel, complicated family relationships, writing a novel that's true and more.      I'm a Fan by Sheena Patel is a visceral look at one young woman's descent into the world of social media obsession with a sha...

"… this was a book about beauty, and I wanted it to be very honest."  In Mona Awad's  Rouge , gothic family-drama meets fairy tale (with a hint of horror) as a young woman navigates the world of youth and beauty in the aftermath of her mother's death.   Awad joins us to talk about how her obsession with skincare led to writing this book, creating a mother and daughter dynamic, the importance of wr...