Poured Over

A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0 by Bill Bryson is the fully revised and updated exploration of life's biggest questions. Bill joins us to talk about advancements in research over the last 20 years, making science accessible, narrativizing history, Isaac Newton, humanity and more with guest host 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 (Episode): A Short History of Nearly Everything 2.0 by Bill Bryson A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson Notes From a Small Island by Bill Bryson In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson  

A Long Game by Elizabeth McCracken is a thoughtful and engaging guide to the craft of writing filled with tips, tricks and personal anecdotes from an acclaimed author. Elizabeth joins us to talk about breaking story rules, short stories vs novels, character physicality, setting, plot, dialogue 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): A Long Game: Notes on Writing Fiction by Elizabeth McCracken Thunderstruck & Other Stories by Elizabeth McCracken Here's Your Hat What's Your Hurry: Stories by Elizabeth McCracken The Souvenir Museum: Stories by Elizabeth McCracken Sweet Talk: Stories by Stephanie Vaughn The Hero of This Book by Elizabeth McCracken Niagara Falls All Over Again by Elizabeth McCracken Lost in the City by Edward P. Jones All Aunt Hagar's Children: Stories by Edward P. Jones Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do by Studs Terkel North Woods by Daniel Mason  

Small Rain by Garth Greenwell is a haunting story of one man's emotional reckoning. Garth joins us to talk about bewilderment, memory, interiority, James Baldwin, home ownership, intimacy 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): Small Rain by Garth Greenwell Nocturnes for the King of Naples by Edmund White Confessions by Saint Augustine Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin Another Country by James Baldwin  

Good Things by Samin Nosrat — our 2025 Gift Book of the Year — is a unique guide to forming a deeper sense of connection through food, paired with gorgeous photos and heartwarming anecdotes. Samin joins us to talk about reconnecting with cooking, writing recipes, teaching new thought processes in the kitchen, sharing a meal with loved ones, time, attention, community and more with guest host 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): Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love by Samin Nosrat Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat Canal House: Cook Something: Recipes to Rely On by Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer The Sabbath by Abraham Joshua Hechel The Sabbath World: Glimpse of a Different Order of Time by Judith Shulevitz Featured Books (TBR Top Off) Start Here: Instructions for Becoming a Better Cook: A Cookbook by Sohla El-Waylly Measure with Your Heart: Southern Home Cooking to Feed Your Family and Soul: A Cookbook by Hannah Taylor  

Girls Play Dead by award-winning journalist Jen Percy is a powerful and poignant portrait of women and survival. Jen joins us to talk about understanding trauma, PTSD, gender expectations, wartime reportage, self-preservation, research 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): Girls Play Dead: Acts of Self-Preservation by Jen Percy Demon Camp: The Strange and Terrible Saga of a Soldier's Return from War by Jen Percy Metamorphoses by Ovid The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brian Let Us Now Praise Famous Men by James Agee Bluets by Maggie Nelson  

Heart the Lover by Lily King is a gripping story of family, identity, life and love from the bestselling author of Writers & Lovers. Lily joined us live at B&N Upper West Side to talk about crafting an emotional arc, writing little moments between characters, details, process, vulnerability 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): Heart the Lover by Lily King Writers & Lovers by Lily King The Pleasing Hour by Lily King The English Teacher by Lily King Father of the Rain by Lily King Euphoria by Lily King The Evening of the Holiday by Shirley Hazzard Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf  

Blank Space: A Cultural History of the Twenty-First Century by author and critic W. David Marx is a gripping retrospective that examines our culture today — and questions where we might be headed. David joins us to talk about living in Tokyo, the internet, merging art and commerce, nostalgia, smartphones and more with cohosts Chris Gillespie and Isabelle McConville. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Isabelle McConville and 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 (Episode): Blank Space: A Cultural History of the Twenty-First Century by W. David Marx Status and Culture by W. David Marx The Nineties: A Book by Chuck Klosterman There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension by Hanif Abdurraqib Immediacy: Or, The Style of Too Late Capitalism by Anna Kornbluh Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up in the Early 1990s by John Ganz Liberalism and Its Discontents by Francis Fukuyama Filterworld: How Algorithms Flattened Culture by Kyle Chayka Everything I Need I Get from You: How Fangirls Created the Internet as We Know It by Kaitlyn Tiffany  

Joyride by Susan Orlean is a vibrant memoir about the craft of writing and the pursuit of creativity from an acclaimed author. Susan joins us to talk about reportage, capturing place, detail, writers as outsiders, curiosity 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): Joyride: A Memoir by Susan Orlean The Library Book by Susan Orlean The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean  

Palaver by National Book Award finalist Bryan Washington is a moving story about mother and son, identity, home and humanity. Bryan joins us to talk about Tokyo, writing in 3rd person, navigating intimacy, utilizing space on the page, honesty, memory 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): Palaver by Bryan Washington Lot by Bryan Washington Memorial by Bryan Washington Family Meal by Bryan Washington No Time to Spare: Thinking about What Matters by Ursula K. Le Guin Steering the Craft: A Twenty-First-Century Guide to Sailing the Sea of Story by Ursula K. Le Guin Koolaids by Rabih Alameddine The True True Story of Raja the Gullible by Rabih Alameddine A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar The Antidote by Karen Russell North Sun: Or, the Voyage of the Whaleship Esther by Ethan Rutherford Featured Books (TBR Top Off): Middle Spoon by Alejandro Varela The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong  

Languages of Home by John Edgar Wideman is a collection of the acclaimed author and cultural critic's most influential works — five decades in the making. John joins us to talk about the creative process, improvisation, basketball, storytelling, the evolution of voice, translation 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): Languages of Home: Essays on Writing, Hoop, and American Lives 1975-2025 by John Edgar Wideman Slaveroad by John Edgar Wideman Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad and the Fiction of Autobiography by Edward Said The Homewood Trilogy by John Edgar Wideman The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X Corregidora by Gayl Jones Ulysses by James Joyce Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf Philadelphia Fire by John Edgar Wideman Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Every Tongue Got to Confess: Negro Folk-tales from the Gulf States by Zora Neale Hurston  

We Survived the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCat is a powerful and poignant blend of memoir, poetry, folklore and reportage from an Oscar-nominated director, journalist and champion powwow dancer. Julian joins us to talk about trickster narratives, Coyote stories, art, consideration 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): We Survived the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCat There There by Tommy Orange Shutter by Ramona Emerson Soft as Bones: A Memoir by Chyana Marie Sage Moby Dick by Herman Melville  

The White Hot by Quiara Alegría Hudes is a lyrical and poignant novel about womanhood, home and identity from the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winner My Broken Language. Quiara joins us to talk about physicality, motherhood, eldest daughters, coming of age, Philadelphia 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 White Hot by Quiara Alegría Hudes My Broken Language by Quiara Alegría Hudes Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse Sula by Toni Morrison The Autobiography of My Mother by Jamaica Kincaid The Most by Jessica Anthony Joe Turner's Come and Gone by August Wilson The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante  

Some Bright Nowhere by Ann Packer is a tender story of marriage, family and home. Ann joins us to talk about shifting perspective, community, character, moral dilemmas, influences 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): Some Bright Nowhere by Ann Packer Mendocino and Other Stories by Ann Packer The Dive From Clausen's Pier by Ann Packer Songs Without Words by Ann Packer The Children's Crusade by Ann Packer Sandwich by Catherine Newman Disturbances in the Field by Lynne Sharon Schwartz  

Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte is a sharp and smart collection about belonging, vanity and connection. Tony joins us to talk about character vs plot, living alongside technology, isolation, satire 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): Rejection by Tony Tulathimutte Private Citizens by Tony Tulathimutte Portnoy's Complaint by Philip Roth The Dog of the South by Charles Portis  

Lightbreakers by Aja Gabel is a genre-defying story about how far one would go to save the person they love. Aja joins us to talk about time travel, faith vs fear, screenwriting, contemporary art, Marfa 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): Lightbreakers by Aja Gabel The Ensemble by Aja Gabel Exhalation by Ted Chiang Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang  

The Everlasting by bestselling author Alix E. Harrow is an epic time-traveling fantasy about history, legacy, belonging and bravery. Alix joined us live at The Grove to talk about creating her own mythology, unreliable narrators, time loop stories, lady-knights, gender roles 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 Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang In Memoriam by Alice Winn Starling House by Alix E. Harrow Middlemarch by George Eliot Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Black Silk by Judith Ivory  

Our Book Club pick, Like Family by Erin O. White, is a big-hearted tale of chosen family and complicated love with three couples at its core. Erin joins us to talk about relationships, coming-of-middle-age, desire, social media, envy and more with guest host 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): Like Family by Erin O. White Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld Awake by Jen Hatmaker The Well of Loneliness by Radclyffe Hall Wolf Bells by Leni Zumas The Rest of Our Lives by Ben Markovitz Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden  

Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite — the bestselling author of My Sister, the Serial Killer — is a bold and hilarious novel about a woman who seeks to break free from her family's unfortunate legacy. Oyinkan joins us to talk about family, structure, Lagos, marriage stories, influences 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): Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami  

King Sorrow by Joe Hill is a thrilling (and fire-breathing) horror that delves into the occult — with a side of romance. Joe joined us live at B&N Union Square to talk about dark academia, creating his characters, why we read, friendship, dragons 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): King Sorrow by Joe Hill NOS4A2 by Joe Hill Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill The Fireman by Joe Hill Horns by Joe Hill The Secret History by Donna Tartt Why Horror Seduces by Mathias Clasen Locke & Key: Keyhouse Compendium by Joe Hill  

Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave by Mariana Enriquez is an extraordinary travelogue and memoir that invites readers on a journey through the world's cemeteries. Mariana joins us to talk about travelogues, epigraphs, confronting death, working through fear, horror films 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): Somebody Is Walking on Your Grave by Mariana Enriquez Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez A Sunny Place for Shady People: Stories by Mariana Enriquez Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick Ghostly Matters: Haunting and the Sociological Imagination by Avery F. Gordon