Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart is a story about a modern family coming apart at the seams — and one child is at the center of it all. Gary joins us to chat about characterization, curiosity, gifted kid burnout, dystopian fiction, AI 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): Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart Super Sad True Love Story by Gary Shteyngart Lake Success by Gary Shteyngart Little Failure by Gary Shteyngart What Maisie Knew by Henry James Prophet Song by Paul Lynch Circular Motion by Alex Foster