Travel writing, ecological reporting and history flow together in a portrait of one of nature’s most powerful features in Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane. Rob joins us to talk about the rights of rivers, white river kayaking, giving old ideas new power, moral imagination, fear vs risk, water puns 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): Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert Macfarlane

Tayari Jones and A.M. Homes joined us live at B&N Upper West Side to celebrate 30 Years of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and riff on the craft of writing, the importance (and fun) of editing, unlikable characters, literary influences, endings 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): An American Marriage by Tayari Jones May We Be Forgiven by A.M. Homes James by Percival Everett Good Girl by Aria Aber

Spent by Alison Bechdel is a big-hearted and funny account of life and art from a beloved author. Alison joins us to talk about late-stage capitalism, vulnerability hangovers, community, writing autofiction 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): Spent by Alison Bechdel Fun Home by Alison Bechdel Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel Diet for a Small Planet by Frances Moore Lappé The Unstrung Harp by Edward Gorey

Inspiring and uplifting, A Little Daylight Left by Sarah Kay is a poetry collection aimed at lighting the fire in you, whether you're facing new challenges, or staring down familiar ones. Sarah joined us live to talk about how she started writing poetry, making poetry accessible for any reader, live performances 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 Little Daylight Left by Sarah Kay Martyr! by Kaveh Akabar

Mark Twain by Ron Chernow is a deep dive into the life of one of America’s literary geniuses through the eyes of a master biographer. Ron joins us to talk about his research process, understanding the inner and outer life of Mark Twain, viewing Twain through a modern lens, the future of biographies 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): Mark Twain by Ron Chernow Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Chasing the Last Laugh by Richard Zacks

Featured Books (TBR Top Off): Mark Twain by Ron Chernow James by Percival Everett The Invention of Nature by Andrea Wulf

There are the books you read and then there are the books you experience, like The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong. Poet, photographer and bestselling author, Vuong’s novels are spun from gorgeous prose and vibrant, original imagery. Ocean joins us to talk about autofiction, language, wonder, characterization and more with 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 Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong Suttree by Cormac McCarthy Another Country by James Baldwin The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger The Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow Ways of Seeing by John Berger

Featured Books (TBR Top Off): The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong Dayspring by Anthony Oliveira My Name is Emilia del Valle by Isabel Allende

The Names by Florence Knapp is a stunning story about the power of family, legacy, language and lineage. Florence joins us to talk about writing in alternate timelines, the power of a name, fate vs choice, parenting 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): The Names by Florence Knapp This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei is a story about the dawn of the internet, budding influencer culture and complicated family ties. Jemimah joins us to talk about Singapore, sisterhood, ambition, the rise of social media and more with 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 Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin A Heavy Feather by A.L. Barker A Single Man by Christopher Isherwood The Most by Jessica Anthony Heaven by Mieko Kawakami The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory Attack on Titan by Hajime Isayama Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Strangers in the Land by Michael Luo is a gripping history of Chinese immigrants in America, from the nineteenth century to modern times. Michael joins us to talk about researching archives, the Chinese Exclusion Act, writing narrative nonfiction, working as a journalist 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): Strangers in the Land by Michael Luo The Cycles of American History by Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe The Wager by David Grann The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson A Fever in the Heartland by Timothy Egan

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is the big-hearted tale of a detective octopus helping a grieving aquarium employee solve the mystery of her missing son. Shelby joins us to talk about living in an octopus renaissance, small towns, feeling uprooted, writing about grief, creating chapter titles 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): Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving