Poured Over Podcast

The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw is a scandalous, messy satire about a pageant for the wives of megachurch pastors, following Scharisse Freeman, a church "First Lady" who gets caught between childhood secrets and her public image. Deesha joined us live at B&N City Center in Philadelphia to talk about creating humor on the page, obedience, faith, and her skepticism of forgiveness with host Miwa Messer.

Pulitzer Prize winner Barbara Kingsolver returns with Partita, an unforgettable story of resilience, possibility and the transformative power of music. Barbara joins us to talk about her craft, her passion for classical music, and her Appalachian heritage with host Miwa Messer.

Every Story is a Love Story by Imbolo Mbue is a smart and tender exploration of grief following a man who meets the person responsible for his wife’s fatal car accident. Imbolo joins us to talk about faith, community, regret, and forgiveness with cohost Brenda Allison.

In Pulitzer Prize-winning author Hernan Diaz's Ply, centuries from now, society has adapted to a new way of life as humans mend their relationships to the world…and each other. Hernan joined us live in Philadelphia to talk about subjectivity, selfhood and identity; particle physics; and Charles Dickens with host Miwa Messer.

The acclaimed, bestselling author of Pachinko, Min Jin Lee returns with American Hagwon, a modern classic about ambition and love, family and finding home. Min Jin joined us live at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church to talk about education and ambition, the 19th Century social novel, compressed modernity, and trying to be a good person in an anxious world with host Miwa Messer.

In The French Illusion by John Grisham, a honeymoon unravels into terror as newlyweds Paul and Chelsea get snatched from the French countryside, prompting a puzzling investigation. John joins us to talk about his time in law school, his prolific writing career, and his advocacy for the wrongfully convicted with cohost Chris Gillespie.

Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright and author, Ayad Akhtar joins us to talk about craft, the campus novel, autofiction, and his latest book, The Radiance, with host Miwa Messer.

Now out in paperback, The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon casts a needed spotlight on the other heroes of American greatness — ones you may not have heard of. Sharon joins us to talk about raising engaged citizens, local news, and communication as a leadership skill with cohost Chris Gillespie.

Beloved storyteller John Green returns with a new tender love story set against the underbelly of the entertainment industry as two actors balance their rising fame with their complicated feelings in Hollywood, Ending. John joins us to talk about the social internet, the attention economy, Andy Warhol, having fun writing, and the world's largest ball of paint with cohost Brenda Allison.

Blending surrealism, satire and philosophical concepts, Booker Prize-longlisted Helen of Nowhere by Makenna Goodman weaves a tale of beginnings following a disgraced professor who moves into a house where the presence of the previous owner lingers. Makenna joins us to talk about narrative form, stand-up comedy, and the dynamism of nature with cohost Jenna Seery.

In Triage, acclaimed author and playwright Claudia Rankine uses prose, poetry and art images to challenge the ways we look at friendship and memory, action and obligation. Claudia joined us live from B&N Upper West Side to talk about narrative, lyric poetry, interiority, and broadening the collective we with host Miwa Messer.

In her latest novel, Hollow Bones, Jodi Picoult uses her powerful voice to craft a moving story about what we do to protect our loved ones when faced with the unexpected. Jodi joins us to talk about public health, private tragedy, motherhood, and gender gaps in healthcare with cohost Brenda Allison.

Told from the perspective of a wax doll, Olga Ravn's The Wax Child is a chilling tale inspired by a real group of women accused of dark magic in seventeenth-century Denmark. Olga joins us to talk about her craft, the power of ritual, collective memory, creepy children, and contemporary Scandinavian literature with cohost Jenna Seery.

Crossing the Wine-Dark Sea by Emily Wilson takes readers on a tour through the ancient world for an entertaining examination of Greek and Roman literature and their impact on our modern world. Emily joins us to talk about the joys and challenges of interpreting antiquity, the stakes of poetic form and re-translating The Odyssey with cohost Jenna Seery.

The Booker Prize–winning author Marlon James returns with The Disappearers, a deeply human story exploring queer life in Jamaica during the 1980s and 1990s. Marlon joined us live from Stony Brook University to talk about the consequences of violence, the loss of monoculture, Polari, post-colonial literature, and the X-Men with host Miwa Messer.