Poured Over

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.
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:
The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Phillyaw
The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman by Deesha Philyaw
The Sellout by Paul Beatty
The Prophets by Robert Jones

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.
This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang. The episode features musical accompaniment from pianist and musicologist, César Reyes.
New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. 
Featured Books:
Partita by Barbara Kingsolver
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver
Pigs in Heaven by Barbara Kingsolver
The Death of the Hired Man by Robert Frost

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.
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:
Every Story is a Love Story by Imbolo Mbue
Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue
How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
Mother Mary Comes to Me by Arundathi Roy
Monkey Boy by Francisco Goldman
The Country of the Blind by Andrew Leland
The Laughter by Sonora Jha

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.
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:
Ply by Hernan Diaz
Trust by Hernan Diaz
In the Distance by Hernan Diaz
The Bostonians by Henry James
Zone One by Colson Whitehead
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
Moderation by Elaine Castillo
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy

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.
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:
American Hagwon by Min Jin Lee
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee
Middlemarch by George Eliot
Can You Forgive Her? By Anthony Trollope
Bleak House by Charles Dickens
The Risk of Compressed Modernity by Chang Kyung-Sup
Tale of Genji by Murasaki Shikibu