Episodes List
Ep.1 Ta-Nehisi Coates: The Water Dancer
Air Date: 2019-11-01
Oprah and Ta-Nehisi discuss the 10-year process of writing his #1 best-selling debut novel and the cultural conversation it has provoked. Plus, Ta-Nehisi visits Monticello, which inspired his book's setting.
Ep.2 Elizabeth Strout: Olive, Again
Air Date: 2020-01-18
Elizabeth tells Oprah how her celebrated protagonist reappeared and why she finds the everydayness of life to be extraordinary.
Ep.3 Jeanine Cummins: American Dirt (1)
Air Date: 2020-03-06
Jeanine and Oprah are joined by authors Reyna Grande, Julissa Arce, and Esther Cepeda for a raw, revealing conversation about the novel.
Ep.4 Jeanine Cummins: American Dirt (2)
Air Date: 2020-03-06
Latinx people who saw themselves reflected in the book share insights into real-life migrant experiences.
Ep.5 Robert Kolker: Hidden Valley Road
Air Date: 2020-06-12
Oprah has in-depth discussions with author Kolker and surviving members of the Galvin family about living this extraordinary true story.
Ep.6 James McBride: Deacon King Kong
Air Date: 2020-07-30
Oprah and McBride discuss how his novel speaks to the current moment, his focus on the Black experience, and the inspiration for his characters.
Ep.7 Isabel Wilkerson: Caste
Air Date: 2020-10-02
Calling the book ”a must-read for all of humanity,” Oprah asks Wilkerson what compelled her to write it and why we need a new language for race.
Ep.8 Marilynne Robinson: Gilead
Air Date: 2021-04-23
Oprah talks to Robinson about her Pulitzer Prize-winning second novel, finding the character of John Ames, and how faith shapes her writing.
Ep.9 Marilynne Robinson: Home
Air Date: 2021-04-30
Robinson explains what inspired her to revisit the story of Gilead from different points of view and why she chose to address the subject of race.
Ep.10 Marilynne Robinson: Lila
Air Date: 2021-05-07
Oprah and Robinson discuss finding new layers in established characters, what America looks like at its best, and how loneliness can be a privilege.
Ep.11 Marilynne Robinson: Jack
Air Date: 2021-05-14
Discussing the fourth Gilead novel, Robinson opens up about its interracial romance, her writing process, and the possibility of more stories.
Ep.12 Nathan Harris: The Sweetness of Water
Air Date: 2021-07-23
Oprah sits down with Harris to discuss his debut novel's inspiration, his writing process, and how a biracial upbringing shaped his point of view.
Ep.13 Honorée Fanonne Jeffers: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
Air Date: 2021-09-23
The acclaimed poet opens up to Oprah about the inspiration for her epic debut novel and what she hopes to impart about the Black experience.
Ep.14 Richard Powers: Bewilderment
Air Date: 2021-10-22
Oprah and Powers talk about his first novel since a Pulitzer Prize win, finding empathy through our differences, and his hopes for our planet.
