Season 1

1. Ta-Nehisi Coates: The Water Dancer

2019-11-01 · 58m

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.

2. Elizabeth Strout: Olive, Again

2020-01-18 · 43m

Elizabeth tells Oprah how her celebrated protagonist reappeared and why she finds the everydayness of life to be extraordinary.

3. Jeanine Cummins: American Dirt (1)

2020-03-06 · 66m

Jeanine and Oprah are joined by authors Reyna Grande, Julissa Arce, and Esther Cepeda for a raw, revealing conversation about the novel.

4. Jeanine Cummins: American Dirt (2)

2020-03-06 · 40m

Latinx people who saw themselves reflected in the book share insights into real-life migrant experiences.

5. Robert Kolker: Hidden Valley Road

2020-06-12 · 52m

Oprah has in-depth discussions with author Kolker and surviving members of the Galvin family about living this extraordinary true story.

6. James McBride: Deacon King Kong

2020-07-30 · 19m

Oprah and McBride discuss how his novel speaks to the current moment, his focus on the Black experience, and the inspiration for his characters.

7. Isabel Wilkerson: Caste

2020-10-02 · 36m

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.

8. Marilynne Robinson: Gilead

2021-04-23 · 12m

Oprah talks to Robinson about her Pulitzer Prize-winning second novel, finding the character of John Ames, and how faith shapes her writing.

9. Marilynne Robinson: Home

2021-04-30 · 8m

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.

10. Marilynne Robinson: Lila

2021-05-07 · 11m

Oprah and Robinson discuss finding new layers in established characters, what America looks like at its best, and how loneliness can be a privilege.

11. Marilynne Robinson: Jack

2021-05-14 · 15m

Discussing the fourth Gilead novel, Robinson opens up about its interracial romance, her writing process, and the possibility of more stories.

12. Nathan Harris: The Sweetness of Water

2021-07-23 · 29m

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.

13. Honorée Fanonne Jeffers: The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois

2021-09-23 · 27m

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.

14. Richard Powers: Bewilderment

2021-10-22 · 29m

Oprah and Powers talk about his first novel since a Pulitzer Prize win, finding empathy through our differences, and his hopes for our planet.