When Jenny Lisk's husband started feeling dizzy one day, they had no idea the cause would be terminal brain cancer. In an instant, Jenny had to become a caretaker to her husband while also figuring out how she was going to parent their two kids as a widow. Now five years later, Jenny hosts the Widowed Parent Podcast and has written her first book, Future Widow, to offer the advice she wishes she had to those in her position as well as friends and family looking to help.
Critic and essayist Phillip Lopate joins Zibby to discuss his latest anthology, The Golden Age of the American Essay: 1945-1970, and how it fits into his trilogy of American essay collections. Also discussed is Phillip's large body of work (including The Art of the Personal Essay, which has been a part of every personal library Zibby has had), why anthologies require a certain headspace to assemble, and just how powerful an essay can be.
Cartoonist and author Terri Libenson joins Zibby to discuss her latest middle-grade novel, Just Jaime, which was selected for The Washington Post KidsPost Summer Book Club. Terri and Zibby talk about their experiences of excluding and being excluded by friends in middle school, as well as how our painful and embarrassing childhood memories are actually important to discuss. Terri also shares the story of how she became a syndicated cartoonist which ultimately led to her creating the Emmie & Friends series.
Behavioral scientist and author Jon Levy joins Zibby to talk about his famous Influencers Dinner, and reveals some secrets about the exclusive dining experience (hint: you'll never guess what they always make for dinner). Jon also shares the science behind his new book, You're Invited, and how the desire to make changes in his life years ago inspired his life's work. Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books has teamed up with Katie Couric Media and Random House to give away 100 copies of Sarah Sentilles’ book, Stranger Care! Enter the giveaway by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3jdKctA
MSNBC and NBC news anchor Richard Lui talks to Zibby— but not about himself. Richard shares why he wanted to write a self-help book on how to be less selfish after he became a family caretaker following his father's Alzheimer's diagnosis, how working in journalism inspired him to form a team of ten creatives to help write Enough About Me, and how he hopes this book will reach its intended audience of people willing to make more selfless changes in their lives. Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books has teamed up with Katie Couric Media and Random House to give away 100 copies of Sarah Sentilles’ book, Stranger Care! Enter the giveaway by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3jdKctA
Award-winning baker and writer Kate Lebo talks with Zibby about her new book of essays, The Book of Difficult Fruit. Part memoir, part history lesson, and featuring fantastic recipes, this alphabetic collection shows readers the relationships that can exist between fruits, medicines, and ourselves. Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books has teamed up with Katie Couric Media and Random House to give away 100 copies of Sarah Sentilles’ book, Stranger Care! Enter the giveaway by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3jdKctA
When dancer and choreographer Dacía James Lewis looked back over the journal entries she wrote during a season of infertility and struggles, she knew she had a story that could help other women feel less alone. Through her faith and with a supportive partner by her side, Dacía weathered that storm of hopelessness and is now sharing her story to inspire those who might be going through their own struggle, too.
Hadassah Lieberman piques Zibby's interest in transgenerational trauma in today's episode as she recounts the need she felt to share her family story. Born to Holocaust survivors and married to a former U.S. Senator, Hadassah has had an extraordinary life and carries the weight of others' narratives with her: after finding and translating her mother's diary, she knew this memoir could not be just hers alone.
"It's very hard to demonize someone you know and care about. It's very easy to objectify someone you know nothing about. We really need each other." Rabbi Steve Leder recently joined Zibby for an Instagram Live conversation to discuss this month's hostilities between Israel and Palestine and how the violence is now manifesting in America. The two discussed the importance of building genuine relationships with those who are different from us as well as why this is an essential lesson to teach children, and why more Americans need to condemn the rising tide of anti-Semitism when they see it.
Actress and author Robinne Lee discusses the inspiration behind the May-December romance in her novel, The Idea of You, and how birthing her first child lead to birthing her first publication. She shares with Zibby the deep attachment she felt to her characters and the separation anxiety she experienced once the book was complete, highlighting the trauma that comes with letting go of a fictitious love.
"This whole book is about finding your center. The center does hold with a couple of good friends." Anne Lamott recently joined Zibby's Book Club to discuss her latest book, Dusk, Night, Dawn: On Revival and Courage, and answered questions from book club members. Anne talked about those she looks to for inspiration, her experience watching her son's journey to sobriety as a former alcoholic herself, and how she seeks forgiveness every day, especially during the pandemic.
"These anonymous people who are struggling have no idea that they saved people's lives. I just think it really speaks to how wonderful it is when we can share our struggles and realize that we're not alone." Jenny Lawson talks with Zibby about the community that has formed in the comments sections of her blog, The Bloggess, and how their candor inspired her to write more openly about heavier topics like her depression and rheumatoid arthritis. The two also discuss what it has been like for Jenny to open up an independent bookstore in the middle of the pandemic and how she still meets with her fellow essayist friends (though it's not how you imagine).
“I understand how the culture created this situation where we all had these expectations for our lives that has to do with having boobs and how we judge ourselves and what our expectations are with the other sex." Author Leslie Lehr shares why she was inspired to write a book about, well...boobs. She discusses why she doesn’t let breast cancer define her, and talks with Zibby about the importance of self-care.
Emily Layden’s All Girls: A Novel, honors “the experience of teenage girlhood in all its depth and capacity.” The former high school teacher talks with Zibby about what it was like “to come of age in a place that really promises you the world when that world still isn’t totally yours for the taking.” They also touched on the benefits of therapy and the incredible story of how this book came to be.
