Award-winning novelist Francine Prose joined Zibby for a Women on the Move event with the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center to discuss her latest novel, The Vixen, which centers around the Rosenberg Trial. Francine shares some highlights from her research and which pieces of history were stranger than fiction. She also tells Zibby about the way she approaches and teaches writing, how her decades-long career inspired pieces of this story, and why this book took so long for her to write.
Novelist Scarlett Thomas joins Zibby to discuss her debut memoir, 41-Love, about how she tried to play tennis competitively to put off her need to grow up. The two talk about their shared love for the game, how Scarlett wove a number of other sports stories into her own, and what happened in her life after quitting tennis that shaped the trajectory of the book. Scarlett also shares her fears about releasing such a deeply personal story into the world and whether or not she'd go through this experience again.
"I love writing. I love telling stories. I love making people feel like they're not alone." Zibby is joined by New York Times bestselling author, blogger, and very funny woman Jen Mann to talk about her latest book, Midlife Bites. Jen explains how this project grew out of a blog post about her midlife crisis that went viral, why there is now nothing in her life she is unwilling to write about, and what she has been reading lately (hint: it made Zibby blush). Zibby also reads some of her favorite passages and shares the ways in which Jen's writing has helped her personally feel less alone.
Literary giant Ann Patchett joined Zibby for a Women on the Move event with the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center to discuss her memoir in essays, These Precious Days. Their conversation spans from topics like their mothers' glamour, the origin story of Ann's bookstore, Parnassus Books, why writers often persevere for far longer than is to be expected in such an uncertain industry, and how this book answers the question, "What did Ann Patchett do during the pandemic?" Ann also answers questions from the event's audience about what genre she finds harder to write, what surprising lessons she's learned during her ten years as a bookseller, and where to find the coat from the title essay about her late friend, Sooki Raphael.
Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams joins Zibby to discuss her first children's book, Stacey's Extraordinary Words, inspired by her own lifelong love for books and words. The two talk about the real-life spelling bee and teacher that helped bolster Stacey's confidence, where she finds her courage to put herself out there on the campaign trail and on the page, and, of course, their go-to ice cream flavors. Stacey also shares how her family started and continues to foster her passion for books and what she plans on working on next (besides her 2022 campaign).
"The idea of a unicorn space, it's magical. It is the antidote to burnout. It is a necessary must-have, but it actually won't exist until we claim it." Eve Rodsky, the bestselling author of Fair Play, joins Zibby to talk about her latest book, Find Your Unicorn Space, and why a form of genuine self-expression is essential to living a happy life. The two discuss the research and data Eve collected to formulate her theories, the importance of balancing the trio of friendships, self-care, and unicorn space, and why protecting ourselves from burnout with passion is a life-saving action. Eve also shares how her new Fair Play Policy Institute intends to help our society reevaluate the value of gendered domestic labor and what else she plans to do to help women everywhere.
After five years of working on their debut novel, The Last Season, Jenny Judson and Danielle Mahfood have officially gone from high school best friends to published co-authors. Jenny and Danielle join Zibby to discuss how they managed to write in one cohesive voice despite being both geographically distant and two individual people, the way in which their partnership held them accountable to the work over the course of many years, and why their differences in taste only served to make their story stronger.
Zibby is joined by Corie Adjmi to discuss her short story collection, Life and Other Shortcomings, which was an International Book Award winner. The two talk about how Corie's marriage has inspired so much of her work, the phase of her life when she decided to try her hand at writing, and the ways in which her children have gotten involved in her career. Corie also shares why she decided to write this book as a series of stories about one character and how her role in the Orthodox Syrian Jewish community in Brooklyn inspired her upcoming debut novel.
Denise Williams joins Zibby to talk about her latest novel, The Fastest Way to Fall. Denise shares why she loves writing and reading stories about fat women owning their bodies, how she infuses what she has learned on her personal self-love journey into her characters, and the specific post-workout energy she tried to encapsulate in this book. The two also talk about the four books Denise has coming out next year and how Zibby can achieve her M&M-centered dream.
Debut novelist Emily Itami joins Zibby to talk about her book, Fault Lines, which was inspired in part by her own alternating perceptions of motherhood in Tokyo and London. The two discuss the way women's identities seem to change almost immediately after having children, what it was like for Emily to publish her first novel during the pandemic, and why her husband likes to remind everyone that this story is a work of fiction.
Zibby is joined by Eileen Patricia Curran to discuss her debut novel, Hungry Hill, which she self-published. Eileen shares what that journey has been like, from assembling a team of passionate experts to distributing her books as far as she can, as well as why she decided to start her own independent imprint. Eileen also tells Zibby about how her own family's connection to the Hungry Hill neighborhood inspired the setting for this story, which parts of her career set her up for success in writing, and what she is planning on publishing next.
Zibby is joined by author Erika Schickel to talk about her new memoir, The Big Hurt, and the journey she took to reclaim her story. Erika shares how her whole understanding of herself changed when she was prompted to reevaluate a traumatic memory and what she learned about her family when she began to reflect on her past. Erika and Zibby also discuss how best to deal with the hurt we may each carry with us, why Erika's notorious affair was so compelling, and what feedback she has received since the book's release.
Everyone found their own way to make it through quarantine; for Todd Doughty, that meant compiling lists of happy-making things in a difficult world every day and sharing them on Instagram. Soon, people were gathering in his comments to share their own happy-making things. Todd joins Zibby to discuss what he personally does every day to make himself happy, his journey from book-lover to the publishing industry, and what it was like working on a book from start to finish rather than just on its publicity campaign.
CNN anchor, law student, and now author Poppy Harlow joins Zibby to discuss her children's book, The Biggest Little Boy, which was inspired by a real Christmas memory with her son. The two talk about the problems with dedicating books to just one child, what prompted Poppy to go to law school in the middle of her career, and how they're learning to embrace the mess in life as mothers. Poppy also shares the piece of advice that has been changing her self-perception and the two connect over the discomfort of owning up to their achievements.
Melanie Gideon, bestselling author of The Slippery Year and Wife 22, joins Zibby to talk about her latest book, Did I Say You Could Go. Melanie shares why she has enjoyed changing genres —moving from young adult to memoir and now to a psychological thriller— and why she thinks more female writers should do the same. The two also discuss the politics of mom friends, how the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal inspired pieces of this story, and what lessons Melanie has learned over the course of her ever-evolving career.
Vanessa Zoltan, podcast host, atheist chaplain, and author of Praying with Jane Eyre joins Zibby to talk about her book and the path that led her to write it. After not feeling connected to prayer while enrolled in divinity school, Vanessa tried to approach Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre as a sacred text. Vanessa and Zibby talk about how what it means to connect on a spiritual level with a secular book, what she loves most about the popularity of Vanessa's podcast, Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, and the influence her family's history with the Holocaust has had on her life and her work.
Zibby is joined by renowned neuroscientist Tracey Shors to discuss her first book, Everyday Trauma. The two talk about how although Tracey was inspired to write this story in the wake of the #MeToo movement, the pandemic has opened up discussions about how stress impacts our brains so much more. Tracey also shares the experience in her own life that she returns to as a case study for processing traumatic memories and what she hopes readers will take away from this book.
Josephine Caminos Oría has a love/hate relationship with her book, Sobremesa, even admitting to Zibby that she at one time ripped out 380 pages and tried to start from scratch countless times. But eventually, the pieces fell into place and Josephine was able to tell the story of her family, their recipes and traditions, and the protector who has been watching over her since she was 16. Josephine and Zibby discuss some of the memoir's most unbelievable stories, as well as how Covid impacted her family's foodservice business. Read Josephine's essay about her journey to publication on Moms Don't Have Time to Write.
Francesca Serritella joins Zibby to discuss her debut novel, Ghosts of Harvard, which was inspired by a real death that occurred during Francesca's first year of undergrad. The two talk about what she did to capture the emotions of going away to college with a darker twist, the role Harvard played in this story and in history, and the influence that Francesca's mother —author Lisa Scottoline— has had on her personal and professional developments.
Zibby is once again joined by Malcolm Gladwell, this time to talk about his new audiobook Miracle and Wonder which covers forty hours of interviews he conducted with Paul Simon. The two talk about why some people would be happy to just create art for themselves even if no one sees it and the lessons Simon's career can offer younger generations. Malcolm also shares why he co-founded Pushkin to help enhance audiobook experiences, and what, in his opinion, is the secret to artistic longevity.
