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Ariana Neumann, WHEN TIME STOPPED

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Ariana Neumann, WHEN TIME STOPPED

Zibby is joined by Ariana Neumann to discuss her award-winning first book, When Time Stopped, which is part memoir and part detective story about her father's family history. Although Ariana thought she knew the story of the Holocaust, in researching how her own family found inventive ways to survive the horrors they faced she learned there is still so much we don't know. Ariana and Zibby talk about some of these incredible stories, as well as how Ariana plans to help others tell their own stories and what she plans to work on next.

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Katie Couric, GOING THERE

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Katie Couric, GOING THERE

"I've been the beneficiary and the lucky recipient of this extraordinary life that I never anticipated in a million years." Journalist, newscaster, and co-founder of Katie Couric Media, Katie Couric, joined Zibby for an event with the Temple Emanu-El Streicker Center to discuss her memoir, Going There. Katie shares stories about her beloved parents, how she met her second husband after losing her first husband to cancer, and why she decided now was the time to publish her life story. The two also discuss Katie's incredible career and how she's tried to adapt with the changing media landscape, and then they takes questions from the audience.

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Susan Orlean, ON ANIMALS

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Susan Orlean, ON ANIMALS

Journalist and bestselling author Susan Orlean joins Zibby to discuss her new collection, On Animals, which was inspired in part by her quarantine puppy. Susan and Zibby talk about Susan's Literati Book Club, how the underlying question of her collected work is "What is it like to coexist on a planet with these other creatures?," and why this collection was a nice go-between her last novel and her upcoming memoir.

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José Vadi, INTER STATE

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José Vadi, INTER STATE

Zibby is joined by essayist, poet, and playwright José Vadi to discuss Inter State, his collection of essays about his relationship with his home state of California. José shares how he first found his way to writing and publication through his poetry, which projects he's worked on to document his grandfather's personal history, and what he is working on next. (For those who have listened to the episode: a heel flip is a maneuver in which you impart spin on your board using the heel of your front foot while doing an ollie, or lifting into the air without using your hands.)

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Jewell Parker Rhodes, PARADISE ON FIRE

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Jewell Parker Rhodes, PARADISE ON FIRE

Bestselling novelist Jewell Parker Rhodes returns to talk about her latest book, Paradise on Fire, and the racial disparities that exist when it comes to children's access to nature. Zibby and Jewell discuss how although the novel is intended for middle-grade readers, there is a heaviness to it that reflects the struggle we are facing in the global fight against climate change. Jewell shares how she was inspired by the late Gary Paulsen to write a wilderness survival story, why her children are outdoors people even though she's not, and a hint about the project she's working on next.

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Susie Petruccelli, RAISED A WARRIOR

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Susie Petruccelli, RAISED A WARRIOR

"We're all expecting things to be better for our daughters, but I honestly am worried that we're going to lose the rights that we already have." Zibby is joined by Susie Petruccelli, former captain of the Harvard women's soccer team and author of Raised a Warrior, to discuss her book, her career, and her love of the sport. The two talk about what it's like to be a twin, the relationship Susie had with her dad and sports, and how her identity changed when she could no longer play soccer. Susie shares when she realized how perilous it is to be a woman in the United States where we have often come to take the existence of human rights laws for granted.

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Colleen Hoover, REMINDERS OF HIM

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Colleen Hoover, REMINDERS OF HIM

"Every single time I sit down and write a book, I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing." Colleen Hoover, the New York Times-bestselling author of twenty-two novels, joins Zibby to discuss her latest book, Reminders of Him. Colleen shares how she's adopted her sense imposter as part of the writing process, her reaction to the renewal of interest in her backlist, and what she's done to make sure writing has never felt like a job.

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Bryan Collier, WE SHALL OVERCOME

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Bryan Collier, WE SHALL OVERCOME

Award-winning author and illustrator Bryan Collier joins Zibby to talk about his latest picture book, We Shall Overcome, which connects the iconic anthem of the Civil Rights Movement to our current day. The two discuss how Bryan always knew he wanted to be an artist, the ways in which working with children for twelve years inspired his creativity, and why the book he is currently working on is his most exciting project yet. Bryan also breaks down the layers of the book's cover which features his youngest daughter.

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Jacqueline Woodson, THE YEAR WE LEARNED TO FLY

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Jacqueline Woodson, THE YEAR WE LEARNED TO FLY

National Book Award-winning and New York Times-bestselling author Jacqueline Woodson joins Zibby to talk about her latest picture book, The Year We Learned to Fly. Although the book is a retelling of an African American folk tale that captures what it means to escape through your imagination rather than through your body, Jacqueline shares how she began writing it before the pandemic began and the story has taken on so much more meaning as a result of Covid. Jacqueline also tells Zibby about when she knew she wanted to be a writer, what it has been like to meet a number of her earliest readers as adults, and which books she currently loves.

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Robin Arzón, STRONG MAMA

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Robin Arzón, STRONG MAMA

Zibby is joined by Peloton's Head Instructor Robin Arzón to discuss her first picture book, Strong Mama. Robin talks with Zibby about how she was inspired to show parents that self-care isn't selfish, especially when you have a newborn child. She also shares some of her most motivating messages, the story of how she surprisingly only became an athlete while in law school, and why the best way to workout is often for just ten minutes each day.

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JJ Heller, HAND TO HOLD

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JJ Heller, HAND TO HOLD

Singer/songwriter JJ Heller joins Zibby to discuss her new picture book, Hand to Hold, which was inspired by her hit album I Dream of You. JJ and her husband Dave talk about the collaborative process between both their music and this book, how heartening it is to hear stories from families who have fallen in love with I Dream of You, and share a short song excerpt listeners will love. JJ and Zibby also connect over their thoughts on getting older and the way our society misunderstands women as they age.

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Jami Attenberg, I CAME ALL THIS WAY TO MEET YOU

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Jami Attenberg, I CAME ALL THIS WAY TO MEET YOU

Novelist Jami Attenberg joins Zibby to discuss her first memoir, I Came All This Way to Meet You: Writing Myself Home, which contains a number of stories about how she developed her creative identity. Jami and Zibby talk about the feeling of needing to share everything when writing a memoir, how they both meditate on where their things are going to end up when they're gone, and how Jami envisions the spectrum of her writing from her novels to her tweets. Jami also shares why she misses going on book tours and how her literary career was far from a linear trajectory.

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Xochitl Gonzalez, OLGA DIES DREAMING

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Xochitl Gonzalez, OLGA DIES DREAMING

"The idea that people value what you wrote enough to give you that time to read it... what a privilege that time was spent with your book." Zibby is joined by debut novelist Xochitl Gonzalez to talk about her book, Olga Dies Dreaming, out this week. The two talk about Xochitl's thirteen-year career as a luxury wedding planner as well as when she knew it was time to make a change, which led her down a path to publication. Xochitl also shares why her protagonist is like her if she had never started therapy, which aspects of the book were inspired by her real life, and how important it was for her to be involved in the Hulu adaption of the novel.

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Quiara Alegría Hudes, MY BROKEN LANGUAGE

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Quiara Alegría Hudes, MY BROKEN LANGUAGE

The Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Quiara Alegría Hudes joins Zibby to discuss her debut memoir, My Broken Language, which tells both the story of how she became an artist and a woman in the world. Quiara shares the biggest differences between her home life growing up and the culture that existed when she arrived at Yale, how music has shaped her life, and what the continued popularity of her play In the Heights has been like.

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Erica C. Barnett, QUITTER

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Erica C. Barnett, QUITTER

Journalist Erica C. Barnett joins Zibby to discuss her debut memoir, Quitter, about her recovery from alcoholism. The two talk about the connection between addictions and other forms of maladaptive behaviors, how progress starts when you give yourself achievable goals, and why Erica is not a writer who likes to write. Erica also shares how relapsing taught her to stop seeing herself as a failure, as well as why she has no regrets after publishing this book.

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Agapi Stassinopoulos, SPEAKING WITH SPIRIT

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Agapi Stassinopoulos, SPEAKING WITH SPIRIT

Zibby is joined by best-selling author and speaker Agapi Stassinopoulos to talk about her latest book, Speaking with Spirit. Agapi shares how these 52 prayers were a result of the pandemic and her shift from public speaking to a period of deep introspection, and why they work the best when read aloud. Agapi reads her prayer about perfectionism that not only touched Zibby but will also enlighten any reader who may feel the same.

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Jacqueline Friedland, HE GETS THAT FROM ME

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Jacqueline Friedland, HE GETS THAT FROM ME

Jacqueline Friedland joins Zibby to discuss her latest novel, He Gets That from Me, which was inspired by an article about a surrogacy mix-up that she read while procrastinating work on another project. Jacqueline shares the detailed and compassionate research that went into this project, why she wanted to look critically at the nature-versus-nurture argument, and how her own mother told her not to take a genetics test as her characters do in the book. The two also talk about the importance of the author community as well as what Jacqueline is working on next.

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Anna Lind Thomas, WE'LL LAUGH ABOUT THIS (SOMEDAY)

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Anna Lind Thomas, WE'LL LAUGH ABOUT THIS (SOMEDAY)

Zibby is joined by humor writer Anna Lind Thomas to talk about her first collection of essays, We'll Laugh About This Someday. Anna tells Zibby about the years of work she put in honing her craft after telling her mother that she would be a published author someday, and what chance occurrences led to her going viral online. The two also talk about how Anna's essays serve as a form of therapy for her as she works through once uncomfortable situations and the various projects she is working on now.

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Jenna Blum, WOODROW ON THE BENCH

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Jenna Blum, WOODROW ON THE BENCH

"To all of you writers who are struggling and aspiring out there, it's not an instant-gratification profession but it is the most rewarding thing when something that you make gets out into the world." Author and co-founder of A Mighty Blaze Jenna Blum joins Zibby to talk about her memoir, Woodrow on the Bench, and the beloved dog who inspired it. The two discuss the ways in which Jenna's dog Woodrow helped her manage the grief of losing her mother in 2018, why her journey to publication was far from linear, and the commitment both Jenna and Zibby have to uplifting members of the literary community. Read Jenna's essay for Moms Don't Have Time to Write's Grief column here.

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Michael Tubbs, THE DEEPER THE ROOTS

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Michael Tubbs, THE DEEPER THE ROOTS

Zibby is joined by the former mayor of Stockton, CA, Michael Tubbs, to discuss his debut memoir, The Deeper the Roots. Michael shares how his mother's approach to life helped propel him to become the youngest mayor of a major city in American history, why it is so important for authority figures to encourage students in their various pursuits, and what prompted him to file a lawsuit with the NAACP against a former teacher. Michael and Zibby also talk about what the experience was like for Michael to meet his father who is incarcerated and how he and his wife, Anna Malaika Tubbs, are the only married coupled to have both been on Moms Don't Have Time to Read Books.

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