Zibby is joined by award-winning author Lily King to discuss her first collection of short stories, Five Tuesdays in Winter. Although this is Lily's first collection, she has been infatuated with the form since her teenage years and even studied short story fiction writing in college. Lily talks with Zibby about what inspired each of her stories, how writing on a typewriter impacted her creativity, and her essay in Zibby's new anthology, Moms Don't Have Time to Have Kids.
Editor of the essay collection, Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed, Saraciea Fennell, and two of the anthology's contributors, Zakiya Jamal and Cristina Arreola, join Zibby to discuss their individual stories and the ties that connect them all. Saraciea explains the importance of curating a collection of deeply personal pieces on the lived Latinx experience which is not often represented in traditional publishing. As Zakiya attests, Saraciea worked tirelessly through the pandemic to push the authors to be their most vulnerable and authentic selves and cultivate a collection designed to make so many people feel less alone.
Chibundu Onuzo, author of the Resse's and Amazon Editor's Book Pick Sankofa, joins Zibby to discuss her recent six-year journey to publication. Following a book deal at age nineteen and the release of her acclaimed debut, The Spider King's Daughter, at twenty-one, Chibundu pivoted to complete her Masters and PhD degrees— a move that inadvertently inspired her latest novel. Chibundu tells Zibby about that process, what inspired her to tell the story from the perspective of a woman twenty years her senior, and why she's determined to eventually write a children's book.
Although Hazel Hayes is technically a debut novelist, she has been creating and sharing stories for her entire career: following her start at Google, Hazel became known for curating talent and producing content for YouTube. Now, Hazel joins Zibby to talk about her novel Out of Love which follows a relationship in reverse from its last day all the way back to the beginning. The two discuss the necessity for rituals and routines, why it's important to show all of the different forms interpersonal violence can appear in, and which experiences from her own life Hazel loaned to her protagonist.
Tony Award-winning actress Sutton Foster joins Zibby to talk about her debut memoir, Hooked. The book discusses Sutton's complicated relationship with her mother just as much as it does her incredible career and the love for crafting she has carried with her all through her life. Sutton tells Zibby about why she has often made decisions based on her strong intuition, some of the important lessons she's learning now as a mother herself, and what she is working on next (besides her crochet jar holders).
Zibby is joined by Tracey Lange to talk about her debut novel, We are the Brennans, which was loosely inspired by her experience growing up in a large Irish Catholic family. Tracey shares her journey transitioning from lifelong reader to writer, why she's drawn to stories with messy relationships, and the process she went through to develop such a vivid yet wide-spanning cast of characters.
"Do we recognize when our prayers are being answered if it doesn't come in the form that we wanted?" Mitch Albom, bestselling author of Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven, returns to talk with Zibby about his latest novel, The Stranger in the Lifeboat, and why he wanted a thriller about God lost at sea. The two also discuss the many lessons we learn as we age, what they would ask God if he was on the podcast, and how the ways that Mitch's faith has changed throughout his life shaped the big conversations had in the novel.
"It's the deepest truth I know: life only gets harder if we're doing it right." Historian and New York Times bestselling author Kate Bowler joins Zibby to not only talk about the process of writing her new memoir, No Cure for Being Human, but what her journey has been like living with stage four colon cancer at such a young age. The two discuss how they each wrestle with finitude, why Kate is anti-bucket list, and what shape motherhood has taken in her life in the face of her chronic condition.
Zibby is joined by bestselling author Amor Towles to discuss his latest novel, The Lincoln Highway. The two talk about the history behind the real Lincoln Highway, how Amor tries to capture universal experiences through very idiosyncratic stories and characters, and how writing, to him, often feels like magic. Amor also shares why he made the switch from the financial world to fiction and where he finds his personal inspiration.
Dolly Alderton returns to talk about her debut novel, Ghosts, which is now an international bestseller. Dolly and Zibby discuss the book's snarky but heartening portrayal of mom friends, how they both always find themselves with short-term obsessions, and why those who are chronically late might be the most optimistic people in our lives. Dolly also shares what her experience has been like on set filming the TV adaptation of her memoir, Everything I Know About Love, and some of the new wisdom she has adopted throughout the process.
Christina Clancy joined Zibby for an Instagram Live to talk about her latest novel, Shoulder Season. Christina shares how she felt an obligation to tell the personal stories of former Playboy Bunnies after conducting interviews with the women for another book, as well as how her research led to her opinions on the often controversial Playboy franchise becoming far more nuanced. The two also talk about what inspired Christina to highlight the beauty of the Midwest and why her novels seek to capture the multitudes that all humans have inside of them.
Zibby is joined by director and screenwriter Rodrigo García to talk about his debut memoir, A Farewell to Gabo and Mercedes. Rodrigo explains how the book began with notes he took in the immediate period after the death of his father, Gabriel García Márquez, but only truly took shape following the passing of his mother Mercedes in 2020. Rodrigo explains to Zibby that he intended for the book to be a goodbye letter to the two individuals who were his parents before they were artists, and to serve as a way for his family to grieve the losses of the people they loved as well as the lives they helped shape.
Actress, activist, and author Alyssa Milano joins Zibby to talk about her latest book, Sorry Not Sorry, which she hopes will serve as a timestamp when people reflect on this period in history. Alyssa also shares how she wrote all of the essays to rhythm, the ways in which her mental health over the course of the pandemic inspired a sizable amount of the book, and what changes she wants to see in the publishing industry to help authors like her feel more comfortable promoting their stories.
"People want the real you. They want your stumbling answers, they want the true intention and reason why you wrote this book." Zibby is joined by broadcast journalist, talk show host, and now author Tamron Hall to talk about her debut novel, As the Wicked Watch. Tamron shares how the book was inspired by two cases she covered as a reporter in 1997 which have stuck with her, as well as how the subsequent series is enabling her to right some of the wrongs she has encountered throughout her career. Tamron and Zibby also talk about the ways in which they combat mom guilt and why time management is so essential for working mothers.
"I'm so glad that I found my way in because it's the thing that makes me feel the most myself." Eileen Garvin joins Zibby to discuss her debut novel, The Music of Bees, and the serendipitous experiences that inspired it. Eileen shares how her hobby of beekeeping was the best way for her to connect with her late father, why it took her so long to discover she was meant to be a writer, and what inspired the first spark of this book. Read Eileen's essay for Moms Don't Have Time to Write here.
Tabitha Forney joined Zibby for an IG Live to talk about her debut novel, Paper Airplanes, which follows one woman's journey to recovery after losing her husband on 9/11. The story was inspired by those of Tabitha's own husband and his co-workers who fortunately escaped the North Tower safely, as well as the what-ifs that Tabitha and so many others were left to process after that day. Tabitha also tells Zibby about the painstaking process she went through doing such detailed research and how the dedication to honor the lives lost was what ultimately kept her going.
"I believe there's a bigger plan for all of us at play. We're just not always in tune with the seasons of life." When actress Asha Bromfield noticed a lack of projects that told stories like her own, she realized it was her responsibility to create them. Asha tells Zibby about how she was able to write her debut novel, Hurricane Summer, which parts of her own womanhood she wanted the story to explore, and in what ways the experience allowed her to better understand her relationship with her father as well as with herself. Asha also shares what she's been working on outside of both writing and acting, and what she plans to do next.
Lawyer, professor, and writer Savala Nolan joins Zibby to discuss her debut essay collection, Don’t Let It Get You Down, which covers the topics of race, gender, and our bodies. Savala reflects on the different iterations her relationship with her mother has gone through and shares where they are today. The two also talk about how Savala began writing as a way to find her place in a world where she doesn't fit in seamlessly, and how it has also allowed her to process experiences that would have otherwise festered inside of her.
Speaker, activist, and founder of the women's empowerment organization, (B), Keele Burgin joins Zibby to discuss her bestselling memoir, Wholly Unraveled, and share how she ended up at this current moment in her life. Keele tells Zibby about the methods and experiences that helped her overcome the trauma she endured growing up in a religious cult, and the generational wounds she tries to heal as she raises her own three sons. The two also talk about (B)Tribes and how coaching women through telling their own stories inspired Keele to finally tell her own.
