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Rex Ogle, PUNCHING BAG

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Rex Ogle, PUNCHING BAG

Author Rex Ogle returns to discuss his second memoir, Punching Bag, which is a follow-up to his debut memoir, Free Lunch. Rex and Zibby talk about the moments in Rex's childhood that ended up being so significant as he grew older, why his abusive past is important to talk about even though doing so is often painful, and the ways in which he is trying to reach kids who might be in similar situations today. Rex also shares the book he's working on next about his grandmother who remains such a powerful force in his life.

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Richard Antoine White, I'M POSSIBLE

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Richard Antoine White, I'M POSSIBLE

"I want to offer the world my very best. I don't want to deprive the world of the best version of me." Professor, author, and principal tubist for the New Mexico Philharmonic Richard Antoine White joins Zibby to talk about his debut memoir, I'm Possible. The two discuss how the tuba found Richard, what experiences are on his infinite bucket list, and why teaching is the greatest thing he's ever done. Richard also shares how despite all of the challenges he faced early in life, he wouldn't change anything that happened because it made him who he is today.

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Naomi Krupitsky, THE FAMILY

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Naomi Krupitsky, THE FAMILY

Debut novelist Naomi Krupitsky joins Zibby to talk about her book, The Family, which is an instant New York Times bestseller as well as a Read With Jenna Book Club and a Barnes and Noble Discovery pick. The two talk about how the relationship between the two protagonists was inspired by Naomi's own lifelong friendships, the research she did to help make her story feel more immersive, and what her journey to publication looked like. Namoi also shares how she had to stop watching The Sopranos while working on this project to prevent herself from writing anything too similar and what she is currently reading.

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Kimberly Harrington, BUT YOU SEEMED SO HAPPY

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Kimberly Harrington, BUT YOU SEEMED SO HAPPY

"I think women don't prioritize the time they need just to be— just to have space, have no one in their space, time to think. It solves a lot." Zibby is joined by memoirist, columnist, and creative director Kimberly Harrington to discuss her latest collection of essays, But You Seemed So Happy: A Marriage, in Pieces and Bits. Kimberly shares how writing these essays helped her refine her opinions on marriage as an institution, why she loved rewriting the ending of When Harry Met Sally so much, and what it was like to look back on her old journals (as well as why she included some of her entries in this book).

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Ericka Sóuter, HOW TO HAVE A KID AND A LIFE: A SURVIVAL GUIDE

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Ericka Sóuter, HOW TO HAVE A KID AND A LIFE: A SURVIVAL GUIDE

Journalist Ericka Sóuter joins Zibby to talk about her first book, How to Have a Kid and a Life: A Survival Guide. The two talk about the six questions Ericka believes all women should ask themselves at least once a year, how to make and maintain mom friends, and what countless mothers have told her about loneliness and burnout. Ericka also shares how she formed her own tight-knit circle of friends and how she makes space for herself every day.

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Nichole Perkins, SOMETIMES I TRIP ON HOW HAPPY WE COULD BE

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Nichole Perkins, SOMETIMES I TRIP ON HOW HAPPY WE COULD BE

Writer and host of the podcast This is Good For You, Nichole Perkins, joins Zibby to talk about her memoir in essays, Sometimes I Trip on How Happy We Could Be. The two talk about the historic lack of Black romantic leads in books, movies, and TV, the experiences that shaped Nichole’s perception of love and relationships, and how the pandemic inspired her to pursue her passions just for the thrill of it.

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Mori Taheripour, BRING YOURSELF

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Mori Taheripour, BRING YOURSELF

"I learn something from all of my students. I think they teach me far more than I ever teach them." Mori Taheripour, negotiation expert and professor at the Wharton school, joins Zibby to discuss her first book, Bring Yourself. Mori shares the best lessons from her seventeen years of teaching, why the secret to being a great negotiator is simply being a better person, and which of her own negotiations have been the toughest. Mori and Zibby also talk about how imposter syndrome can affect even those at the top of their field and the ways in which Mori's multiple sclerosis diagnosis fully transformed her approach to life.

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Danielle Friedman, LET'S GET PHYSICAL

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Danielle Friedman, LET'S GET PHYSICAL

Zibby is joined by award-winning journalist Danielle Friedman to discuss her first book, Let's Get Physical, about the modern evolution of women's fitness movements. Zibby and Danielle talk about their respective relationships with exercise, which societal norms changed alongside each new development, and the tragic backstory behind the barre phenomenon. Danielle also shares why she intentionally left spinning out of the book as well as how this project has led to the creation of an online workout community.

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Adam Stern, COMMITTED

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Adam Stern, COMMITTED

"The more that I achieve, the more I realize that achievements have nothing to do with the value of who you are as a person." Psychiatrist, professor, and writer Adam Stern joins Zibby to talk about his debut memoir, Committed, which combines his medical experience with the story of his cancer diagnosis. The two discuss when Adam realized he had a story that has yet to be told, how psychiatrists approach mental illnesses in their personal lives, and what he's learned from living with 50/50 survival odds.

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Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts, BLACK JOY

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Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts, BLACK JOY

Professor and New York Times bestselling writer Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts joins Zibby to talk about her eighteenth book, Black Joy. Tracey shares the traumatic experience of losing her cousin to racialized gun violence, as well as memories of her grandmother that seem to bring her back to life. Zibby and Tracey also discuss how children often bring out a sense of innocence and playfulness in adults, why therapy was essential for Tracey to write this book, and the importance of healing tears and feeling joy.

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Tessa Hadley, FREE LOVE

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Tessa Hadley, FREE LOVE

Zibby is joined by best-selling writer Tessa Hadley to talk about her latest —and highly anticipated— novel, Free Love, which captures the emotions and consequences of a 1960s affair. The two talk about how Tessa has relaxed into her writing style over the course of her last four books, her journey from a lifelong writer and storyteller to published author in her forties, and what classic works of literature may have been like if authors always had access to the copy and paste feature. Zibby and Tessa also compare the different idiosyncrasies between British and American dialects.

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Brendan Slocumb, THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY

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Brendan Slocumb, THE VIOLIN CONSPIRACY

Zibby is joined by debut novelist Brendan Slocumb to talk about one of her favorite new releases and this month’s GMA Book Club Pick, The Violin Conspiracy. Brendan shares which parts of the book were inspired by his own life story, how this book grew from a failed attempt at a science fiction manuscript in 2007, and what he loves most about teaching music. Brendan also shares how he wrote this novel in two and a half months during the pandemic and why it is so important to bring more people of color into the world of music, especially at the highest echelons. Join Zibby and Brendan for an event with Politics & Prose on 2/9 by registering here!

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Zoe Whittall, THE SPECTACULAR

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Zoe Whittall, THE SPECTACULAR

Poet and author Zoe Whittall joins Zibby to discuss her latest novel, The Spectacular. Zoe shares how her recent relationships inspired the multigenerational story, as well as how her experience of losing a pregnancy at the start of the pandemic deepened its significance. Zoe and Zibby also talk about the importance of writing commercially for and about the queer community, why grappling with anxiety is a core theme throughout all of her work, and what projects she's working on next.

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Judy Bolton-Fasman, ASYLUM

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Judy Bolton-Fasman, ASYLUM

Zibby is joined by Judy Bolton-Fasman to talk about her debut memoir, Asylum, and the different threads throughout her life that led to that title. The two discuss the unique dynamic that existed between Judy's parents and how it fostered a number of secrets she sought to uncover throughout her childhood, as well as the different iterations this project has taken over the sixteen years it took her to write. Judy also openly shares her experience living with panic attacks in the book and in conversation with Zibby because she wants to destigmatize mental illnesses and the different ways we can manage them.

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Halimah Marcus, HORSE GIRLS

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Halimah Marcus, HORSE GIRLS

Executive editor of Electric Literature Halimah Marcus joins Zibby to talk about her new anthology, Horse Girls, which was inspired by her lifelong love of horses. The two discuss the unique dynamic that seems to exist between women and horses, how each essay —penned by an impressive roster of writers— captures a piece of this relationship, and what events in Halimah's personal history have endeared her to loving these animals forever.

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Jenny Pentland, THIS WILL BE FUNNY LATER

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Jenny Pentland, THIS WILL BE FUNNY LATER

Screenwriter Jenny Pentland joins Zibby to discuss her first memoir, This Will Be Funny Later, which largely looks at her life following the success of her mother Rosanne Barr's show. The two talk about the different ways seeking control has manifested in their lives, how motherhood often feels like a constant effort to not make the mistakes your parents made, and why it was cathartic to re-evaluate her traumatic childhood from her family's perspective. Jenny also shares how this book began as Tweets written to help calm her mind and the ways in which this project has been transformative for how she copes with her PTSD.

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Margarita Gokun Silver, I NAMED MY DOG PUSHKIN

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Margarita Gokun Silver, I NAMED MY DOG PUSHKIN

Zibby is joined by writer and journalist Margarita Gokun Silver to talk about her collection of essays, I Named My Dog Pushkin (And Other Immigrant Tales), which follows her journey from growing up in the Soviet Union to America. The two discuss the role Judaism played in Margarita's upbringing and family history in the USSR, how their time at Yale overlapped by a few years, and what efforts Margarita has made to parent her daughter differently than her parents raised her. Margarita also shares the heartbreaking news of her husband's passing and how this book stands as a testament to his life as well as her own.

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Sarah Hall, BURNTCOAT

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Sarah Hall, BURNTCOAT

Novelist Sarah Hall joins Zibby to discuss her not-quite-pandemic book, Burntcoat, which was just nominated for this year's National Book Critics Circle Awards. Sarah also shares how her role as a single mother inspired elements of this novel, the ways in which writing has allowed her to truly express herself throughout her life, and what notions of identity and relationships she sought to analyze. Sarah also wants readers to know that despite almost being about the pandemic, this book is actually very funny.

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María Amparo Escandón, L.A. WEATHER

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María Amparo Escandón, L.A. WEATHER

New York Times best-selling novelist María Amparo Escandón joins Zibby to talk about her book, L.A. Weather, which was a Reese's Book Club Pick. The two talk about the things all mothers find themselves fearing, why María's father would call with weather reports for L.A. even though he lived in Mexican City, and what inspired her to start writing when she was in the second grade. María also shares how even though her children are grown adults, moms still don't have time to read books!

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Allison Larkin, THE PEOPLE WE KEEP

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Allison Larkin, THE PEOPLE WE KEEP

Bestselling author Allison Larkin joins Zibby to talk about her latest novel, The People We Keep, and its protagonist who Allison loves dearly. The two discuss the fifteen-year journey Allison went on to write this book, the reason she feels such a deep connection to the story, and why she didn't feel the need to create a main character who everyone finds likable. Allison also shares how her eclectic life story has influenced her writing and how her next project began with crayons and butcher paper.

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