Totally Booked with Zibby

Janny Scott is the author of the New York Times best-selling book A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama's Mother and most recently, The Beneficiary: Fortune, Misfortune and the Story of My Father. As a reporter for The New York Times from 1994 to 2008, Janny was a member of the reporting team that won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting. Janny’s latest book, The Beneficiary, was chosen as one of The New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2019 and one of NPR's Favorite Books of 2019. This family memoir explores three generations of Janny’s wealthy, aristocratic, Pennsylvania family and the effect this upbringing had on her and, primarily, her father. Jenny shared that her inspiration for the story was the combination of a literary urge to learn to write in a different way, combined with a deeply emotional feeling about her dad. Janny and I discussed her father’s journals and the role alcoholism has played in her family’s story. Janny shared her thoughts on family wealth and why it can often be a double-edged sword. Be sure to listen for the bit of family lore about The Philadelphia Story and Janny’s visits to a place she calls “The Bureau." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ashley Prentice Norton is the author of novels The Chocolate Money and If You Left. Ashley and I discussed both her books during this interview! The Chocolate Money (which I read years ago at a book club I was in!) follows a dysfunctional family dynamic (and is almost a memoir). If You Left deals with a privileged but damaged Manhattan wife whose marriage is threatened. Ashley bravely talked about her struggles with depression, enduring electric shock therapy and continuing to write throughout. We discussed the flawed notion that manic depression leads to a creative life and how to deal with the worries that constantly seems to be surrounding us. I loved hearing about Ashley's creative process and her feeling that "timed writing" is the best way to write. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tara Schuster is the author of Buy Yourself the F*cking Lilies: And Other Rituals to Fix Your Life, from Someone Who's Been There. This humorous and honest book explores Tara's neglectful childhood and how she learned to reparent herself and reframe her thinking. I want to hire Tara to be my on-call reframer!! She has such great advice for finding gratitude and joy in every day. Tara and I discussed the 25th birthday call that forced her to change her life and her homemade curriculum of self-care. Tara shared what it looks like to nurture herself in the ways her parents never did and the moment she finally spoke honestly with her father about her childhood. Tara has some wonderful ideas on how to stat positive and mentally healthy during this moment. I loved the reminder that quarantine isn't supposed to be a productivity vacation! We should all just give ourselves a break. (As I am sure you can guess this episode does contain adult language!) FYI, Tara is currently the vice president of talent and development at Comedy Central and is the executive in charge of Light's Out with David Spade. She was formerly the executive in charge of the Emmy and Peabody Award-winning Key & Peele, Midnight, and numerous other shows. Her plays have been performed at the International Fringe Festival and her writing has been featured in The New Yorker and Forbes online. She is no joke. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dibs Baer is a former entertainment writer and editor who worked in the magazine industry for 15+ years. She has written and co-written six books including the New York Times bestseller I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends. Dibs' newest book, Lady Tigers in the Concrete Jungle: How Softball and Sisterhood Saved Lives in the South Bronx, centers on a junior high softball coach Chris Astacio and his journey to create not only a team but a safe space for his female students. It was so heartbreaking to hear about the realities these girls were facing growing up in one of the most dangerous, poverty-stricken neighborhoods in America. The story is hard to hear, but the intrepid spirit of their coach is beyond inspiring. Dibs and I chatted about her personal relationship with the women on the team and the lack of female-driven sports movies. (I mean, why IS that?) We discussed life after the implosion of the magazine industry and her experiences as a ghostwriter. So interesting! I loved Dibs' advice to just keep going and how it only takes one person to say yes!     Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Casey Schwartz is the author of Attention: A Love Story which is part memoir and part comprehensive journalistic exploration of our culture's flagging ability to pay attention. Casey writes about her struggle with Adderall, her parents, psychedelic science, and the four incredible writers who inspire her. Casey and I discussed the idea that Silicon Valley is literally hijacking us through our phones and why are we giving away our attention so casually. Casey shared her personal experience with the #MeToo movement and the rock bottom moment that ended up yielding the best possible outcome for her. I have a long-time personal connection with Casey's mom, author Marie Brenner, and I loved being able to share my memories with Casey.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Prepon, the actress and author of You and I, As Mothers, and I chatted live on my Instagram Live show last week (“Z-IGTV”). This podcast is a recording of our live conversation. Laura is not only an actor in the Netflix show Orange Is the New Black, but she directed, too. She was a cast member of That '70s Show from 1998 to 2006 and has appeared in Girl on the Train and many other films and TV shows. Laura is the New York Times bestselling author of the wellness book The Stash Plan. Her most recent book, You and I, As Mothers, is an emotional and raw first-person look at being a new mom.  I really enjoyed chatting with Laura about the shift of priority that comes with motherhood and why hearing, “Girl, it’s hard,” was the best advice she got. Laura discusses why postpartum anxiety can happen at any stage of motherhood and the dinner that inspired her to share her personal stories of loss. Laura, mom to a toddler and a 4-week-old baby, is simply amazing. We can all learn from her that mom fails are unavoidable. Great advice for this moment in time we are all living through! For more, watch our interview on @zibbyowens Instagram TV Live Episode 21.4. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Megan Angelo is the debut author of Followers: A Novel. Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, where she helped launch comedy coverage, The Wall Street Journal, Glamour, Elle, and many other publications. This debut novel takes place in two different time periods. One storyline centers around two girls who hatch a scheme to become famous in the year 2015. The other revolves around a futuristic celebrity who spends the majority of her time in front of a camera in the year 2051. Megan and I chatted about the journal entry that sparked her interest in this topic and the research she pulled from her background as a celebrity journalist. Megan discussed her relationship with social media and her interest in how the internet has become something we can't seem to walk away from. I particularly loved Megan's very candid discussion of motherhood and the realities of writing while caring for three kids under five! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Therese Anne Fowler is the New York Times best-selling author of novels Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald, A Well-Behaved Woman, and her most recent novel A Good Neighborhood. This contemporary suburban drama centers on a conflict between two families, one black and one white, as they deal with a damaged historic oak tree in the black family's backyard. This book had such a twist of an ending but I won’t say a word. I enjoyed chatting with Therese about her personal connection to the material and why she felt writing this story was a call to activism in these troubled times. Therese and I discussed the research and homework that went into writing from the perspective of a different race and why she strayed from her historical fiction background. Be sure to catch Therese sharing the truly magical moment she knew she was a writer. Therese’s first book was a source of comfort during a critical time in my life and I had such a lovely full circle moment when we sat down to chat! You just never know where life will lead! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bess Kalb is the debut author of Nobody Will Tell You This But Me. She is an Emmy-nominated writer for Jimmy Kimmel Live and wrote for the Emmy Awards in 2012 and 2016 and the Academy Awards in 2017 and 2018. She regularly writes for The New Yorker's Daily Shouts and received a WGA Award in 2016. Nobody Will Tell You This But Me is a beautiful memoir written from the voice of her beloved grandmother. Bess began writing from her grandmother's perspective as a way to feel closer to her and process grief after her death. Bess and I chatted about the authenticity of writing from a loved one's voice and why she felt it was the best way to honor what she calls her grandmother's superhero origin story. I loved hearing about Bess's first experience as a six-year-old writer, something her mother still sweetly reminds her of, and her challenge to all of us to write from the perspective of someone we love. Make sure you catch the fascinating story of the Twitter side project Bess started to distract herself from a soul-crushing job and how this led to a career as a comedy writer! I loved having her as the featured author at my recent book club. To join the book club, check out the link in bio!! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Katherine Schwarzenegger Pratt is the best-selling author of Rock What You've Got, the children's book Maverick and Me, and I Just Graduated ... Now What? Katherine is an animal advocate who serves as an ambassador for Best Friends Animal Society and the ASPCA. She is also married to actor Chris Pratt! Katherine's latest book, The Gift of Forgiveness: Inspiring Stories from Those Who Have Overcome the Unforgivable is a collection of twenty-two different interviews with inspiring people who have practiced and struggled with forgiveness in different ways. Katherine's goal is to inspire people to practice forgiveness and to see it not only as a way to move forward but as a gift to themselves. Katherine and I discussed several of the stories in the book and the personal experience that inspired this idea. I loved learning about the concept of practicing "conscious forgiveness" and the idea that forgiving is about giving yourself the gift of moving forward and taking back the power. This is such a timely listen as we all stay home, connect with loved ones and allow more space for personal reflection.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.