Totally Booked with Zibby

I’m obsessed with Stephanie Danler’s brilliance. She's the author of the international bestseller Sweetbitter and the executive producer of the Sweetbitter series on Start (which Kyle and I started watching last weekend - so good!). Her latest book, Stray: A Memoir, is set to release in May of 2020 so you can pre-order it now. This forceful and emotional book explores Stephanie’s life as a child raised by an addicts and alcoholics, the damage she inherited, and the journey to move forward towards a different way of life. This book has gotten me out of my own head more than almost anything else lately because it’s just so immersive and beautifully written. Stephanie and I discussed her choice to start this book when her son was five months old, why she had to move several time zones away in order to find the focus to create, and the hardship of writing about such deeply rooted traumas. Stephanie shares her extremely stressful coronavirus experience and the idea that we are all grasping for the illusion of control at this moment in time. I loved Stephanie’s advice to just finish what you start and so much more. I couldn’t wait for her pub day to share this given all of our talk about what’s going on RIGHT NOW. I promise it will help you through. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New episode - and so needed right now! Madeline Levine, Ph.D., is a psychologist and the author of the New York Times best-selling books The Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children Well. Dr. Levine’s most recent book Ready Or Not: Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World could not be more timely or helpful given the current environment.She explores how today’s parenting techniques and our educational system are failing to prepare children for their uncertain future, and what we can do to ensure our kids' adaptability, resilience, health, and happiness. (I know I need this during this current coronavirus time of uncertainty and panic.)Dr. Levine is a wealth of knowledge on parenting. We chatted about her efforts to overcome the idea that a woman can’t beat the boys, how people behave in situations of uncertainty and the concept that to build self-esteem in your child you must let them learn to master things without breathing down their necks. We discussed how pressure, uncertainty, and social media have led to a rise in anxiety and how our 24-hour news cycle can leave us feeling like trauma victims. Dr. Levine explores concrete solutions and coping mechanisms we can use to correct that behavior. I think we could all use these strategies today.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kathleen West is the debut author of Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes. Kathleen uses her experience as both a parent and school teacher to write a pretty perfect novel for today's moms and dads! Kathleen’s story involves a helicopter theater mom who has lost her sense of boundaries, a progressive English teacher who comes under fire for her curriculum, and a social media scandal that ensnares them both. This conversation was the perfect mix of parenting wisdom, writing advice and encouragement! Kathleen and I chatted about the lessons she’s learned by walking the line between parent and teacher and the writing workshops she held with her students while editing the novel. Kathleen started writing this book as a new year's resolution and as a way to reclaim her writing identity. I really appreciated her advice to let yourself to write something terrible! (I’ve definitely taken it - ha!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Re-Release! Now is the time to listen to How to Stop Losing Your Sh*t with Your Kids author Carla Naumburg, Ph.D. share her tips! Is anyone else going a little bit nuts despite how much you love your kids, your parents, your loved ones?! Carla shares so many helpful strategies for dealing with yourself when you’re stressed out and how you manage your relationships better. While this is geared towards kids, it can apply to parents and spouses just as easily. One message?! Self-forgiveness, especially now! You can watch our interview from this week on IGTV (@zibbyowens) too as she discusses specific strategies for getting through the coronavirus without losing your sh*t at everyone in your home!!!   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Re-Release! Courtney Maum’s novel, TOUCH, is so timely that I just had to rerelease for you this weekend. This one was of my first podcasts ever so please forgive my beginner skills! Courtney and I discussed her novel which discusses a life without touch, similar to what we’re all going through on a macro level now. She interviewed professional huggers, imagined touch-free body suits and had a couple struggle in the midst of a world in which physical touch between humans becomes a commodity. Am I the only one who misses hugging people?! Courtney has since written a gorgeous, slim novel called Costalegr and a guide to book publishing called Before and After the Book Deal. And she has used her newsletter to assemble all the resources the literary community is assembling during this time (including mine - thanks, Courtney!!). Listen in or our prophetic conversation. It kind of makes you think, right??? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eilene Zimmerman is the author of the memoir, Smacked: A Story of White-Collar Ambition, Addiction, and Tragedy. Eilene has been a journalist for three decades including a six-year stint as a columnist for The New York Times Sunday Business Section. This memoir is Eilene’s exploration of her ex-husband’s secret drug addiction/overdose, her own culpability, and an analysis of what's going on in the white-collar professional world in terms of unhappiness, depression, anxiety, and substance use. Eilene and I discussed the feeling of powerlessness when sharing children with an ex-spouse, what it is like to examine a relationship once you learn the whole truth, and the idea that we often try to fix problems in our childhood with our own marriages. I was so impressed by the amount of research Eileen put into this book! From traveling around the country talking to addiction psychologists and therapists, to posing questions about mental health, stress, and happiness on several online forums for lawyers to answer anonymously, this woman covered it all. Please listen! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gene Luen Yang is the author, illustrator, and cartoonist of American Born Chinese, the first graphic novel ever to be nominated for the National Book Award and the American Library Association's Printz Award, which he won. Gene also won an Eisner Award for best graphic album as well as several other awards. Gene's two-volume graphic novel, Boxers & Saints, was also nominated for a National Book Award and won the LA Times Book Prize. He's written and illustrated many other graphic novels like Secret Coders and the Avatar series. Gene’s latest book Dragon Hoops is a nonfiction graphic novel that follows the ups and downs of a varsity men's basketball team. My son is such a fan of Gene’s books that I just had to let him join me for the interview. It was such a special treat! Gene and I chatted about creating and selling his first comic book at age five, why reading diversely is a great way to develop your brain, his important role as National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and why Gene believes graphic novels belong in the classroom. Make sure to listen to the end of the episode to catch Gene’s fantastic advice for anyone feeling the need to create art, especially now. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Patrice Karst is the author of The Invisible String, a beautiful story about the connection we share with our loved ones even when they’re not physically with us, and many other books that help people cope with loss and separation from loved ones, even pets. There’s no better time for this Patrice's books than now!!! Her stories have sold over half a million copies and have touched the lives of so many people. In our chat, Patrice touched on the heartwarming true story that led to her writing the book, the word-of-mouth phenomenon the made her book the go-to book for children needing connection, how she took her painful childhood as the daughter of two mentally ill parents and converted it to joy, and the idea that we are all capable of moving forward from childhood pain. Patrice was kind enough to share several beautiful stories of how this book series has helped children dealing with devastating circumstances, loss, and separation anxiety. I promise this episode will bring a smile to your face and give you a way to stay connected to those you miss. Don’t we all need this now?! (I miss everyone!!) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jen Gotch is the founder and chief creative officer of Ban.do, the multimillion-dollar lifestyle brand. She is also a fellow podcaster and former host of the show "Jen Gotch is Okay, Sometimes." Jen is a mental health advocate, reluctantly as you'll find out, and the author of the book The Upside of Being Down: How Mental Health Struggles Led to My Greatest Successes in Work and Life. This accessible self-help memoir dives into Jen’s personal history with mental health issues, building her brand, and ways to implement better life practices! Jen and I covered so much during our conversation including how society glamorizes being busy and Jen’s personal family history. Jen's passion for creating a brand that invokes her personal message is so inspirational and I was moved by her hope that this book will help others feel less alone. I loved Jen’s tip to schedule fun into your calendar and make it non-negotiable! I think we could all use that advice right now! (For listeners with kids at home, this episode does include adult language.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Janice Kaplan is the author of The Genius of Women: From Overlooked to Changing the World. This multilayered book tells stories of extraordinary women throughout history and weaves them into a larger narrative regarding the social expectations and biases women still face today. Janice is incredibly intelligent (although she won’t admit she’s a genius!!). I loved chatting with her about why most Americans believe geniuses are men, the idea that society is to blame for the tendency to self-deprecate, and the childhood memory that pushed Janice to keep researching and writing this book. She includes wonderful insights on how to stop buying into stereotypes and understand our full potential!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.