Totally Booked with Zibby

Glory Edim is the founder of Well-Read Black Girl, a Brooklyn-based book club and online community that celebrates the uniqueness of black literature and sisterhood. Glory originally started this platform on social media as a way to discuss black women writers, non-binary writers and writers of color and to create conversations about what it means to be a black woman in the world. As her platform grew, Glory organized the first-ever Well-Read Black Girl literary festival and became the editor of the anthology Well-Read Black Girl: Finding Stories, Discovering Ourselves. Glory is a role model of mine!! I loved chatting with her about the importance of bringing black authors to all readers, her love of independent booksellers, the value of in-person contact and discussion and the tee-shirt that started it all. Glory’s advice on the importance of having patience with yourself when you are trying something new struck such a chord with me and I hope you feel as inspired by her as I do! Glory has a background in startups and creative institutions including Kickstarter, the Webby Awards, and the New York Foundation for the Arts. She received the 2017 Innovator's Award from the Los Angeles Book Prizes for her work as a literature advocate. She serves on the board of New York City's Housing Works. And basically, she’s just awesome.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Brenda Janowitz is Pop Sugar's book correspondent and the author of six novels. Her latest, The Grace Kelly Dress, tells the story of an heirloom wedding gown and three generations of women whose lives are influenced and changed by the dress. Brenda and I could have talked all day!! Brenda and I discussed — among other things —  her Pinterest board for the cover design, her wedding obsession, how waiting in line at CVS informs her character development, not being so hard on herself, her son who was born at 31 weeks, and her husband’s shirt. Her bio: Brenda’s work has appeared in the “Modern Love” column of The New York Times, The Washington Post, Redbook, The New York Post, Publisher's Weekly, and many other publications. She is a graduate of Cornell University and Hofstra Law School, and worked as a lawyer and federal clerk before becoming a writer. Be sure to listen in on this one!!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Caitlin Mullen is the debut author of Please See Us, a thriller involving the discovery of two murdered women and a high school drop out who starts having disturbing, violent, powerful visions. Caitlin and I had such an interesting conversation about the true crime from her childhood that inspired this thriller, her childhood as a bookish, quiet kid, her summer job at a casino spa, her “A Beautiful Mind" writing process, what she learned working at Word bookstore and how she feels about going back there to have her launch party!! We also chatted about her creative use of tarot cards while writing and her 4-month-old baby! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Laura Zigman is the author of Separation Anxiety, her first novel in over a decade which will surely follow the success of Animal Husbandry, Dating Big Bird, Piece of Work and Her. This book is about a couple that can’t afford to get divorced, a son who is growing up, and the emotional support the family dog gives the main character, Judy, (a 50-year-old) especially when worn in a sling. Which Laura may or may not have tried herself - listen to find out! We talked about so much including how she came back after her long break from the book world, why she’s always early, how she ended up moving back to her hometown, her breast cancer, why she enjoys ghost-writing, how Craig’s List helped her write, why she isn’t the easiest person to live with, and how she feels about the invisibility that comes with aging. Watch us talk live on May 5th at the Steicker Center at Temple Emanu-El!!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Jewell Parker Rhodes is the award-winning and best-selling author of many books including Ninth Ward, which was the winner of the Coretta Scott King honor; Sugar, winner of the Jane Adams’ Children’s Book Award; and New York Times bestsellers Ghost Boys, an IndieBound best seller, a number-one Kids’ Indie Next pick, and ALA 2019 Children's Notable List pick, and winner of the Walter Award, EB White Read Aloud Award, and Children's Choice Book Award.  Dr. Rhodes’ most recent book Black Brother, Black Brother centers on a family of two biracial boys, and their different experiences of race, prejudice and bias and how you one coach and the sport of fencing changed everything. This woman is amazing and I so enjoyed chatting with @jewellparkerrhodes about her passion and purpose. We spoke about how she writes about diversity for a middle school audience, the childhood trauma that led to writing, and her brilliant idea to start a family book club! Dr. Rhodes is also the author of The American Book Award-winning Douglass' Women, two writing guides and the memoir Porch Stories: A Grandmother's Guide to Happiness. Her adult literary awards include the American Book Award, the National Endowment of the Arts Award in Fiction, the Black Caucus of the American Library Award for Literary Excellence, and the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Award for Outstanding Writing. When she's not writing, Dr. Rhodes teaches writing at Arizona State University where she is the founding artistic director and chair of the Virginia G. Piper Center for Creative Writing. Dr. Rhodes received a BA in drama criticism, an MA in English, and a doctorate in arts in English, creative writing, from Carnegie Mellon University. I mean, seriously! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Meng Jin is the debut author of Little Gods, a novel set in China about migrations through time, place, and class and the ways in which we are known and unknown to others and ourselves. From the beginning scene of a pregnant woman in the chaos of the Tiananmem Square riots, I was immediately drawn in by Meng’s beautifully lyrical writing style. Meng and I chatted about her personal connection to the source material, her fascination with mother-daughter relationships, altars and other-worldly influences, and the journey to find her perfect process for writing. Meng is a Kundiman Fellow and a graduate of Harvard University and Hunter College. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joanna Guest is the author of Folded Wisdom: Notes from Dad on Life, Love, and Growing Up, a beautifully illustrated collection of morning notes written by her father. Joanna shared the the story of how the notes began, the lessons we can all learn from her Dad’s sweet wisdom, and what pushed her to leave a career in politics to write this book. This episode will certainly inspires you to grab a pen and paper and write a note to someone you love!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grammy-nominated actor and singer Alexandra Silber is the author of White Hot Grief Parade. This unique memoir details the six months surrounding the death of Alexandra’s father and her experience with grief at an early age. Alexandra and I chatted about her need to create a grief resource for young adults, writing books in between scenes in a Broadway dressing room, and what it truly means to stand back up after an emotionally traumatic experience. Grab your tissues; this one is a tearjerker. Alexandra has appeared on stage internationally and regionally from the West End of London to esteemed venues like Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, and on Broadway. Her most recent role on Broadway was as Tzeitel in Fiddler on the Roof which inspired her first novel After Anatevka: A Novel Inspired by "Fiddler on the Roof".  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Suzanne Falter is the author of The Extremely Busy Woman's Guide to Self-Care, a how-to tale that helps women slow down and tune in. During this emotional conversation, Suzanne and I chatted about the first steps to self care, the painful loss of her daughter, and the journal she discovered that inspired her to start writing this book and living her best life. Suzanne is an author, speaker, novelist, and host of the "Self-Care for Extremely Busy Women" podcast. She is the author of nonfiction books The Joy of Letting Go, How Much Joy Can You Stand?, Surrendering to Joy and the LGBT fiction series' Transformed and Oaktown Girls. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Self, Fitness, and other publications. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dolly Alderton is the author of The Sunday Times best-selling memoir Everything I Know About Love. This coming-of age-story told in very short chapters chronicles Dolly’s 20s and the various dysfunctions and disasters that manifest through her love life. I really enjoyed chatting with Dolly about growing up in the UK but longing for American culture, her previous struggles with an eating disorder, and the many amazing creative projects she is working on. This woman seriously does it all! Make sure you catch Dolly’s truly fantastic advice to writers at the end of our discussion! Dolly has been a freelance journalist for The Sunday Times, Marie Claire, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Elle, GQ, and many other publications and she wrote a dating column in The Sunday Times Style section. Dolly is the cohost and co-creator of "The High Low," Britain’s leading women’s podcast, and the podcast miniseries called "Love Stories." She has two scripts in development, including the TV adaptation of this book. Dolly has been featured in Forbes’ 2018 "30 Under 30," The Elle List, and many more. Listen to her back story!  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.