Zibby is joined by Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter and book club founder Amerie to discuss You Will Do Great Things, a magical picture book about a young boy’s imagination and the unexplored worlds it takes him to. Amerie talks about her lifelong love of books, from a childhood spent at the military base library, to stacking shelves at Georgetown, to reading Harry Potter on her tour bus. Then, she describes how she got into writing (and became obsessed with it), how her son inspired her to wr...
Apr 06, 2023•33 min•Season 16Ep. 84
Zibby interviews author Alice Robb about Don’t Think Dear: On Loving and Leaving Ballet, a profound and passionately-researched interrogation of the ballet world, inspired by the grueling years she spent at the most elite ballet school in the country. Alice describes what it was like to dedicate her childhood and adolescence to dance, her former and current challenges with body image, and her views on patriarchy in ballet culture. She also talks about how wonderful it was reconnecting with old c...
Apr 05, 2023•18 min•Season 16Ep. 83
Zibby Books author alert!!! Award-winning author Mary Otis joins Zibby to discuss Burst, a propulsive and utterly arresting new novel that explores Charlotte and Viva’s unconventional, fractious mother-daughter relationship, along with generational addiction, artistic ambition, and the power of forgiveness. Mary reveals the inspiration for this story and explains how she developed her complex, complicated protagonists. She also shares a bit of her own story, from growing up with four older sibli...
Apr 04, 2023•26 min•Season 16Ep. 82
In this special episode (a live event at City Winery!), Zibby interviews New York Times bestselling author Jill Santopolo about Stars in an Italian Sky, a shimmering, heartfelt story of two star-crossed lovers in post-World War II Italy and, generations later, a New York City love story that will uncover a long-buried family secret. Jill reveals the inspiration behind this story, her strategy for writing a dual timeline, and the topics she loved exploring: fashion and love through the ages (and ...
Apr 03, 2023•30 min•Season 16Ep. 81
Zibby interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist James B. Stewart about Unscripted: The Epic Battle for a Media Empire and the Redstone Family Legacy, a jaw-dropping and explosive Succession- esque account of the fight for power at Paramount Global. James describes billionaire media mogul Sumner Redstone’s questionable behavior (and fashion sense) and his fascinating, fraught relationship with his daughter and successor, Shari. Then, he shares the details of his own career (from lawyer to awar...
Apr 02, 2023•28 min•Season 16Ep. 80
Debut author Madelaine Lucas joins Zibby to discuss Thirst for Salt, a mesmerizing, sensuous, and lyrical novel about a woman’s long-ago holiday affair with a man 18 years her senior and, many years later, her reckoning with the choices she made. Madelaine talks about her unique editorial and stylistic choices, gorgeous cover, and the decision to explore a fascinating trope: relationships with significant age gaps. She also talks about her childhood, her funk-rock musician father, her love of mu...
Apr 01, 2023•25 min•Season 16Ep. 79
Zibby speaks to Slate editor Dan Kois about Vintage Contemporaries , a warm, big-hearted, and funny New York City coming-of-age novel about a literary agent assistant and the two friendships that change her life. Dan describes his protagonist Em, touching on her big-city aspirations and publishing job disillusionments (which, he reveals, were inspired by his own experiences in the industry). He also explains how this book came to be (it involves bits and pieces being written since the 90s and a ...
Mar 31, 2023•30 min•Season 16Ep. 78
Zibby interviews New York Times bestselling author Ana Reyes about her debut, The House in the Pines, a chilling, atmospheric, and unputdownable psychological thriller that involves two inexplicable deaths, an unreliable narrator, hazy memories, and a desire to unlock old secrets. Ana describes her protagonist’s drug abuse, revealing that it paralleled her own struggle with Klonopin withdrawal. She also talks about her lifelong love of thrillers and learning to write one. Finally, she reveals wh...
Mar 30, 2023•22 min
Zibby speaks to Ari Shapiro, the award-winning cohost of the most listened-to radio news program in the US (NPR’s All Things Considered ) and debut author of The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening, an utterly beautiful, humorous, and revelatory memoir-in-essays about his globe-trotting journalism and the people he met along the way. Ari reveals what he hopes readers will learn from his book. He also talks about his love of fiction, and his experiences performing at ...
Mar 29, 2023•29 min•Season 16Ep. 76
Zibby interviews literary agent and debut author Jennifer Herrera about The Hunter , an expertly plotted, richly atmospheric, and truly haunting suspense novel about a detective who loses her job and her husband and is forced to move back to her small Ohio hometown, where three men have suspiciously drowned. Jennifer discusses the themes she loved exploring: broken marriages, tricky adult sibling relationships, and reversed gender stereotypes (hence a detective with a very intuitive female sense...
Mar 28, 2023•29 min•Season 16Ep. 75
Zibby speaks to debut author Cecile Pin about Wandering Souls, a poetic, immersive, and heartbreaking tale of three orphaned Vietnamese siblings who arrive as refugees in Thatcher’s Britain and must rebuild their lives from scratch, alone. Cecile explains how her mother’s refugee story inspired this novel and what it was like to imagine and write about the atrocities experienced by her ancestors. She also describes her writing trajectory, from philosophy student to editorial assistant to London ...
Mar 27, 2023•20 min•Season 16Ep. 74
Zibby interviews entertainment executive, mental health advocate, and bestselling author Tara Schuster about her latest book Glow in the F*cking Dark , a powerful, ruthlessly honest, and irreverent guide for taking charge of your mental health. Tara describes the traumas that led her to write this book – an abuse-filled childhood, getting laid off from the job she’d had for a third of her life, and a terrifying dissociative episode on the highway. She also shares her book's message: we are all m...
Mar 26, 2023•27 min•Season 16Ep. 73
Zibby is joined by debut author Jessa Maxwell to discuss The Golden Spoon, an unputdownable, deliciously entertaining murder mystery that takes place on the set of a popular TV baking competition – it's a combination of CLUE and The Great British Bakeoff! Jessa describes how she developed her cast of characters (there are 8 different perspectives!) and the baking show they are on. She also talks about her background in children’s books, her incredible experience publishing this novel (and sellin...
Mar 25, 2023•24 min•Season 16Ep. 72
Zibby speaks to her longtime friend and debut author Leigh McMullan Abramson about A Likely Story, a wise and compulsively readable book-in-a-book about a struggling writer, her iconic novelist father, and the secrets she uncovers about him after her mother’s sudden death. Leigh talks about her fascination with famous people (hence the narcissist, fame-obsessed father) and her career transition from litigation lawyer to MFA drop-out to published author. Finally, she shares her best advice for as...
Mar 24, 2023•28 min•Season 16Ep. 71
Zibby is joined by New York Times bestselling author and education expert Alexandra Robbins to discuss The Teachers: A Year Inside America’s Most Vulnerable, Important Profession, a riveting, year-in-the-life account of three excellent teachers “whose stories readers can curl up with and get lost in.” Alexandra describes the most significant issues teachers are facing in our country today (from blatant disrespect to a lack of resources) and lists the steps we can take to help. She also talks abo...
Mar 23, 2023•23 min•Season 16Ep. 70
Zibby interviews debut novelist Julia Langbein about American Mermaid, a hysterical and brilliantly sharp new book about a broke high-school English teacher, her bestselling feminist mermaid novel, and her misadventures adapting it for the big screen in Hollywood. Julia discusses the themes she loved exploring: intergenerational conflict, the desire for financial security, and the beauty of teaching. She also talks about her life in Paris, her obsession with humor and making people laugh, and ho...
Mar 22, 2023•27 min•Season 16Ep. 69
Bozoma and Zibby unexpectedly laughed their way through their conversation about loss, connecting over how important it is to find the humor in the atrociously bad stretches of life. Bozoma discussed her late husband's illness and her relationship with God (her "homie"), which she wrote about in her memoir, and how her losses and experiences have made her question her religion. They bonded over Zibby's new magazine idea "Sag Mag" about the indignities of aging, and decided (?) to collaborate on ...
Mar 21, 2023•23 min•Season 16Ep. 68
Zibby speaks to award-winning author and founding editor of Gotham Books Lauren Marino about Bookish Broads: Women Who Wrote Themselves into History, a vibrantly illustrated celebration of 50 fierce, trailblazing female writers who dared to write about their experiences when the world tried to silence them. Lauren reveals the inspiration behind this project – knowing that female writers have been wrongfully overlooked since the first ever novel was written and wanting to finally recognize their ...
Mar 20, 2023•28 min•Season 16Ep. 67
Zibby is joined by Stacy Igel, founder of BOY MEETS GIRL and author of the empowering new guidebook Embracing the Calm in the Chaos: How to Find Success in Business and Life Through Perseverance, Connection, and Collaboration. Stacy describes the origins of her entrepreneurial spirit and tireless work ethic, from begging for a job at Delia’s and selling the shirt off her back during a wild spring break trip to ultimately building her own global impact brand. She also discusses what makes a great...
Mar 19, 2023•30 min•Season 16Ep. 66
John Irving, one of the world’s greatest novelists of all time, joins Zibby (who idolizes him!!) in this once-in-a-lifetime interview to discuss The Last Chairlift, a sweepingly cinematic, multigenerational ghost story about a slalom skier, her accidental pregnancy, and, years later, the son who returns to Aspen to uncover her story. After discussing this latest release, Mr. Irving describes the fascinating process behind each of his iconic books, revealing he has piles of notes waiting to be tu...
Mar 18, 2023•36 min•Season 16Ep. 65
Zibby speaks to critically acclaimed author and repeat MDHTTRB guest Shelli R. Johannes-Wells about She Persisted: Florence Nightingale, an inspiring chapter book biography about the woman who revolutionized modern nursing, with a foreword by Chelsea Clinton! Shelli shares Florence Nightingale’s story – from abandoning high society and refusing to marry to treating soldiers on the frontlines and transforming the health-care system. She also talks about her career as a picture book writer and rev...
Mar 17, 2023•24 min•Season 16Ep. 64
Zibby interviews Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Amy Dockser Marcus about We the Scientists: How a Daring Team of Parents and Doctors Forged a New Path for Medicine , a gripping and deeply compassionate account of a fatal genetic disease and the collaboration between families and researchers to one day vanquish it. Amy talks about her mother, who died of a rare form of cancer and inspired this incredible project. She also describes the 10-year period she spent with the community of families whos...
Mar 16, 2023•26 min•Season 16Ep. 63
Debut author Emma Fedor joins Zibby to discuss At Sea, a mesmerizing, haunting, and genre-defying novel about a whirlwind romance with a charismatic soldier, his unimaginable ability to breathe underwater, and his sudden, traceless disappearance with the baby they had together. Emma discusses the themes she enjoyed exploring: the irresistible pull of first love, the fierceness of motherhood, and the unpredictability of grief. She also talks about her own struggles with infertility, her arduous j...
Mar 15, 2023•29 min•Season 16Ep. 62
Zibby speaks to TV writer and novelist Amanda Pellegrino about The Social Climber, a gripping page-turner about Eliza Bennett, her glittery wedding to Upper East Sider Graham Walker, and the secrets that might ruin it all. Amanda talks about her protagonist’s eating disorder, desperate need for control, and past involvement with an evangelical megachurch (which was inspired by her fascination with religious extremism). She also reveals her book’s original title, talks about her career in TV writ...
Mar 14, 2023•27 min•Season 16Ep. 61
Zibby interviews author Jess Keefe about Thirty-Thousand Steps: A Memoir of Sprinting Toward Life After Loss, a powerful and transformative memoir about grieving the loss of a brother and numbing the pain by training for a marathon. Jess describes her relationship with her younger brother, his drug addiction, and the horror of finding him while he died of an overdose. She also talks about her maddening search for answers (why him?), her decision to start running marathons, and the challenge of p...
Mar 13, 2023•26 min•Season 16Ep. 60
Zibby speaks to author, writing coach, and publishing industry veteran Elizabeth Lyons about Write the Damn Book Already: Tell Your Story. Share Your Message. Make Your Impact., a lighthearted and encouraging roadmap for anxious would-be authors. Elizabeth discusses the most common anxieties for writers (aspiring and bestselling alike) and shares her best tips for book proposals, outlining, identifying your why, and managing sales expectations. She also talks about her own experiences writing bo...
Mar 12, 2023•33 min•Season 16Ep. 59
Zibby interviews author Patrick Brigley about All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me, an illuminating and beautifully written memoir about one of the world’s greatest museums and the guard who roamed its halls for a decade. Patrick shares his memories of his late brother, who died at age 28 and was the catalyst for a career change. Then, he describes what the museum, its art, and its workers taught him about himself and the world around him. Finally, he talks about th...
Mar 11, 2023•22 min•Season 16Ep. 58
Zibby interviews acclaimed novelist, scholar, and repeat MDHTTRB guest Daniel Black about Black on Black: On Our Resilience and Brilliance in America, a piercing, vulnerable collection of essays about being black in America and the ongoing fight for change. Daniel reveals what inspired him to be so raw and vulnerable for this new project. He also talks about his journey to accepting and embracing his sexuality, his relationship with the church and God, and his thoughts on the Bible (which, he ad...
Mar 10, 2023•24 min•Season 16Ep. 57
GMA Book Club Pick alert! Zibby speaks to executive editor and debut author Jenny Jackson about Pineapple Street, a vibrant, witty, and deliciously funny intergenerational story of wealth, family, and love, as experienced by three Brooklyn women. Jenny describes her 20-year career in book publishing, the inspiration behind this story (she lives on Pineapple Street in Brooklyn!), and her book's fascinating exploration of generational wealth. She also talks about her experience writing a book as a...
Mar 09, 2023•26 min•Season 16Ep. 56
Zibby is joined by debut author, speaker, and host of the popular podcast The Only One in the Room, Laura Cathcart Robbins, to discuss her propulsive and emotionally riveting new memoir Stash: My Life in Hiding , which details her drug and alcohol addiction, divorce, and journey to sobriety. Laura talks about her relationship with her ex-husband and how she ensured his privacy was respected in writing this book. She also shares the details of her childhood, touching on her stepfather’s abuse; he...
Mar 08, 2023•25 min•Season 16Ep. 55
