Totally Booked with Zibby

Sarah Addison Allen, PAPER GHOSTS, on Grief

Sarah Addison Allen’s book Paper Ghosts was, quite fittingly, haunting. We discussed grief, loss, fiction, writing, and more. I left feeling like I had a new friend.  Hos

Jonah Platt, Being Jewish with Jonah Platt

Jonah Platt and I both have TV shows on the JBS network which is how we connected for this episode. I’d been dying to interview Jonah about his Jewish advocacy and what h

Beth Ricanati, MD, THE BRAIDED PRESCRIPTION: Seven Practices for Living Well from the Ancient Ritual of Making Challah

Beth Ricanati, MD, and I made challah together in my kitchen in L.A. eight years ago — and filmed it. Since then, our lives continue to intersect from the podcast to the

Laurie Notaro, I'VE GOT A NEW COMPLAINT: Essays on Aging Disgracefully and Other Small Disasters

Laurie Notaro makes me laugh. A bestselling humorist, Laurie writes about whatever life stage she’s in with wit and bluntness. We talked about her hilarious parents and h

Community Builders' Spotlight: Jennifer Shoop, Magpie, and the Wine Sisters Book Club

Today’s episode features female founders of two communities: Jennifer Shoop, Magpie, and Aly Wente and Niki Wente, The Wine Sisters Book Club. Both groups have prioritize

Dr. Rachel Zoffness on The Truth About Pain

Pain psychologist Dr. Rachel Zoffness sits down with Zibby Owens to discuss her new book, Tell Me Where It Hurts: The New Science of Pain and How to Heal. Prompted by one

Sara Goodman Confino on Women in Journalism and The Power of a Strong Mentor

Sara Goodman Confino’s high school journalism teacher was the first person who told her “you can do better than this.” And she did.  Sara joins Zibby Owens for an intima

Margie Lachman, PhD, PRIMETIME: A New Vision for Midlife

Midlife desperately needs a rebrand. Dr. Margie Lachman is doing just that with her research at the Lifespan Lab at Brandeis University where she teaches psychology. She

Lisa Katayama, THE JAPANESE WAY OF PARENTING: And What It Taught Me About Raising (Mostly) Calm, Caring, Capable Kids

Tokyo-born Lisa Katayama took her parenting techniques with her to Northern California and found that what Japanese culture had to offer was quite useful when it came to

Ann Tashi Slater on Life’s Impermanence

Ann Tashi Slater and I spoke about life, meaning, the role of literature, travel, family, and more, inspired by her book Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Imper

Jacqueline Friedland, BREATHING UNDER WATER: A Novel

Jackie Friedland, a contributor to my anthology On Being Jewish Now and past podcast guest, returns with her latest novel, Breathing Under Water! A poignant story about l

Eva zu Beck, THE WILDER WAY: A Memoir of Adventure, Freedom, and an Uncharted Life

Eva Zu Beck seems like an unlikely solo pioneer in the wilds of Pakistan, but her fearlessness has taken her around the world with just a van, a dog, and a camera. What d

Stephanie Wittels Wachs, LAST DAY: How to Stop Losing Our Loved Ones to the Opioid Crisis

I’m insanely impressed by Stephanie Wittels Wachs, not just because she’s the co-founder and CEO of Lemonada Media, an award-winning podcast network with a mission to "ma

Alyssa Rosenheck, WHITE. BLONDE. JEW.: A Call to End Extremism, Speak Up, and Reclaim Center

I first met Alyssa Rosenheck at a coffee shop in Nashville, TN, with my husband, Kyle. She was a notable architectural photographer whose book was being sold at the Drape

Caroline Hallemann, THE KENNEDYS AND THE WINDSORS: The Story of Two Dynasties, One Born, One Made

Anyone else a bit obsessed with the royal family? (I have a girl crush on Princess Catherine.) Caroline Hallemann, digital director of Town & Country magazine, delves dee

Ashley Kahn, DAYS OF MIRACLE AND WONDER: Paul Simon and the Trials and Triumphs of Graceland

Ashley Kahn was sitting on a terrace in Italy as we talked about his love letter to Paul Simon and the album Graceland, Days of Miracle and Wonder. I couldn’t help gettin

Cinelle Barnes, A WAY HOME: A Memoir of Losing Yourself, and the Beauty of Returning

Cinelle Barnes was nervous. This was her first interview about her book after her brain injury which, having read the book, I completely understood. Cinelle shared openly

Chris Young, THE WOUND IS WHERE THE LIGHT ENTERS: A Memoir of Resilience

Chris Young was beyond impressive! I loved talking to him about his experience in prison, how he turned to books and philosophy, his views on overcoming obstacles, resili

Dr. Lucy McBride, BEYOND THE PRESCRIPTION: A Doctor's Guide to Taking Charge of Your Health

I feel like Dr. Lucy McBride and I could’ve grown up as friends. She’s so relatable despite her brilliance that taking her advice feels like a no-brainer. Hear from her a

Dara Levan, SHAKEN TO THE CORE

Dara Levan is a contributor to my anthology On Being Jewish Now: Reflections from Authors and Advocates, who is the first person to show up for friends and colleagues ali