Totally Booked with Zibby

In this special double episode, Zibby Owens talks to author Sarah Wright Olsen and co-authors Diane Debrovner and Stacy Cervenka about motherhood, navigating big family transitions, and helping children find a true sense of belonging.

First, actress, entrepreneur, and cohost of The Mother Daze podcast, Sarah Wright Olsen, shares her lyrical new children's book, When I Am Not With You. Inspired by a comforting ritual her husband uses with their own kids to ease separation anxiety, the story follows imaginative scenarios that bridge the distance across life's big and small goodbyes. Sarah reveals how the book helped her process the profound grief of losing her father during pregnancy, shares her journey from a Kentucky farm to Hollywood, and reflects on the strict work cutoff times she sets to protect family life.

Then, Zibby speaks with co-authors Diane Debrovner and Stacy Cervenka about their moving debut middle-grade novel, Roxie in Color. They share the story of 12-year-old Roxie, a talented artist desperately trying to navigate the seventh grade while keeping her parents' blindness a secret from her new classmates. Diane and Stacy reveal how their own partnership grew from a Parents magazine interview titled "What Blind Parents Want You to See," and reflect on co-writing across state lines, telling chapters from a guide dog’s perspective, and why we must release the shame around differences to embrace our shared humanity.

Learn more about Sarah and her show through The Mother Daze Podcast, and follow her on Instagram @swrightolsen. You can purchase When I Am Not With You here.

Learn more about Diane here and Stacy here. Follow them both on Instagram @diane.debrovner and @stacycervenka. You can purchase Roxie in Color here.
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A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now!
Love to listen? She narrated the audiobook.
Listen on Spotify here.
Listen on Apple here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Award-winning author Kit de Waal chats with Zibby Owens about her beautiful new novel, Sweet Pea, which was just chosen as Read with Jenna's November 2026 pick! Kit shares the story of her main character, Paulette, a 29-year-old woman who wants nothing more than life's modest necessities: a home, good neighbors, a child, and to be loved. Kit explains how the narrative follows Paulette’s life across decades, acting as a testament to her profound kindness and her unique ability to welcome the most unexpected people into her world.

Kit reveals how Paulette originally outgrew her role as a side character in a failed manuscript, and shares her own unique childhood as the daughter of an African-Caribbean father and an Irish mother. She also reflects on starting her own writing journey later in life at age 45, the "magical, secret love affair" of plotting a book, the deep power behind the kindness of strangers, and why the publishing industry needs to embrace vibrant debut writers over 50.

Learn more about Kit de Waal and her work here and follow her on Instagram @kitdewaal. You can purchase Sweet Pea here.
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A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now!
Love to listen? She narrated the audiobook.
Listen on Spotify here.
Listen on Apple here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

James Beard Award-winning writer and food journalist Tarajia Morrell speaks with Zibby Owens about her beautifully written new book, Desire Feeds the Feast: A Memoir, a coming-of-age story about food, family, loss, love, and finding your way, published by Zibby Publishing. It’s also Zibby’s December Book Club pick! Returning as a single mother to the apartment where she grew up, Tarajia began writing to make sense of life's unexpected twists. As she shares, happiness can look very different from what we once imagined.

Born into one of New York's most celebrated wine families, Tarajia grew up where food was a love language and every meal told a story. In this conversation, she reflects on growing up on Manhattan's Upper East Side, searching for belonging, and finding herself through food, travel, grief, and unexpected detours. Along the way, she shares how food became both a language and a throughline, connecting her family history, travels, and deepest memories.

Learn more about Tarajia Morrell here and follow her on Instagram @tarajiamorrell. You can purchase Desire Feeds the Feast here and register for the virtual book club meeting here.
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A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now!
Love to listen? She narrated the audiobook.
Listen on Spotify here.
Listen on Apple here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Psychotherapist, writer, and co-author of the New York Times bestseller The Tools, Barry Michels joins Zibby Owens to discuss his powerful new memoir, Ahead of All Parting: On Learning to Live with an Open Heart. After being diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a disease that also affected his father, Barry found himself facing profound questions about mortality, identity, and connection.

Barry shares how his diagnosis unexpectedly opened him up to deeper friendships, greater vulnerability, and a surge of creative energy that inspired hundreds of poems. He also reflects on the difficult family experiences that shaped him, the practical tools that helped him navigate fear and grief, and the role music continues to play in his life.

Along the way, Barry offers advice for writers, discusses the importance of community, and shares what it means to live fully in the face of uncertainty.

Learn more about Barry Michels and his work here, and follow him on Substack. You can purchase Ahead of All Parting: On Learning to Live with an Open Heart here.
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A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now!
Love to listen? She narrated the audiobook.
Listen on Spotify here.
Listen on Apple here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Writer and producer Blake J. Harris spoke to Zibby Owens about his latest book Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David, an inside look at the real man behind the comedy empire that includes TV hits Seinfeld and Curb Your Enthusiasm. Blake shares how he convinced Larry to participate in the book (spoiler: it involved the Yankees).

Blake recounts how Larry David pulled many bits from his own life for his career, from a real-life Kramer neighbor to his eventual catchphrase on Curb. Despite what his character may be like on the show (and some say the real-life counterpart is similar), Blake reports that Larry David is a loving, happy man and devoted father.

Blake J. Harris is also the writer of Console Wars: Sega, Nintendo, and the Battle that Defined a Generation. Learn more about him and his work here and follow Blake on Instagram @blakeharrisnyc. You can purchase Emperor of Nothing: The Making of Larry David here.
*********
A story for the messy middle. Zibby's essay collection Between Chapters is out now!
Love to listen? She narrated the audiobook.
Listen on Spotify here.
Listen on Apple here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.