Moms Don't Have Time To

by Zibby Owens

  Thanks to Coach Cass, Annika Pergament, Daisy Prince, and Rev. Lydia Sohn. Thanks to Nicole Ross for sneaking me in.

  To all the partners, especially Page 1 Books, Book of the Month Club, the Pick Up Line Media, Jumpstart, BINC, Poets & Writers, Chloe’s Fruit, and Hamptons Handpoured.

  Thanks to all my followers on Instagram whose comments fuel my daily life. Seriously.

  Thanks to all the listeners of Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books.

  Thanks to my new community of Moms Don’t Have Time to Lose Weight members and podcast listeners.

  Thanks to everyone who reached out and said they were thinking about Kyle, Stef, and me after we/they lost Susan and Nene like Liz from White Fences who dropped off baked goods.

  Thanks to the amazing authors who blurbed this book including Lena Dunham, Dani Shapiro, J. Courtney Sullivan, Claire Bidwell Smith, Allison Pataki, Deborah Copaken, Laura Zigman, Stephanie Danler, Nora McInerny, Lori Gottlieb, Bess Kalb, and Lily King.

  Thanks to my volunteer launch team: Michele Olson, Amy Furash, Leigh Shulman, Jelena Meisel, Shelli Johannes, Ashley Massengale, Katie Cunningham, Lindsay Okamoto, Rebekah Jacobs, Stacey Mosher Gellen, Alexis Rybny, Rina Brahmbhatt, Tiffany Merriman, Kristi Schmitz, Amanda McNutt, Brooke Adams Law, Tara Ohayon, Christine VanDeVelde, Kristine Lassen, Matt Rosanke, Tamara Schweitzer, Jennifer Howard, Allison Nowak, Susan Yablonksky, Erin Robertson, Mary Marraccini, Tate Whitlinger, Rebecca Friedman, Lauren Gabrielson, Tamara Behan, Teresa Sorkin, Samantha Ekert, Karla Andrew, Marybeth Brock, Elana Storch, Elizabeth Weiss, Laurie Cotumaccio, Leslie Ruminski, Francene Katzen, Mary Sheriff, Lisa Godwin, Ann (A.H.) Kim, Barbara Libbin, Francesca Borin, Bill Dameron, Kara McGee, Bonnie Goldberg, Meghan Jarvis, Melanie Goldberger and Rebecca Macatee. (Team still in formation, so thanks to everyone who joined and helped!)

  Thanks to everyone I’ve ever interviewed! I truly enjoyed getting to know you.

  Kyle’s team at Morning Moon Productions has been invaluable to me: Dan Lotti, Mike Sivilli, Austen Rydell, Ethan Lazar and Jordan Blumetti. Jordan (who is a phenomenal writer in his own right), Kyle, and I had lunch with our dear friends Cristina Alesci and Stephen Diamond the summer before last, and they all helped me brainstorm how to grow my business. I still use those tips. Dan and Mike have provided the intro and outro music through the Moon Brothers and Dangermuffin to all my podcasts and videos. Anna Claire, Dan’s wife, gave me life-saving allergy remedies when we inherited Susan’s dogs. Billie Lourd, Austen’s fiancee, has been a huge help along the way, too. And Kingston, the first baby moon on the team (well, aside from Luna!). Our epic summer lunch with Billie’s dad, Bryan Lourd, and Bruce Bozzi (old family connections from the Palm in the Fred Thimm, Carey Meyer days!) has already led to so much great stuff, including my new podcast representation by CAA agents Josh Lindgren and Yuni Sher, and so many wonderful introductions from Kate Childs and Cait Hoyt, plus advice from Michelle Weiner. Austen, Ethan and Ethan’s girlfriend, Sara, created the backdrop for my many Zoom quarantine calls by arranging all the books by color on my new bookshelf. Ethan has already provided me a lot of strategic counsel; he is whip-smart. And all that food Austen and company sent after Susan passed away? I am still working it off.

  I started working with Suzanne Williams and Deb Shapiro at Shreve Williams PR recently for my projects but have been emailing with them for years about their other author clients. I always thought that if I could ever sell a book, they’d be who I’d want to work with. They are, I’m sure, already sick of my nonstop emails. When I thought about doing this book, I decided to pitch exclusively to Skyhorse given their fast turnaround time and expertise. (That coffee at Ralph’s!) My editor there, Caroline Russomanno, has been fantastic and tolerant of all my pestering so far, and Kathleen Schmidt has been lovely.

  Since the quarantine hit, I’ve gotten to know so many other authors . . . through my podcast, yes, but also from my Z-IGTV Instagram Live show, my KZ Time show with Kyle, and Zibby’s Virtual Book Club, authors like Kevin Kwan, Adrienne Brodeur, Maya Lang, Ruthie Lindsey, Uchechi Mba-Uzoukwu, Terri Cheney, Rachel Barenbaum, Jeanine Cummins, Caitlin Moran, Sue Miller, Chris Bohjalian, Phyllis Grant, Alyssa Shelasky, Elyssa Friedland, Jodie Patterson, Adrienne Bankert and Kristy Woodson Harvey.

  Thanks to Celia McGee at the Center for Fiction, Jane Rosen, Lisa Leshne, Torrey Maldonado, Heather Cabot, Shelli Johannes, Naomi Firestone, Cynthia Kitay, Daniel Bokun, Deb Copaken, Deborah Tannen, Brad Meltzer, Laura Munson, Brian Platzer, Jeff Gordinier, Lauren Passell, Leigh Newman, Lisa Taddeo, Lynne and Val Constantine, JJ Ramberg, Alan Silberberg, Vashti Harrison, Karah Preiss, Katie Davidson, Joyce Chang, Julie Valerie, Jeanne McCulloch, Molly Barton, Jennifer Blecher, Jennifer Gray, Esther Wojcicki, Gary Brody, Robin Homanoff, Emily Raiber, Bettina Elias Siegel, Bill Clegg, Alex Aster, Daniella Pierson, Jenn Risko, Rex Ogle, Eve Rodsky, Elizabeth Gerlach, Alisyn Camerota, Abby Sher, Diane Debrovner, Caroline Leavitt, Jenna Blum, Sally Shaywitz, Tara Kinsey, Andy Dodds, Ali Wenzke, Meredith Hoffa, Richie Jackson, Sandra Miller, Meg Resnikoff, Shannon Twomey, Raakhee Michandani, Jamie Lee Curtis, Laura Tremaine, Caroline Leavitt, Sarah Gelman, Sarah Elison, Kathy Bartson, Hollie Fraser, Rosy Kehdi, Jordana Horn, Andy Hunter, Lisa Belkin, Liz Egan, Anna Halkidis, Beth Kneebone, Jessica Silverster, Rebecca Dube, Gretchen Schreiber, Cynthia Kitay, Amy Impelizzeri, the Book of the Month team, Steve Long, Ashley Hayes, Meagan Briggs, and so, so, so many others.

  To Alyson and Morgan Ein, Karen and Eli Frankel, Somsara and David Rielly, Lizzie Friedman, Jenny Lee, Dibs Baer, Nicole and Steve Solaka, Amanda and Sam Brown, Tyler and Talia Friedman, Shannon Olivas, Aaron and Kristin Bendikson, Fritz and Jennie McGuire, Trevor and Evelin Nielsen, Victoria Lobis, and Steven Rowley, in L.A.

  Thanks to my Zibby’s Virtual Book Club regulars Meghan Jarvis, Alysia Reiner, Cheryl Sokoloff, Sherie Silver, Carol Orange, Francene Katzen, and others. Thanks to Melissa Gould, Emmanuel Acho, Rachel Hollis, Jennifer and David Risher, Jean Kwok, Rachel Bloom, Arden Myrin, Jarrett Krosoczka, Paige Peterson, Kara Goldin, Nessa Rapoport, Matt Bocchi, Cameron Douglas, Liz Petrone, Dr. Jill Biden, Elizabeth Lesser, Christie Tate, Elizabeth Berg, Lauren Tarshis, and so many more.

  I’ve also been interviewed by others like complete pros Mallory Kasdan, Anne Bogel, Amy Schmidt, Suzanne Falter, Jordana Horn, Lisa Wexler, Heather Hansen, Biz Ellis, Samhita Jayanti, Ana Kertesz, Matt Hall, Sarah Dickinson, Patrick McGinnis, Brooke Adams-Law, Sandy Abrams, Cheryl Butler, Brandy Ferner, Marti Post, and the entire Pick Up Line team.

  To Rabbi Gelfand, Rabbi Davidson and Rabbi Ehrlich, thank you for all your help during our time of intense need. To Ben Kirschenbaum for all the support and teaching.

  To Sue Fleming and Cat Guerriere for keeping all of us moving and afloat in so many ways. To Shannon Simpson for everything.

  Thanks to Ken Davis at Mount Sinai Health System, who made one phone call that changed everything, Gigi from Round Hill for her expert medical advice, and Lizzie Friedman (again), who connected me to a friend at Duke when I needed it (and for her lifetime of friendship). Thanks to dear friends Evette Ferguson, Gigi Stone Woods, and Sayuri Ganepola for summer “camp” support as things unfolded.

  Thanks to Tenzin Palmo Patsatsang, my nanny of thirteen plus years, who takes care of me just as much as she does the kids. Thanks also to newbie Dolma Dawa for helping on weekends. (Also see Jamie Mortimer, above.) Thanks to Zompa Gurung for helping us keep our home clean, cared for, and organized. And to Jesus Santos, the original Zoomer. Also thanks to the many former babysitters who have helped me manage having four kids including Adriana Cutler, Catherine Chambers, Kim Taracena, and Chrystal Gray.

  Thank you to my sound editors, Steve Ejbick and Ryan MacNeill from Texturessound, to Sara Grambusch from Bold Transcription, to Trina and Kathy, my business accountants. To Sultanna Singh and Paul White for keeping everything in order. To Allison Guerrero for the quotes. To Social Fleur for the social media consulting. To Kristi Faulkner for creating “Brand Zibby.” To Maxi, for the visio
n.

  To all the publicists I email with all the time and who send me amazing guests including Ariele Fredman, Ariane Moore, Jessica Roth, Marian Brown, Katie Bassel, Jane Beirn, Megan Rudloff, Megan Fishman, Claire McLaughlin, Amelia Possanza, Jordan Rodman, Heather Mill, Aileen Boyle, Leslie Cohen, Alexander Kelleher-Nagorski, Ann-Marie Nieves, Kathleen Carter, Ashley Hewlett, Nicole Dewey, Hannah Bishop, Caitlin Mulrooney-Lyski, Heather Drucker, Crystal Patriache, Martha Kiley, Dini von Mueffling, Christopher Smith, Todd Doughty, Gretchen Koss, Kristin Ilardi, Kamrun Nesa, Keely Platte, Jimmy Harvey, Justine Sha, Sonya Cheuse, and Staci Burt.

  To Jade Fontenay for letting me change my mind.

  To Margaret Anastas for buying my children’s books for Penguin Random House’s new imprint, Flamingo, and to Karen Dukess for the intro. Looking forward to Princess Charming!!

  Of course, thank you to every single author who wrote a piece for We Found Time which has now found its way into this anthology. Thanks for handing in the essays on time, turning in the edits, and writing from your hearts during a period of time in the world when most people were too anxious or terrified to open their laptops. Your words will undoubtedly help so many others, as they did me.

  Now for my immediate crew.

  To my grandmother, Carol Levitan (“Gagy”), age ninety-seven, who has encouraged me to write from the start and even, with her husband “Papa Kal,” published my first mini-book when I was nine years old. I called her recently to check in and see what was new and she quipped, “Well, I’m pregnant.”

  My favorite podcast guest of all has been my dad, Steve Schwarzman. He wrote a bestselling book last year called What it Takes. When I went to his office boardroom and interviewed him on my laptop, he looked over at me, amused, as I set everything up. I then interviewed him for a BookHampton event. My kids sat in the front row with my brother and my niece, Lucy, who seems to be the only one among the cousins and my kids to truly inherit my passion for books. But back to my dad. My dad has given me everything in life, particularly the luxury of being able to pursue my passions, like this entire endeavor. I look to his approval for almost everything I accomplish. After all, I don’t want him to think I’m “sitting around eating bonbons.” His nonstop work ethic infuses everything I do. My zest-for-life stepmother Christine was a huge help when Susan was in the hospital and always, and my stepsister Megan helped so much with the dogs.

  My mom, Ellen Katz, has been a truly enormous lifelong support, and was the one who originally made me submit my first essay to Seventeen magazine. I forgive her now for snooping into what I was writing. I also credit her with fostering my love of reading, taking me to the East Hampton Library over and over again, refilling that L.L.Bean tote bag. She attends many of my events now, online and in-person, even though I don’t always call on her when she raises her hand. Her unwavering support and Midwestern values have kept me centered my whole life. Howard, my amazing stepdad who I love so much, and his kids Betsey Katz (and the fabulous Amanda Brand!), and Sara (and Doug) Mercer have been really great. I often think about Adam, who we lost far too young, and try to feed Zach Katz whenever he’ll let me. Who knew I’d have a step-nephew who towers over me?! My aunts, uncles and cousins have been a delightfully wonderful support. When they tell me they’re proud of me, it really means something to me. I hope they know that: Aunt Nancie and Uncle Mark, Uncle Tom and Aunty Marty, Uncle Warren and Aunt Ginny, Zak and Christi, Alexandra (and Mike), Caroline, Ashley, Carrie, Spencer and Julia, and Luisa Kingsdale.

  My “little” brother, Teddy Schwarzman, crushed me professionally for so long with his amazing production company, Black Bear Pictures. Watching his film The Imitation Game win an Academy Award and spotting Teds and his wife, Ellen, at the ceremony on TV was a life highlight for me. Last summer, they whisked Kyle, the kids, and me to Montana as Susan was in dire straits, a birthday surprise. I’ll never forget their generosity and love when we needed it the most. Teds, I was so blessed to have grown up with you (“Hefty, Hefty, Cinch-Sack!”) and am even more blessed to be growing older with you. Ellen, Lucy (“kid!”), William, and Mary, I love you all.

  To Stefanie, my sister-in-law, for braving this journey together—and for all the dog treats. I’m so glad we wear the same shoe size. And I’m beyond happy you stayed in New York. To Bernard and Miriam, let’s keep laughing together.

  To my ex, Andrew, for bringing the kids into the world—and for taking them every other weekend.

  To my ex-sister-in-law but forever sister, I love you, Elizabeth.

  To Kyle, for literally everything. The idea. The encouragement. The laughs. The advice. The creativity. The collaboration. (I can’t wait for the books you’ve optioned from the podcast to come to life!) The love. The Shark Tank episodes. The Advil late at night. The coffee. The emojis during Instagram Lives. The hugs. The stepfathering. The meals!!!!!! You’ve fed my body and soul in every way since the day I met you. I am me because of you. You are it.

  And to my kids: O, P, S, and G. I know you don’t always like it that I do so many podcasts when I could be hanging out with you in the next room, and that you often tell me to put down the book I’m reading so I can play with you. I hope the fact that I interview so many of your favorite authors, too, helps! I hope you’ll remember all the good I’m trying to bring into the world. I hope you’ll find something you’re equally passionate about when you grow up. I hope you’ll work as hard as I do and give back even more. And, above all, I hope you know that nothing is more important than you. When you say you’re proud of me, which you all have at different times and in different ways, it “fills my bucket.” I love you, truly, more than words can say. And no, one of you is not my favorite. You are the most special group of four people on this planet. I can’t wait to stand by and see what you all do with your amazing talents and beautiful souls. You are everything. Full stop. (Wait, is today a Wednesday frap day?!)

  Thanks, everyone. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I know, even though I’ve gone through my inboxes and memory bank, I’ve forgotten key people. If you’re one of them, I’m so sorry. I appreciate it. And I especially appreciate every single person who has read this book. Thank you for spending time with all of us.

  One final thank-you to all the authors not mentioned who have ever written a book I’ve read that has delighted, entertained, challenged, taught, helped, tickled, or transported me. I am eternally grateful.

  See? Aren’t you glad you found time to read the acknowledgments?

  Xx,

  Zibby

  ABOUT THE EDITOR

  Zibby Owens is the creator and host of award-winning podcast Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books. Zibby, named “NYC’s Most Powerful Book-fluencer” by Vulture, conducts warm, inquisitive conversations with authors. Before the pandemic, Zibby ran a literary salon, hosted her own book fairs, and was a frequent bookstore event moderator.

  During the quarantine, Zibby hosted two Instagram Live author talk shows, launched an online magazine with original author-written essays called We Found Time, and started Zibby’s Virtual Book Club.

  Zibby has recommended books for the Washington Post, Good Morning America, and Real Simple. She has also contributed to Parents, Marie Claire, Redbook, the New York Times online, and many other publications.

  Zibby has appeared on CBS This Morning, Good Morning America, the BBC, ABC-7 Eyewitness News, Good Day LA, Good Day DC, Good Day Dallas, and other local news outlets.