Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books™️

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 raising kids. We discussed the pain points of parenting, how she puts her ideas into practice, and how she pulled off writing a book in the midst of all of it. 

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 Impermanent World. (Special thanks to past podcast guest Lauren Grodstein for the introduction!)

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 life around the pool, an unfair accusation, an autistic main character, and a community shaken, this book will make you think and feel. Jackie and I discussed parenting, coaching, writing, and more. 

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 does it take to live like that? To call off an engagement and a way of life and, instead, bring millions of others on international adventures with her? She shares her self-destructive behaviors, her doubts, and her inner monologue as she becomes a global adventurer.  

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 "make life suck less,” but because of her ability to use humor and wit to get through loss. She lost her brother, writer-producer-comedian Harris Wittels, to the opioid crisis and has now written multiple books on the topic. This raw exploration of grief is also a manual for anyone else struggling with how to help an addicted loved one. Our conversation ranged from entrepreneurship and what it takes to start something new to her profound struggles in the aftermath of sibling loss. 

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 Draper James boutique, which I’d just visited, and she offered to show us the town. I didn’t know then that she was also Jewish, which, in the pre-October 7th days, wasn’t necessarily something that would come up in conversation. And yet, after October 7th, Alyssa became a vocal proponent of the Jewish people, leading political and societal change efforts in her community. She contributed to my anthology On Being Jewish Now. Her next book, White. Blonde. Jew., is coming out and has been met with controversy in her community; her launch event was canceled. I’ll be hosting Alyssa at Totally Booked: Live in New York on Sunday, October 25th. Listen to our candid conversation (recorded before the cancellation). 

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 deep into the overlapping histories of the British Royal Family and our own U.S. royals: the Kennedys. We discussed fandom, coincidence, leadership, and more. 

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 getting distracted by the fabulous view (an inner sigh as I sat inside at my desk on a beautiful day) but then I realized that his view — his perspective — was something I could internalize and share. Ashley’s deep dive into the history of the hit album Graceland — one of my favorites! — made me rethink music history. Our talk was as interesting to me as the beats of the songs and lingered long after the mic turned off, just like Paul Simon’s music. 

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 about what her life has been like in the before and after, the accommodations she needs to function at 100%, her new lease on life, and how she pivoted an existing book project (this!) into what became a powerful, memorable story of overcoming and persevering.