Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books

KJ Dell'Antonia, Author, HOW TO BE A HAPPIER PARENT: Raising a Family, Having a Life, and Loving (Almost) Every Minute

Listen to KJ Dell'Antonia tell it like it is in HOW TO BE A HAPPIER PARENT: Raising a Family, Having a Life, and Loving (Almost) Every Minute. This first-person-narrative-meets-advice-book provides practical, actionable tips that all parents can appreciate. The former editor of the Motherlode blog of the New York Times, KJ combines research, anecdotes and personal experience to create this modern-day parenting bible. 

Mara Altman, Author of GROSS ANATOMY: DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONT (AND BACK)

Listen as the hilarious Mara Altman talks about her book, GROSS ANATOMY: DISPATCHES FROM THE FRONT AND BACK, which comes out today (August 21!!)! Mara discusses the ins and outs of chin hair, waxing, PMS, and lice, not just from her experience but by interviewing experts around the world. Today she talks about her twins, her relationship with her mom and how she totally messed up training her dog. Relatable and inspiring, Mara will make every woman come to terms with every part of herself. While laughing.  

Jon Henes, Writer, "Alzheimer's Disease: A Letter to My Mom"

Be prepared to cry. Listen to lawyer and writer, Jon Henes, as he discusses the devastating impact of his mother's Alzheimer's disease. His essays on Medium.com about it are deeply moving, beautiful and poignant. Our conversation touches on life and death, the soul, parenting, family, love and what it means to remember. 

 

Live from Author's Night! Florence Fabricant, The New York Times Food Editor

Listen in to this LIVE podcast from Author's Night, the East Hampton Library benefit, to fabulous Florence Fabricant, the uber-important food and wine writer and editor of the New York Times. She talks about her latest cookbook (of 12!), her favorite dish to cook (hint: it rhymes with my-yay-ya), how she went from stay-at-home mom to rock star food writer in the 1970s and her tips for cultivating kids with sophiticated palettes. 

Live from Author's Night! Ellie Cullman, "From Classic to Contemporary"

Listen in to this LIVE podcast from the East Hampton Library's Author's Night benefit!!! Legendary interior designer, Ellie Cullman, of firm Cullman & Kravis, talks about how she started her business, losing her best friend, the best bang for your buck when decorating, and what's on her wish list. 

Rev. Lydia Sohn, Author of "What Do 90-Somethings Regret Most?"

Rev. Lydia Sohn, a 30-something Southern California minister (who says she's "not that kind of minister"), wrote an article for Medium.com called "What Do 90-Somethings Regret Most?" She interviewed her elderly congregants and found some surprising things about happiness, parenthood, love, body image and life in general. In our conversation, Rev. Sohn shares tips for a happier parenthood, decision-making tips, marriage hacks and more actionable advice to live a meaningful life. 

Rosie Walsh, Author of GHOSTED

Rosie Walsh is making her US debut with GHOSTED, a novel set in Stroud, Gloucestershire, where she was raised. (It was actually called THE MAN WHO DIDN’T CALL when it came out in England.) A former documentary filmmaker, a huge animal lover and a new "mum" herself, Rosie talks about dropping her pseudonym (Lucy Robinson) and using her real name for this novel, how she structured it, how tough it was to actually write, and her tricks for getting over a "Bad Writing Day."  

Jill Santopolo, Author of THE LIGHT WE LOST

International best-selling author, Jill Santopolo, talks about writing THE LIGHT WE LOST, her strategies for crafting a successful book (short chapters!), how she writes anywhere and everywhere but always schedules it in, why she started writing and editing for kids, and what's coming next for her, including an appearance at Author's Night on the East End on August 11th. 

Jen Oliver, Author of "The Love FitMama Way: Transforming The Core of Motherhood"

Jen Oliver is the Canada-based founder and CEO of FitMama, a movement empowering women to love their bodies while focusing on pre and post-natal care, even decades post-partum! The author of "The Love FitMama Way: Transforming the Core of Motherhood," Jen uses her fitness training, nutritional counseling expertise and healing arts to help moms look and feel good about their bodies. Listen to our chat as Jen and I interview each other for our respective podcasts (hers is called: FitMama). Listen in! 

Chef Lauren Costello, Author of "Notes on Cooking"

Chef, food stylist, author and instructor, Lauren Costello, shares some of her French Culinary Institute-trained well-earned tips from her books, "Notes on Cooking" and "The Competent Cook." One tip: just say yes to everything! She reveals some food styling secrets, how to make breakfast kids will eat, and the importance of putting a little love into every dish. 

Elyssa Friedland, Author of "The Intermission"

Elyssa Friedland is the author of two novels, LOVE AND MISS COMMUNICATION, and now THE INTERMISSION (released July 3, 2018!). Elyssa, a Yale and Columbia Law School grad, was a corporate lawyer before moving to writing full-time after the birth of her second child. She has contributed to many publications including New York, Modern Bride, Real Simple and, most recently, The Washington Post. Listen to our chat about Instagram addiction, sexy tennis players, her writing tricks, and how she has sex in the mornings despite having three young kids.

 

Rebecca Makkai, Author of "The Great Believers"

Pushcart Prize winner, Rebecca Makkai, talks about her latest novel, THE GREAT BELIEVERS, the story of a man facing the 1980s Chicago AIDS crisis as well as the story of a mother searching for her lost daughter in 2015 Paris. This beautiful, interwoven tale paints such a vivid picture of an intimate relationship, a time and place, and a mother's love. Rebecca shares what gives her "writer goosebumps," her use of dramatic irony (remember that term from school?!), and what she wished other women wouldn't ask her at book readings. She also gives specific advice to aspiring fiction writers. 

Andrea Petersen, WSJ Contributor, Author of "On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety"

Wall Street Journal Contributor, Andrea Petersen, shares her research and personal experiences from her book, "On Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety." She gives tips for how to raise less anxious children, how to help loved ones with anxiety and when to leave your kids alone in the house. 

Priscilla Gilman, Author of "The Anti-Romantic Child: A Memoir of Unexpected Joy"

Priscilla Gilman, author of "The Anti-Romantic Child" and former assistant English professor at Yale and Vassar, talks about raising her autistic son, coping with divorce, managing her career and finding happiness, all the while weaving the wonderful words of Wordsworth throughout her story. 

Courtney Maum, Author of "Touch"

Courtney Maum, author of "Touch" and "I am Having So Much Fun Here Without You," talks about her unique professional path to becoming a writer (Corona party promoter in Paris!!), her meeting with a professional cuddler, how she accidentally came up with her novel ideas and the eternal quest to stock the fridge. 

Kwame Alexander, Author of "The Crossover" Series

Poet and author extradordinaire, Kwame Alexander, speaks off the cuff about love, life and writing. A best-selling author and Newbery Award winner for "The Crossover," Kwame has written 25 books including "Rebound," "Booked," and "Solo." His work is intended for middle grades/young adults, but as a grown-up, I absolutely love his work. (I cried, repeatedly.) He blends sports and poetry in a unique way which provides "instant access to humanity." Hear about Kwame's plans, his work in Ghana, his future books and his thoughts on the NFL's taking a knee. 

Allison Pataki, Author of "Beauty in the Broken Places"

Allison Pataki, author of memoir, "Beauty in the Broken Places," and best-selling historical fiction books, "Sisi," "The Traitor's Wife" and "The Accidental Empress," shares her story of coping with her husband's unexpected, massive stroke at age 30. She shares her vulnerabilities, her advice, and her thoughts on how faith got her through that horrific time in her life: caring for both her husband (then with the cognitive capabilities of a teenage) and a newborn. 

Aimee Molloy, Author of "The Perfect Mother"

Aimee Molloy, author of instant best-seller and amazing novel/thriller, "The Perfect Mother," as well as several other non-fiction books, talks about managing the anxiety of new motherhood, mom "tribes," inverted nipples (?!), writing while hiding from her kids, and how she found out about her book being #5 on the best-seller list. 

Dylan Lauren, Founder/CEO Dylan's Candy Bar, Author of "Unwrap Your Sweet Life"

Dylan Lauren talks about her love of color and candy, how she's raising her "twin"kies, fitting in her workouts, managing her retailtainment empire, writing her first book, how 9/11 affected the launch of Dylan's Candy Bar, her bunny love and more!

Caitlin Macy, Author of "Mrs."

Novelist Caitlin Macy (pronounced "CaiSH-lin"), author of Mrs., Spoiled (Stories) and The Fundamentals of Play, talks about unspoken class distinctions, her own family's fall from wealth, what it takes to make Upper East Side moms stop googling Hamptons real estate, and how she tries to get her daughter to wear socks. She references so many books and authors, it's hard to keep up with her huge, literary mind. 

Dani Shapiro, Best-Selling Author of "Hourglass" and "Slow Motion"

Best-selling author, Dani Shapiro, author of nine amazing books (both memoirs and novels), talks about her secret to great writing, the app everyone needs to be productive, which sentence about her husband she rewrote over and over again and the family secret in her upcoming book from Knopf. (Cliffhanger!)

Jennifer Wallace, Award Winning Journalist and TV Commentator

Jennifer Wallace, TV commentator and award-winning journalist for the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal and many women's magazines, discusses her recent WSJ article, "The Teenage Social Media Trap." Armed with many recent studies, Jennie gives tips on how to manage kids' social media and gives some cautionary warnings. She also discusses how she broke into newspaper reporting, how her girlfriends were instrumental in helping her back into journalism after she took seven years off to raise her three kids, and how to appear calm, cool and collected on air. Plus she shares her secret to finding time to write without distractions! 

Charles Duhigg, Pulitzer Prize Winner and Best-Selling Author of "The Power of Habit" and "Smarter Faster Better"

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and best-selling author, Charles Duhigg, shares his insightful research to help this mom change her habits and parent more effectively. Charles explains the brain's way of forming habits, unlocks the secret to stopping them and puts his words into action. He also reveals his methods to crafting amazing stories (hint: structure!) and shares what it was like to get the call telling him he'd won a Pulitzer! He also gives tips on how to be more productive (hint: fewer emails!). His amazing books, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business and Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity are both New York Times Bestsellers. 

Sarah Mlynowski, Best-Selling Author of Young Adult Series "Upside Magic" and "Whatever After"

Sarah Mlynowski, best-selling author of 35 books including the Upside Magic and Whatever After Young Adult series (ask any kids ages 8-14 and they'll know about them!), talks about magic, getting into the teenage brain, how her parent's divorce shaped her, and the future of princesses. Listen with or without your kids! 

Piper Weiss, author of "You All Grow Up and Leave Me"

Piper Weiss, author of You All Grow Up and Leave Me, recounts the chilling story of her experience with her former NYC tennis pro (and child stalker) Gary Wilensky. One of “Gary’s girls,” Piper starkly and beautifully weaves together her coming-of-age memoir in the 1990’s Manhattan private school scene, fighting her own demons, while unknowingly dealing with a real demon right in front of her. The book is a grand slam. This episode showcases Piper’s soulful talent and sheds light on a national child predator case, sadly a precursor to other monsters who have followed in Gary’s footsteps.

EXPLICIT LANGUAGE: Jill Kargman, Creator/Writer/Producer/Star of "Odd Mom Out"

WARNING: BAD LANGUAGE!!!! DON'T LISTEN IN THE CAR WITH YOUR KIDS.

Jill Kargman, author of multiple books plus creator/writer/star of "Odd Mom Out," speaks in her unique, hilarious, irreverent way about the ins and outs of parenthood. She dishes about writing for TV versus novels, discusses how she keeps her kids from being spoiled and raves about what she's reading now. 

Lauren Smith Brody, Author of The Fifth Trimester: The Working Mom's Guide to Style, Sanity and Success After Baby

Lauren Smith Brody, author of The Fifth Trimester: The Working Mom's Guide to Style, Sanity and Success After Baby, shares her own experiences (and relevant studies) about going back to work, trying not to fight with her husband, childcare options, "mom guilt," how to look and feel better, and attempting to not turn into her mother. Lauren has started a movement in the workplace advocating on behalf of new moms and offers workshops, personal sessions for moms and more. Check out www.thefifthtrimester.com. 

Sarika Chawla, Journalist, Eating Disorders and Parenting

Sarika Chawla's article, "How I'm Raising My Kids to Have a Healthy Relationship with Food, Despite My Eating Disorder," from the Washington Post's On Parenting section, outlines her experiences and gives suggestions for managing a relationship with food and parenting. She speaks openly in our interview about her struggles and how she's handling raising her own two children now. 

Cristina Alger, Author of "The Darlings" and "This Was Not the Plan"

Cristina Alger discusses what it's like to be a native New Yorker (including what types of girl "friends" to watch out for), parenting and writing through loss and hardship, and how she achieved such a compelling single dad point of view in one of her books. She also gives a sneak peek at her next several projects and lends some advice to aspiring novelists. And she makes me laugh.  

Dan Lotti, Singer/Songwriter of Dangermuffin

Dan Lotti, singer/songwriter of amazing band, Dangermuffin, talks about his writing journey, his inspiration and his family. 

Andre Agassi, Tennis Legend, Author of Open

Andre Agassi speaks candidly about his tennis career, fatherhood, pushing through pain, writing to make sense of his life, changing education, addressing dyslexia, and finding true meaning through his philanthropic work.

Lea Carpenter, Author of Eleven Days

Lea Carpenter speaks candidly about the behind-the-scenes of her book, Eleven Days, published by Knopf, her path as a writer and editor, the military, and how she became a warrior mom herself. 

A Mother's Right to Sanity

Starting the Movement to Just Be a Mom And Not a Family Management Exec