Zibby Owens is the author of “Blank: A Novel” (offered at a discount to Yale alumni with code YALE15), “Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature” and children’s book “Princess Charming,” and the editor of two anthologies. A frequent contributor to Good Morning America and other outlets, she has been called “NYC’s Most Powerful Book-fluencer” (Vulture).
Zibby is the creator and host of the award-winning, daily podcast “Moms Don’t Have Time to Read Books,” co-founder and CEO of publishing house Zibby Books, owner of Zibby’s Bookshop, an independent bookstore in Santa Monica, CA, and creator of “the Zibby-verse” (L.A. Times) community of book lovers for which she offers retreats, classes, special events, a book club, a writing group, and more under the Zibby Media umbrella.
A graduate of Yale University and Harvard Business School, Zibby currently lives in New York with her four children ages 9 to 16, and her husband Kyle Owens, co-president and founder of Morning Moon Productions.
Follow her on Instagram @zibbyowens and Substack where she tells it like it is.
She recently took the time to reflect on the friendships she's made at Yale and how she stays connected with the Yale community.
Why Yale?
I loved everything about it!! The history, the professors, the people, the traditions, the classes... everything!
What is your most enduring memory of your time at Yale?
Spending time with all my close girlfriends in our dorm room at night. Basically every night.
What is the biggest lesson you learned during your time at Yale and how does that shape who you are today?
I took a lot of psychology and art history classes at Yale. Academically, I learned to follow my interests and that at some point later, it would all make sense. Which it did!
How did your time at Yale shape your identity?
My friendships, especially with my roommate Stacey Sanders, changed my life. Stacey died on 9/11 which changed my own life. I feel her loss every day and live my life like there's a ticking clock.
What does belonging mean to you and how did you find a sense of belonging at Yale and after?
It means being loved by a group, which I absolutely was.
How have you stayed engaged with the Yale community since graduating?
I recently hosted a Yale Club of LA event at my bookstore in LA. I see friends regularly both on regular girls trips and for drinks at the Yale Club. I've gone back for reunions and did an event at the Schwarzman Center!
