Hi, I'm Zibi Owens, and you're listening to the Webby-nominated podcast.

Moms don't have time to read books.

Book of the Month Club is this week's sponsor.

They're offering listeners their first book for only $5 with Code Zibby, Z-I-B-B-Y.

Again, that's Code Zibby for your first book for $5 to Book of the Month Club, which, by the way, is amazing.

I subscribe every month I get to pick from five of their favorite books.

Most of the time, one of them is by an author I've had on my podcast, and then it just

arrives. I've given it as a gift. I adore it, and you will too. So think of it for gifts,

and for sure, go on bookof the month.com and subscribe yourself. I'm here today with Susan Shapiro,

who is the award-winning Manhattan writing professor and best-selling

author of 12 books, including five men who broke my heart and lighting up, how I stopped, smoking,

drinking, and everything else I loved in life except sex. She is written for the New York Times,

the Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and New York Magazine, among many other publications.

Her latest book is The Byline Bible get published in five

weeks. She teaches writing classes like instant gratification takes too long at NYU, the new school,

and in private workshops. She currently lives in Greenwich Village, New York, with her husband, who is a

screenwriter, and she was my teacher at the new school. So welcome to Susan Shapiro. Thanks so much

for coming on moms. Don't have time to read books.

My pleasure. So this is a super special episode for me because I took Sue's class at the New School

in I think 2004. I was trying to write full time for a little bit. And Sue's class was so amazing.

It taught you how to get published in magazines and newspapers. And I swear to God, everything I've written since is because of you that's ever been published. Thank you. Yeah, I remember you got published during the class. You were one of the stars. Oh, thanks. It's exciting. Anyway, I've been following you ever since. Your whole career, your books. Two of your books are some of my favorites, Five Men Who Broke My Heart and Lighting Up, which are so good. I'm like a memoir junkie. Thank you. Well, so I read about you in New York Magazine and I'm reading about this famous podcast with all these famous writers and I was like, how come I never get to be on cool podcast? Then I'm like, Zibby, I know that name. But then I Google and you had another

name in my class. And I'm like, but then I did, and I'm like, oh my God, it's her. So I was like, yay. So this is so exciting. Oh, it's so exciting for me. Now you have a new book out, your 12th book called The Byline Bible get published in five weeks, which is basically like the essence of all your amazing classes.

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