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- [00:01]
Zibby Owens
Hi, listeners of Totally Booked with Zibby. This June, we have one episode coming out every single day. And to celebrate that, I've started the June listening Club. You can sign up on zibbedia.com or you can just keep listening and every day there'll be a little quiz on Instagram. We're giving prizes away every single day this month. You're gonna get amazing stuff. You would all be invited to a party and a zoom at the end of the month to celebrate with a special certificate. So sign up on Zibbe Media today. Make sure following Totally Booked with Zy on Instagram and get ready to listen. Make it a challenge. June is crazy. Find some airtime for yourself. Put it on in the background. Get ready to listen, learn, laugh, and enjoy life.
- [00:50]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Ready to order?
- [00:51]
Zibby Owens
Yes. We're earning unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with a Capital One Saver Card. So let's just get one of everything.
- [00:58]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Everything.
- [00:59]
Capital One Representative
Fire everything. The Capital One Saver card is at Table 27, and they're earning unlim 3% cash back.
- [01:05]
Zibby Owens
Yes, Chef.
- [01:06]
Leslie Grace Streeter
This is so nice.
- [01:08]
Capital One Representative
Had a feeling you'd want 3% cash back on dessert.
- [01:10]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Ooh, tiramisu.
- [01:12]
Capital One Representative
Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with the Capital One Savor card. Capital One what's in your wallet?
- [01:18]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Terms apply. See capital1.com for details.
- [01:20]
Instacart Representative
This summer, Instacart is bringing back your favorites from 1999 with prices from 1999. That means 90s prices on juice pouches that ought to be respected, 90s prices on box Mac and cheese, and 90s prices on on ham, cheese, and cracker lunches. Enjoy all those throwbacks and more at throwback prices only through Instacart. $4.72. Maximum discount per $10 of eligible items. Limit three offers per order. Expire September 5th while supplies last. Discount based on CPI comparison. BetterHelp Online Therapy bought this 30 second ad to remind you right now, wherever you are, to unclench your jaw, relax your shoulders, take a deep breath in and out. Feels better, right? That's 15 seconds of self care. Imagine what you could do with more. Visit betterhelp.com randompodcast for 10% off your first month of therapy. No pressure, just help. But for now, just relax.
- [02:40]
Zibby Owens
Welcome, Leslie. I'm so excited you're here to talk about family and other calamities. A novel. Congratulations.
- [02:48]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Thank you so much. I'm happy to be here.
- [02:49]
Zibby Owens
Yay. All right, I'm going to read a little bit about you for everybody listening. Leslie Grace Streeter is an award winning journalist and columnist for the Baltimore Banner. She is the author of the memoir Black Widow, A Sad, Funny journey through grief for people who normally avoid books with words like journey in the title. The co host of the podcast Fine Beets and Cheeses and a frequent speaker on grief. She is also a slow runner, an amateur vegan cook, and a fan of Law and Order. Leslie lives in Baltimore, Maryland with her son Brooks. Welcome.
- [03:23]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Thank you. Welcome.
- [03:25]
Zibby Owens
Yay.
- [03:26]
Capital One Representative
So.
- [03:26]
Zibby Owens
So I met Leslie during. Not met, but met online, the way we all do these days during the pandemic when her first book came out and we talked all about grief. And that book helped me through a really hard period of time in my life. And so I've had this special relationship with you, even though I haven't met you because of your candidness and openness around your own grief, which was totally different from mine. But there is obviously something in grief that unites everybody. And most people have been through grief of some kind. And the way you wrote about it was particularly amazing. So thank you for that.
- [04:00]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Thank you. And I've gotten that a lot from people, I think. I wrote the book about my husband dying in my first year of widowhood, and then it came out seven days before lockdown in 2020.
- [04:11]
Zibby Owens
So.
- [04:12]
Leslie Grace Streeter
And that in itself was grief, you know, because nothing was going the way that I thought. But then, of course, the world was in grief. So I was like, it wasn't like a plot against me to ruin my book tour. You know, it was actually a terrible thing. And everyone was at home focusing on things that they had lost. And I think that the book, even though it didn't work the way that I wanted it to in terms of like, sales or a chore, I had so many people say to me, you spoke to something that I didn't know that I needed until it happened. Whether it was the physical loss of a loved one or their way of life or their last year of school or their prom, it was, everyone lost something. And to sit in your house and say someone else gets it, I think was really. It was a privilege. I didn't know that I was going to have to do that for people. So it was great to know that.
- [05:03]
Zibby Owens
See, nothing ever turns out the way you think it will with a book launch, never. And I blame that. I am so sorry about your experience that you had to write a book about grief or that you chose to write a book about grief. This is a preamble to talk about your new book, but maybe give a little more of the story of what happened with your husband and what was behind that book. And it'll set more of a context for your new book.
- [05:27]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Thank you. So Black Widow was about, like I said, the first year of my widowhood. My husband Scott, died. It'll be 10 years in July. And we've been married only for five and a half years. We'd known each other since high school, met again later in our 30s in Florida. We're from Baltimore. And it just seemed like, oh, it's. I write about entertainment, so I speak of things in terms of sitcoms. So it felt like a sitcom. It's like, he's this, like, fun Jewish dude, and she's this quirky black lady. And they meet each other again on Facebook, and it's wild, man. And it was going that way. And they find this. You know, they want to have a baby, and they're not able to. And then they. A family is born into her, A baby is born into her family, and they find this little boy who's now not small and sitting back there, and it's going really well. And then it went screech. And so the book, in a way, was my way of processing that. It was like therapy. I remember my therapist said, you should write a journal. And I said, oh, I am. I'm writing a book. And she was like, what? And people would say, well, it's okay if no one ever reads it. It's like, no, this is the journal I wrote for everybody to read. Because I basically felt like books about grief seem to be about the end. And this is how I was okay, and this is how I solved it, and this is how I healed without the messy stuff. When you're, like, eating. I have a chapter called Grief Cake. We were eating cake at 2:00 in the morning. And I talked about how I lived in Lake Worth, Florida. There was a dive bar and a pie shop right next to each other. And I would visit them too often. Like, sometimes, like, let me go back to the pie shop. And so no one writes about the messiness and the can I do this? And the scrolling on Twitter at the time. And just, like, the weird stuff that goes through your mind, they write about and how we healed, and now we are okay, and I am okay. But there's that large swath in the middle I felt would be helpful to write about, because how do you know you're gonna be okay if you don't acknowledge the crap you went through? Right? So that's what that book was about. And it does set up the novel has some similarities. The characters might go, oh, this sounds familiar. But then it goes in a completely weird situation because it's my first fiction.
- [07:52]
Zibby Owens
Yeah, it's debut novel. So exciting. Okay. Family and other calamities. Can you tell us what this book is about?
- [08:00]
Leslie Grace Streeter
This book is. You're gonna go, wait, we just heard that it's about a black female journalist who writes entertainment, who moves to LA with her husband, who is a Jewish dude. Okay. He dies and it's like, wait a minute, no. But then something wacky happens. She has to come back to Baltimore, which is, like I said, where I'm from, to bury his ashes and finds out that a long ago former friend, now nemesis, who stole the story from her as a journalist years ago, is making a movie out of it and she's the villain. Da, da, da. And so she has to deal with that. She has to deal with the fact that she'd been kind of avoiding her family for 30 years, including her sister, who was the whistleblower based on the case that she wrote about her mother who has decided to throw herself a birthday party because she used to never come to visit. So I'm throwing my party while you're here. Her brother in law, who she was never close to, who she now needs to help her out, and a mysterious R and B diva. Because why not? Because why not?
- [08:57]
Zibby Owens
She was a great character.
- [08:58]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Thank you. I loved her.
- [08:59]
Zibby Owens
Yeah, she was great. I mean, they were all great. It starts off being on a plane and having someone from your past in the seat above you, in the seat right in front of you. And what do you do? Do you say the horrible things you want to say? Do you keep it all inside? And I feel like that is such a. It's like a symbol for everything that comes next in this whole story because.
- [09:21]
Leslie Grace Streeter
So much of it is about regret and how you've told the story of your past for 20 years, 10 years. Last week, like, you know, you call your friend, you go, girl, I can't believe what she said to me. And he goes, well, that's not what she said to me. And it's like, well, it was true. And the further you get from that phone call, the further you get from that thing, you're very happy deciding it happened the way that you wanted it to. So, like dawn, the character who was named after the Frankie Valley song, because why not? Is in the plane behind Jo. And so she, flashback, is thinking about all the things that starts to tell the story in her brain. Like, how did this Happen. How did we get here? And she's resisting kicking his chair, but she doesn't want to get kicked out of first class, so she doesn't do that. And so she has this moment where she's like, it's like you regret, like, what you didn't do, what you didn't say. And that's one of the reasons I don't have a lot of regret about things, because everything's like, butterfly effect. Like, if you don't do this thing, does it affect this thing? And if you don't do this thing and then do you wind up in a completely different life and completely different person? Which I think is part of what she thinks is that she's like, if I had just said something, if I hadn't made this mistake in my 20s, would I be in a different place? But then would I not have wound up with the life I have, which I really like, but I still hate this guy, and can I kick his chair with nobody noticing?
- [10:41]
Zibby Owens
So there is a long lasting tale to decisions we make in our twenties that really shouldn't be allowed. Because when you're in your 20s, what do you even really know?
- [10:51]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Nothing.
- [10:52]
Zibby Owens
I shouldn't say that. We just had someone earlier today who knows more than I do, so I.
- [10:57]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Did not know anything. There's a writer. Do you know? Nora McInerney had a video the other day, very short one. She said in a long landing series that I could call advice that I would have given myself to my 20s in my 20s that I wouldn't have taken. And I was like, yes. And she was basically, this one was about how no one who you have to chase is really in love with you. And I was like, ooh. It's like, how dare you? Because my friend who was here had lived with me through eight of those things, so she understands. She could tell you stories. But, yeah, it's the kind of thing you look back even though you. I regret mistakes only because I feel like if they hurt people or they caused me to waste time focusing on something that I shouldn't have focused on. But then again, you go, but you've learned from those things. I made not the same mistakes. I made different mistakes. You know, we're also dumb, but usually not the same dumb mistake.
- [11:50]
Zibby Owens
True. I know. I feel like I waste too much time rethinking, well, what if this had gone? What if I had done it this way? What if this had happened? And in truth, you make the best decisions at every moment in your life based on the information that you have at the time. And you can't beat yourself up because you learn more now.
- [12:07]
Leslie Grace Streeter
You really can't. And you can't judge yourself. That young woman, girl, really, in her 20s or 30s, did not have the information like you said. And because it's like, there's a very old movie, Peggy sue got married.
- [12:20]
Zibby Owens
Oh, I loved that movie. Thank you. I always think about that movie.
- [12:24]
Leslie Grace Streeter
I love that movie because Kathleen Turner is magically sent back to her high school days and she's like, do I marry Nicolas Cage, who is a raging jerk? Do I actually talk to the nice, quiet guy who's a rebel and he's wearing a jacket and he's awesome? And so how will that affect my life? What does that do? Although the best part of it, my favorite scene, cause I say it all the time to my kid, is when she realizes that her mother is standing up and doesn't eat. Her mother is serving all the food before she sits down. And she goes, no, mom, sit with us. And it's not only revolutionary to the brother and the dad, but to her mom. Because her mother never considered, what if I take care of myself first? Which also I think is a theme in both. I'll be 54 next week. And so I have a happy birthday. Thank you. And so I think a lot about that. About what are times where I could have stuck up for myself, but I didn't know that I could have. I didn't know it was an option. The mom didn't know it was an option. Right. And so I think that when we look back at our lives, the only things I would change. You can't help who you date. There are plenty of people. I wouldn't have dated that guy. Right. And then you learn from it. But stuff like, did I learn to stick up for myself? Did I learn to go back? Could I go back? And even if I couldn't change it, would I tell that girl, either don't date that guy. I would say, maybe don't date him so long, or maybe listen to your friends. I don't know. But you can't change it.
- [13:51]
Zibby Owens
The reason we keep talking about this is the crux of this novel is that a decision someone makes with the best information that they had changes the course of their life. And how can you then revisit it decades later and make things better? Can you or can you not? Is it too long? Do you get measured on the same standards as today? Really interesting question.
- [14:14]
Leslie Grace Streeter
I think it is too, because so much has changed. Like, my son is 11 and if it takes two seconds for a video to load, he's like, oh, my God, the world is ending. And so I have to explain things like AOL and like. Or like, it could take. You could go brush your teeth and come back and maybe it still hadn't loaded. And so that's the information. He looks back at situations by telling these stories and go, well, I don't know how I would have done that. It's like. Because it just wasn't available. So last time I was in the.
- [14:43]
Zibby Owens
City, he has not gotten off his phone this whole time.
- [14:46]
Leslie Grace Streeter
No, he's back. There you go. The last time I was in the city, I didn't have my phone because I dropped my phone in the recycling that morning, which was, once again, I'm a whole sitcom. I dropped my phone. And so my friend who was here, I had to meet her through series of messages sent from the train and borrowing some lady's phone or whatever. And so you figured. You figured it out. You know, it's not as easy as it was, but you figured out. So dawn and I don't want to give too much away, but in the book, makes a decision in her 20s to share some information with someone she thinks is a friend to help her with the story she's writing. And she doesn't under. She's not reading that he's actually a weasel and that he's going to steal it from her. And so she makes a completely flaky decision in the moment when she figures out that she's been lied to. That, you know, messes up a lot of stuff. And then you go back and you go, like she says, if I hadn't made the decision and fled town with this guy who's a source that I shouldn't have been sleeping with, but I kind of did, who turned out to be 30 years later, her husband, who she loves, and they had a great marriage. And no one really talks about the other stuff. And she's decided that it's okay because it worked out okay until it's wide open. And so everyone's going, well, why would you make that decision? And her family's like, and you left us here to hold the bag. And her sister particularly. And she has a younger journalist who's asking her questions like, well, why would you. That's really stupid. And so she has to confront all this stuff and make things right with her. Not only her family and her husband's family, but a guy that she could have dated. That kind of figures in the past. And you see some flashbacks, how he was significant and if you have these choices, I love writing reality. Like you watch movies, there's always like there's three choices of guys, you know, And I'm like, is there really? It's not always usually the case, I think in real life. But in this thing she has choices and she makes them and you have to sort of reconcile those choices and be honest about how your version of events is not everyone's versions of events.
- [16:44]
Zibby Owens
So speaking of choices, why did you write a novel? Today's episode is sponsored by Wayfair. There's just something about a beautiful outdoor space that is so satisfying. Having your own backyard oasis is like a dream come true and Wayfair has everything that you need to level up your outdoor space and make it really yours. They have patio sets, lounge chairs, outdoor bars, hot tubs, fire pits, gazebos, and of course string lights. It is so easy to have a one stop shop where you can make over your entire outdoor space with a resort feel or whatever you love without a resort price tag. I as you know, I'm obsessed with Wayfair and have decorated my home and office using Wayfair. I recently loved the new outdoor rugs that they have. I love the Waikiki Blue indoor outdoor rug which will look great in my new temporary place in Santa Monica. I want my outdoor space to feel like me. I want it to welcome people and make them feel comfortable and right at home. And Wayfair has everything. Plus shipping is so fast and the prices are fabulous. And it's convenient that Wayfair has everything your home needs, especially for this warm weather season. Wayfair's huge selection of outdoor items makes it easy to find exactly what's right for you. There's something for every style and every home, no matter your space or budget. Wayfair makes it easy to tackle your summer home goals with endless inspiration for every space, space and budget, including the outdoors. So don't wait. Make your outdoor space your dream oasis today with Wayfair and enjoy it all summer long. Head to Wayfair.com right now to shop a huge outdoor selection that's W A Y-F-A-I-R.com Wayfair Every style, every Home.
- [18:42]
Instacart Representative
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- [19:12]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Ready to order?
- [19:13]
Zibby Owens
Yes. We're earning unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with a Capital One Saver Card.
- [19:18]
Leslie Grace Streeter
So let's just get one of everything. Everything.
- [19:21]
Capital One Representative
Fire everything. The Capital One Saver card is at table 27, and they're earning unlimited 3% cash back.
- [19:27]
Zibby Owens
Yes, Chef.
- [19:28]
Leslie Grace Streeter
This is so nice.
- [19:29]
Capital One Representative
Had a feeling you'd want 3% cash back on dessert.
- [19:32]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Ooh, tiramisu.
- [19:33]
Capital One Representative
Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with the Capital One saver card. Capital One what's in your wallet?
- [19:40]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Terms apply. See capitalone.com for details. Because I thought it would be fun. I'm a journalist, and I write real stuff all the time. I'm a columnist, so I write in first person often reviews or just, like, things off the top of my head. Sometimes very serious things. But it's true. It's based on fact. I research things very well. I wrote a memoir. It was about me. And even my own stuff. I had to call people and go, was that actually in 1980? Like, am I remembering this right? And I sent pages to people who were in it so I could not so much, like, tell me it's okay, but, like, did this happen this way? And most of the time it did. And they're like, did I? Okay. But I wanted to write a novel because I thought it would be fun to be that girl that I was when I was. When you first start to write and you're creating stories about princesses and dragons and, like, little girls who solve crimes. I grew up in the 70s, so I was either Nancy Drew or Encyclopedia Brown, one or the other. And so that was fun. And the story ended the way that you wanted it to. And I think I forgot how much fun it was to create a thing that you could control. When I wrote my first book, someone who used to read my column at the Palm Beach Post said, I was very disappointed. At the end of your love story. I go, me too, girl. What? It's like, it wasn't a novel story, sweetie. It was my life. And I wouldn't have killed him off either. That would not have been the ending that I would have chosen. So people are weird, but it was really fun. Once it's to write a story, even though there is grief in the book, that maybe something good happens and maybe this person. And she talks to her husband in her head, and he's like, slow down, girl. Stop. Okay, stop. So she's. Because you continue to talk to people and not like in a movie where the person is sitting there, sort of sepia tone in their sweater on the. On the dresser or whatever, but you have conversations. I talk to Scott, you know, often when I'm about to do something dumb, and he's like, girl. But it just was really neat to remember how much fun it was to create a whole world. I am not a fantasy writer. I'm not gonna, like. I don't think I could create a whole, like, universe or where that's not sort of where my. Oh, I could, but it's not really where my head is. But being able to, like, write something fun where you get to pick random characters and song references and what they're wearing and it's all something you made up is really fun.
- [22:09]
Zibby Owens
By the way, Leslie's publisher has gifted you all copies of this book, and they're out front after. So thank you so much for that.
- [22:16]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Thank you. I'm very excited.
- [22:18]
Zibby Owens
Oh, my gosh. Was Writing the novel is fun. I find it can be quite torturous sometimes. Writing a novel sometimes fun.
- [22:26]
Leslie Grace Streeter
I think sometimes it depends on what stage it is, because, like, you just write it, and then your editor will go, bob, what if that person was a different gender? And that person, what do you go, huh? And then you go, is this fun? Am I just writing in order? You go, no, actually have fun with it and you explore things. That was fun because I am a journalist, so I'm used to editing. I'm used to people going, how about that? What about this? And have you considered it? And I love feedback, but sometimes, then you have to go, okay, this is what I really want it to be. And you can push back and say, no, this is what it's supposed to be. So it was fun in that if you just sat in the morning, I would take a day off or do it when my kid was asleep, or do it if I had a time in a hotel where he was not around or whatever, and just write and just go for it. And you'd look up and it's three hours later, and you go, oh, I was lost in it, man. You know, I was, like, really into it. It's the doing it by numbers. I think that would be hard if you had to do it. I mean, in the columns, even. I kind of just let myself go. And you write it, and then sometimes you get up and you get a drink of water and you come back, you watch an episode of Law and Order. And then I watch a Law and Order. It's in my book. And then you come back and just also sort of like, figure out where sometimes read back and go, oh, that's what I was reading or eating or watching at that time. Because that's stuff that, like, came into my brain. It just letting yourself go. Letting myself go was the fun part.
- [23:54]
Zibby Owens
I feel like today should be sponsored by Law and Order. It's come up basically in every show. Boom, boom, as Law and Order does. If Scott could see you today, what would he think? What would you want to tell him about how life has changed after his.
- [24:12]
Leslie Grace Streeter
What a good question. I think he would be so excited for us, you know, because he died in 2015, which is, you know, way before COVID Covid, I think, would have been an eye opener, I think, for everybody, right? I think about, like, how he would have responded to it and how he would have dealt with us, because he was like, I want to live in Florida forever. And we moved in 2020, in the midst of everything, back to Baltimore. I think about what he'd be like, why are we in Baltimore? Why are we living in a place with no parking? Because I live, like, right downtown. But I think he would be so. Oof. He would be so pleased that, you know, I'm writing for another publication. He would be pleased that my voice is being heard. He would get the biggest kick out of that kid back there. He would. I say all the time. He would just eat him up with a spoon. He would probably be dressed head to toe in either Ravens or Orioles stuff right now. His name is Brooks Robinson, named after the famous baseball player. My kid's name is Brooks Robinson Streeter Zervitz. I think Scott would love that I was having a good time because he always wanted me to have a good time. He loved, like, he would buy me weird stuff. Like he'd go to the gas station right before he died. He bought me the sake from a gas station because it was funny and it was like, so it's in the first book. A couple days later, I'm like, I'm just gonna sit here at one o' clock in the afternoon and drink this gas station sake. And people like, no, it's like, just let me drink the sake. So I think he would enjoy that. I would like. I like I got new boots. He would go, yeah, I would have bought you those boots. You know, he would have fun knowing that we were having fun and we are having a good. And that we're not. We're sad, obviously. And I think a lot about, like, the relationship that they would have had and where we would be. But he would want us not to be destroyed by it. I know that. And he would want it to. We would be happy that we traveled and that we had Disney passes for a long time, you know, and that we had, like, we have, like, weird movie marathons. Like, we watched all of the Jaws, even the bad 3D one, and we watched all the Indiana Joneses, even the later ones, which weren't so great. And that I was, like, telling him about, like, baseball, and he plays baseball season starts this weekend. And that we were just doing good. That's what he would want.
- [26:36]
Zibby Owens
I'm so glad.
- [26:37]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Thank you.
- [26:37]
Zibby Owens
Oh, my gosh. And Scott was Jewish, and I've noticed you've been posting matzo ball soup on your feed. So have you adopted all of the customs? What is your relationship to Judaism as a result?
- [26:50]
Leslie Grace Streeter
I never converted when. And I put this on my Instagram feed. I made matzo balls. I started making them from scratch. And I make them with sage. I hope that doesn't like that. There's nothing bad that I'm not supposed to be doing that.
- [27:06]
Zibby Owens
We'll still allow it.
- [27:07]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Yes. But I make them. I don't make them a lot because I'm trying to eat less bread or whatever. But it was, you know, Passover was coming. It's like, I'm going to make matzo ball soup and I am eating less salt. It's like, oh, this sounds like no fun. But. So I make my own broth and I make my own bouillon. That's vegan. It's a whole thing. I don't eat chicken. You're like, this sounds terrible, but we.
- [27:30]
Zibby Owens
Will not be distributing this recipe.
- [27:31]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Do not. When he. Right before he passed, I had some friends that were in my friend group that I was not really close to, but they invited us to go. They would always invite us over for the holidays. So when he died, they said, would you consider continuing to come to our house for Passover and for Hanukkah? And I was like, absolutely. And so we did it. And that's been five years. But I always call them. We always call each other. And so I posted it and I sent them a copy of it. And even. And the picture was great. You couldn't tell that there was not a lot of salt in it. So it looked like it tasted good. But Scott's family, his cousins particularly, have adopted us in that, like, we went to his cousin's daughter's Bat Mitzvah last year. And even though we are not Jewish, Brooks was able to be the kids that, like, go and give the candy out or whatever. And we were. We were family. So we were at the family table and nobody said, who are those. Like, who are those black people from Baltimore in your thing? You know, we're like, what's up? It was in Northern Virginia, so it was really, like, kind of fancy, and it was very cool, but they've been so embracing of us. And that's something that he would have have wanted. And so traditions, like the observations and the, you know, they kind of remind me, remember today is whatever. I go, oh, that's right. It is. It's been the welcoming part of it is what he would have loved. And I think that they have. They know that he would have wanted, but also they like me, and it's not an obligation anymore. You know, it's something that, like, we went to a Ravens game with his cousins, which was really cool, and we got to just, like, hang out, and we have some plans to do some other stuff. Our anniversary, our 15th anniversary would have been in February, and they had a big karaoke party, and I invited them. They weren't able to come, but they said, can you take video and can you, like, send it to us? Like, we were there, and it just. It's just so lovely. And like. And so at that point, when we first got married, people would go, what does his mother say to she like you. You know, like, older Jewish ladies would ask me this, like, is she all right? And I was like, no, she loves me. It's great. And so I love that. That difference. Never. It didn't. It enhanced things, right? It doesn't. It wasn't ever a once again sitcom. It wasn't like, oh, she's terrible. No one likes her, or we don't understand these people. It was like, we brought the traditions, which I think in some ways, family is important. I was raised Baptist, you know, and I'm obviously black. And so family and tradition and history of people maybe being out to get you and all these things. You know, there's a quote, and it's another Law and Order quote. I'm sorry that Ice T said that he and Richard Belzer got along because he goes, I'm black, he's Jewish, and the Klan's after us both. And I was like, yeah, man. And so C. Scott. And I would say that, and Laugh hysterically.
- [30:28]
Zibby Owens
So, yeah, gallows humor at its best. So are you writing a new book? What is coming up for you?
- [30:36]
Leslie Grace Streeter
I have two things that I'm working on. One was, I don't want to be political. It was set in Panama. It's like, well, maybe not Panama, because maybe Americans wouldn't be going to Panama. And then I switched it to Canada, and now maybe Americans wouldn't be going to Canada. So now it's in New Orleans. So it's a whole thing. It's. And it's the usual thing of family. And, you know, a woman's grandmother dies, and she winds up inheriting her aunt, who no one likes, basically to take her to New Orleans to settle a score about a story that nobody knows about. And she has to take her mother, who doesn't like the aunt either, and her daughter, who would rather be anywhere else but on a trip in New Orleans with older people. And so. And we're going to New Orleans this summer. So it's like, where am I going that I could actually go? It's like, ah. And New Orleans is its own mystery, you know, can't you write it off now?
- [31:25]
Zibby Owens
Work expense. There you go.
- [31:27]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Yes, I am. And then something that I started working on that I was reminded by my friend. We were in a band. We weren't that good in the 90s. We were backup singers who never learned the songs. And we'd show up late. And then we were shocked when they stopped telling us where rehearsal was. Just talk. And so I had this idea of backup singers who come to a funeral of another band member. And then someone gets killed at the funeral, and they're all at, like, some dude's cabin, and the backup singers have to figure out how to solve the murder. And so, yes, it's funny.
- [32:06]
Zibby Owens
You have a title? Working title.
- [32:11]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Bitsy and Wanda Solve a Thing. Yes, it's a working title. I wouldn't say solve some, but it's probably. I can't put bad words in the title. But, yeah, it's Bitsy and Wanda. She doesn't love the name Bitsy. But we're working. We're workshopping.
- [32:26]
Zibby Owens
We're workshopping in progress. Last question. Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
- [32:32]
Leslie Grace Streeter
I do. I think when people say that they're aspiring authors are writers, it's like, if you write, you're a writer. You know, you may aspire to be a writer who gets paid or a writer that has a following. But I think that if you have words that you put to paper and you believe in them. And you're constantly loving them and honing them and making sure that they make sense to you. And then maybe you show it to somebody else and they really like it. Maybe you post a little bit of it on Facebook or on Instagram or whatever. You're a writer, and I just want to encourage you. There's no magic to. There's a magic when it makes sense. But we're all writers, love what they do. But we're not magic. We're not like angels or gods or whatever. We're just people who figured out how to do it. And I want to encourage people to just talk to that little girl or little boy that used to write about dragons and princesses and stuff. And you wouldn't have told her to stop, right? Or him to stop. You would tell them to keep going and write that dragon, make them higher, make them purple, you know, make the trees polka dot, whatever, you know. And so my advice is whatever your sky is, write that thing and then see how it goes.
- [33:41]
Zibby Owens
Love it. Leslie, thank you so much for coming on. Congratulations on becoming a debut novelist. Very exciting, and we're wishing you all the best. Congrats.
- [33:51]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Thank you so much.
- [33:53]
Zibby Owens
Thank you for listening to Totally booked with Zibby, formerly Moms don't have time to read books. If you loved the show, tell a friend, leave a review. Follow me on Instagram, Iby Owens and Spread the word. Thanks so much. Oh, and buy the books.
- [34:15]
Leslie Grace Streeter
McCrispy strips are now at McDonald's. Tender juicy and its own sauce.
- [34:20]
Capital One Representative
Would you look at that?
- [34:21]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Well, you can't see it, but trust.
- [34:23]
Zibby Owens
Me, it looks delic. Delicious.
- [34:25]
Leslie Grace Streeter
New McCrispy strips now at McDonald's. Ready to order?
- [34:31]
Zibby Owens
Yes. We're earning unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with a Capital One Saver card.
- [34:36]
Leslie Grace Streeter
So let's just get one of everything. Everything.
- [34:39]
Capital One Representative
Fire everything. The Capital One Saver card is at table 27 and they're earning unlimited 3% cash back.
- [34:45]
Zibby Owens
Yes, chef.
- [34:46]
Leslie Grace Streeter
This is so nice.
- [34:48]
Capital One Representative
Had a feeling you'd want 3% cash back on dessert.
- [34:50]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Oh, tiramisu.
- [34:52]
Capital One Representative
Earn unlimited 3% cash back on dining and entertainment with the capital one saver card. Capital One, what's in your wallet?
- [34:58]
Leslie Grace Streeter
Terms apply. See capital1.com for details. What makes a great pair of glasses? At Warby Parker? It's all the invisible extras without the extra cost. Their designer quality frames start at $95, including prescription lenses, plus scratch resistant, smudge resistant and anti reflective coatings and UV protection, and free adjustments for life. To find your next pair of glasses, sunglasses or contact lenses. Or to find the Warby Parker store nearest you, head over to warbyparker.com that's warbyparker.com.