Where's The Grief?

In this episode, I talk with Author Deborah Kasdan about her book, "Roll Back The World - a sister's memoir." After being diagnosed with schizophrenia as a young adult, Deborah's sister Rachel lived most of her life in and out of hospitals and institutions. Now 20 years since her death, Deborah felt the need to tell Rachel's story, to honer her memory and her life, and to help erase the stigma and fear we have of mental illness. 

We talk about the importance of community, as well as hightlight the fact that even though we've come pretty far from what mental health resembled in the 70's and 80's, we still have far to go. 

Go to http://deborahkasdan.com to find out more, and to get the book!

Follow Deborah on IG @DebKasdan

In this episode I talk with comedian and fellow grief podcaster Micah Walsh! After his father Kevin died, Micah found an outlet for his feelings in starting his own podcast with comedians talking about grief and loss, "I'll Greive You With This."

We talk about how helpful it can be to talk about the hard topics with other people who understand, and who are not afraid to make jokes about an otherwise stressful and devastaing proceess. 

Listen to "I'll Grieve You With this!"

@IllGrieveYouWithThisPodcast

@Micah_Walsh

Happy New Year!

In this episode, I had an incredible conversation with my good friend and comedian Ray Gootz! Ray was one of my very early guests on the show (Episode 11),  just one month after both his mother and Aunt died. He was among the first people I knew who was doing comedy material about his losses right away, and I was in awe of how open and raw the jokes were. It's been 8 years since then and we talk about all the losses Ray has endured since then (His father, another aunt, his virginity, among others) as well as all the things he has gained.

We also talk about our love of movies, comic books, and how most Disney movies are about the grief over the death of a loved one.

Follow Ray Online!

Ray on TikTok

Ray on IG

Check out Gootz's Wrestling Pod!

In this episode I got to talk with Writer and Performer Colin Campbell about his Book, "Finding the Words," as well as his solo show, "Grief: A One Man Sh*tshow."

After both of his kids, Ruby and Hart were killed by a drunk driver, Colin had a deep need to express his grief, first by writing jokes about his grief and his loss, eventually turning it into a one man off-broadway production. A brutally honest approach to his pain, Colin manages to connect through his need to grieve publicly, with no punchlines pulled. 

With nowhere to perform the show during the pandemic, Colin continued to find an outlet for his struggles, writing a book designed to share the amazing stories of Ruby and Hart, and the lessons they helped Colin and his wife learn in their lives moving forward. With writing prompts, as well as  tips and ideas on how to create new rituals, each chapter of "Finding The Words" explores a different theme all too familiar to most grievers.  

Learn more about Colin, as well as Ruby and Hart, and get the book at https://colincampbellauthor.com/

Watch Colin's solo show, "Grief: A One Man Sh*tShow" at https://vimeo.com/843242398

Follow Colin on Instagram @colincampbellwriter

In this episode I talk to Author James G. Robinson about his book, "More Than We Expected - Five Years With A Remarkable Child." When his son Nadav was born with a congenital heart defect, James and his wife understood that thier lives would be more difficult than most. When Nadav died at 5 years old after complications from heart surgery, James managed to focus on the stories of strength and resiliance that his son taught him.

In 2017, his article “Road to Recovery” was featured in the NYT Travel section. Detailing a road trip his family took after Nadav's death, it eventually inspired James to write "More Than We Expected", and allowed him to continue to talk about Nadav's life, and to share his story.

We talk about how important it is to keep memories alive, even when they can sometimes be painful. We also talk about how great it is to connect with others through shared trauma, and the flicker of recognition that embodies the human spirit. 

Find out more about the James at https://morethanamemoir.com

GET the book on Amazon 

Check out Jame's NYT Article, "Road To Recovery"

Follow James on Instagram @MoreThanAMemior

In this episode, I talk with comedian and sex worker rights advocate Kaytlin Bailey about life after the death of her father just over a year ago.

Already a performer and activist before her Father Joe developed dementia, and ultimately cancer, Kaytlin helped her father write his memiors about his life and career in the US Army, and spending as much time as she could before it was too late. 

We talk about how having mutual respect for differing opinions and perspectives can help nurture a solid relationship, and allow us to stand up for ourselves even when going through an emotional time. 

Kaytlin is the Founder & Executive Director of Old Pros, a non-profit media organization creating conditions to change the status of sex workers in society. Host of The Oldest Profession Podcast, she is also the creator of Whore’s Eye View, a 75-minute mad dash through 10,000 years of sex worker history.

Get Joseph Bailey's book "A Soldier's Story"

Follow Kaytlin:

Instagram: @oldprosonline | @kaytlinbailey

Twitter: @oldprosonline | @kaytlinbailey

In this episode, I got to talk with Author Alexandra Wyman about her book, "The Suicide Club: What To Do When Someone You Love Chooses Death." We talk about the importance of community and the various ways we can find support and create connection outside our immediate families. Alexandra has become an advocate for suicide prevention, helping to change the ways we talk aboout it, and how we can all instill love and hope to those around us before any suicidal ideation takes hold. 

Learn more about Alexandra at  https://www.forwardtojoy.com

Alexandra also has her own podcast called "The Widows Club" Listen here!

In this episode, I talk with clinical psychologist and author Dawn DiRaimondo about her book, "Surviving Sibling Loss: The Invisible Thread That Connects Us Through Life And Death." Dawn was already a therapist when her brother Michael was killed while deployed in Iraq. Finding few resources and liturature about sibling loss, Dawn decided to write the book that she had wished existed when she was newly bereaved, incorportating interviews and insights from interviews with other bereaved siblings alongside her own experience. 

Follow Dawn and get her book at her website, https://drdawndiraimondo.com/

(or get the book directly from Amazon!)

In this episode, I got to talk to Comedian Christy Miller about how she's been faring after the death of her mother Shirley. 

Christy has always been a comedian who pulls no punches in her act, and she came by her sense of humor from her mother, always pushing the bounderies of what was deemed appropriate. Having opened for Andrew "Dice" Clay as well as Paul Mooney, Christy has always been the type to not care what other people think, often using humor to process heavy topics.

We talk about how great it is to have family that embraces our career choices, and how important it is to surround ourselves with people who get us and let us make terrible jokes in the face of devastating events.

Get Christy's Album, "Brually Yours" 

Follow Christy on IG @ChristyMillerComedy

Follow Christy's YouTube Page! 

In this episode, I talk with Comedian Christopher Wagner about the different ways he dealt with the death of his parents. We reflect on how much more difficult of a time he had after his mother died than his dad. Chris was somewhat estranged from his father for a period before trying to mend the relationship as time ran out, and we talk about how hard it can be to lose someone just as you feel like you've re-gained them. 

We also talk about alternative mental health therapies, including psychodelics and ayahuasca, and the perspective shifts that allow us to forgive and heal.

Follow Chirs on IG @ChrisWagnerd

In this episode I talk with author Kelly S. Thompson about her book, "Still, I Cannot Save You." Already an award winning non-fiction writer when her sister Meghan died, Kelly turned her story into a memoir about the difficult parts of sisterhood and family bonds that is both heartbreaking and uplifting. After battling childhood cancer, Meghan's adult life was fraught with drug addiction before motherhood pressed her to clean up and re-establish the sibling bond that she and Kelly shared before it was too late. 

We talk about how not all sibling relationships are easy, and the different ways we can forgive ourselves and others for past resentments. We also talk about the healing power of writing and the strength it takes to ask for help.

Follow Kelly on Twitter @KellyS_Thompson

Learn more about Kelly and where to get the book at https://kellysthompson.com

After the death of his mother Phyllis, comedian Jason Roeder turned to what he knew best to help cope with the loss, along with the amount of free time he suddenly had due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

A comedy writer by trade who has been published by The New Yorker and The Onion (among others), Jason managed to write a parody grief book that turns many of the tropes and cliche's of grief and mourning on its head, helping to highlight the absurdity of the human existence. 

Jason's book, "Griefstrike! The Ultimate Guide to Mourning" provides a number of ridiculous scenarios that poke fun at the structures and rituals we associate with death, alongside footnotes from his own life and experience that remind the reader that all good jokes come from real places, especially those about pain and suffereing. 

Get the book and follow Jason online at https://www.jasonroeder.net and on Twitter @jasonroeder

In this episode I got to sit down with Comedian Adam Mitrani to talk about how he's been coping after the death of his brother Rueben.

We talk about how isolating grief and loss is, particularly for those who have lost siblings, as well as how difficult it can be to write comedy material about such a devastating and far reaching experience. 

We also talk about the importance of community, connection and the power of music.

Follow Adam online on IG @AMitrani

Follow him on Twitter @AMitrani717

In this episode, I talk with Author Donna Kendrick, about her book "A Guide to Widowhood – Navigating the First Three Years."

After her husband Greg died by suicide, Donna shifted her financial planning skills to help newly bereaved widows and widowers.

We talk about how important it is to integrate our loss so we can move forward, especially when we are literally integrating people in our lives.

Follow Donna online at Widow-wisdom.com

or on IG @widowandwisdom

In this episode, I talk with Michele Benyo, Founder of Good Grief Parenting. When Michele's son David died of cancer at just 6 years old, his sister Deanna, then 3 said, "Mommy, half of me is gone." Already a teacher of early childhood development, Michele shifted her focus. Realizing how much support her daughter was going to need after this loss, Michele began teaching and coaching other bereaved families how to best support thier surviving children. 

We talk aboout how parallell set similar the journeys are for both parents as well as sibliings, and the unique challenges that losing a sibling brings.

As a bereaved sibling myself, I am so grateful that there are others out there who are advocating for us, and making sure we have the tools we need to manage our own grief.

Follow Michele and find out more at https://goodgriefparenting.com/

In this episode, I talk with author Mark Chesnut. Already a travel writer, after the death of his mother Eunice, Mark channeled his grief into a touching end-of-life memoir called "Prepare for Departure," emcompassing his relationship with his mother as well having to confront his own feelings about love and death.

We talk about how impactful it is to be able to be of service, but also how imortant it is to maintain our sense of humor when remembering the stories that shaped us.

Follow Mark online and get the book at https://www.markchesnut.com

Follow Mark on Instagram @Departure_Level

In this episode I talk with author and mental health advocate Sherry Walling! 6 months after the death of her father, Sherry's brother died by suicide. Already a mental health professional, Sherry found that her own need to express herself was through movement and connection. Her poetic book, "Touching Two Worlds" was also turned into a aerialst show focused on how we grieve with movement and performance. 

Find out more and get the book at https://www.sherrywalling.com

Follow Sherry on Instagram @SherryWalling

I got to talk with Chelsey McHale, a fellow member of The Compassionate Friends (TCF) support group that I attend. After her brother Clint died while out mountain hiking, Chelsey actually started a TCF sibling support group in her town, AND managed to get new safety signage put up where Clint died in order to help make sure future accidents can be avoided, while also having a spot to visit and honer her brother. 

We talk the stupid things people say, how to create healthy boundries with difficult family members, and the importance of staying true to ourselves when no one else seems to acknowledge the struggle that dealing with loss brings.

In this episode, I talk with interdisciplinary artist, documentary filmmaker, teacher, and arts therapist Adriana Marchione. Already a therapist and dancer when her husband died, she ultimately found ways of expressing her path towards healing by incorporating that which she was already involved in. Her film, When the Fall Comes, is about her process of grief using art and dance after the death of her husband Eddie. Her new documentary, The Creative High, shares compelling artist stories of addiction and recovery. We also talk about the importance of the creative process, and the healing that can come from letting oourselves feel the pain to move through it.

Follow Adriana at https://art-cures.com/

See the Film at https://whenthefallcomes.com/

I got to talk with comedian Erin Lok about how comedy helped her cope with all the anxiety and stress that the pandemic brought, as well as the larger difficulty of life after the death of her father. We talk about the importance of letting ourselves express our emotions, as well as the catharsis that a little bit of levity can bring.

Follow Erin online at https://linktr.ee/Erinlokcomedy or @erinlokcomedy on IG!

Follow ME @WheresTheGrief

Email me WheresTheGrief@gmail.com