Where's The Grief?

In this episode I talk with author Edy Nathan about her book, "It's Greif - The Dance of Self Discovery Through Trauma and Loss." We talk about how she has found comfort and purpose in confronting her grief. After the death of her partner and then her mother, Edy has learned how to help others navigate the difficult new roles we find ourselves in our new normal. We talk about the importance of community, and the power of a good pair of matchiing shoes. Get the Book, and Follow Edy online at https://edynathan.com Follow her on Twitter @EdyNathan1 and Instagram @EdyNathan Follow ME on social media across all platforms @WheresTheGrief  

In this episode I talk with Author Jane Enright about her new book "Butter Side Up, How I Survived My Most Terrible Year & Created My Super Awesome Life."  We talk about how important it is to recognise when things go our way, and how to maintain a positive outlook in the face of traumatic events. After a year in which both she and her partner suffered traumatic brain injuries, Jane lost her best friend to cancer, and amazingly turned her story into one of inspiration. In sharing her story of how she's managed to shift her perspective over time, she's created opportunites to connect with herself and others.  Follow Jane at https://www.mysuperawesomelife.com/ and https://www.janeenrightauthor.com/ Get the book wherever books are sold, or through https://shewritespress.com/ Follow ME @WheresTheGrief on TWITTER and IG!

In this episode I talk with Comedian Glen Tickle (his real name!) about his comedy special, "Good Grief; A Comedy About Loss And Being Bad At It." After the death of his brother Mark, Glen started writing jokes about his grief as a way of processing his own emotions, and ultimately turned it into a full hour of comedy. We talk about the importance of leaning into our grief, and how cathartic is is to expose our rawness to an audience. Follow Glen across all platforms @GlenTickle (on IG and Twitter) Find all his standup clips and dates at https://www.glentickle.com Follow ME @WheresTheGrief on IG and Twitter!

In this episode, I talk with comedian and yarn artist Angela Eh who runs the Comedy Crafting Cart, as well as a weekly streaming series called "Crafts and Laughs" on her IG and YouTube channels. After the death of her partner, who was also a comedian, Angela has relied heavily on her ability to connect and create. We talk about the importance of having places and people to vent to, and the power that comedy brings in helping make sense of the unimaginable. Follow Angela on Instagram and elsewhere at @craftingcomedycart  

In this episode, I talked to Author Allison Ballenger, whose book "One More Year" is a childrens book inspired by her own childhood. After the death of her brother Scott, Alliison was inspired to write a book that helped to keep Scotts essence a part of her life, as what she describes as a "story-telling, song-singing, life-loving, magic-maker. " Go to https://www.aiballenger.com/ to follow Allison, or to get the book!

In this episode I talk with Author Judy Lipson about her book "Celebation of Sisters - It Is Never Too Late To Greive." Judy lost her younger sister Jane to a car accident at 22 and nine years later her older sister Margie at 35 to a twenty year battle with anorexia and bulimia. Realizing that Siblings are often the forgotten mourners, Judy began finding ways to keep her sisters memories alive.  Get the book and find out more about Judy at http://www.judylipson.org/

Hooray! It's hard to beliieve that I've been doing this show long enough to rack up 150 episodes, but here we are! This episode features a whole lot of Jordon! I was lucky enough to have two gigs last month that fit pretty well together - I was a Key Note speaker at a TCF Regional Conference in Hawaii, followed the very next day by being on a virtual comedy show focused on death and grief.  You can watch my Key Note Address at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixy1GDyaMRc&t=159s Find out more about the Death is Hilarious Podcast at https://deathishilarious.com Find a TCF Group in your area, as well as info on this years National Conference here: https://www.compassionatefriends.org Get tickets to The Russell Ferber Foundation Comedy FUN!draiser! https://www.russellferberfoundation.org/this-years-fundraiser

In this episode, I talk with Author Deena Goldstein about her book, "Ok, Little Bird," about the life and death of her father, and her process of navigating the world without him. We talk about the importance of finding humor even in our darkest moments, and how important it is to let ourselves feel all the feels. Follow Deena and get the book at https://OkLittleBird.com

While most people were working from home, if at all, during the pandemic, Lauryn Petrie got a job working in the NYC morgue, spending 11 months hauling bodies and assisting on autopsies (despite having no prior medical experience.) In this very frank discussion, we talk about how humor is necessary in the face of devestation, and how quickly we can become numb to every day death. We also talk about the importance of empathy and how much we need to take better care of ourselves. Follow Lauryn on Twitter And IG @TheLaurynPetrie and check out https://www.laurynpetriecomedy.com/ Follow ME on Twitter and IG @WheresTheGrief

After the death of her partner, Janine Kwoh began transforing her greeting card business "Kwohtations" to include condolance cards. What followed was the writing of "Welcome To The Grief Club," a book of brief observations, illustrations and diagrams that capture the absurditiy and isolating experience of grief. Janine's ability to share the hardest parts of her own process of grief with both humor and devastating truths really brings  people together to help remember the good times as well as the universal nature of what it is to lose a loved one. Get the book and follow Janine at https://kwohtations.com Follow her on IG at @kwohtations  and @Welcometothegriefclub Follow ME on IG and Twitter @WheresTheGrief

I got to talk with New Yorker staff writer and Pulitzer Prize winning author Kathryn Schultz about her new book, "Lost and Found."  After the death of her father Kathryn found ways to incorporate her grief with her gratitude in also finding love. We talk about the importance of sharing our selves, and the difficulty these past two years have been to connect with people. Get the book and follow Kathryn at https://www.kathrynschulz.com/ Follow ME @WheresTheGrief on both IG and Twitter

In this episode I talk with comedian Rob Montemarano! We talk about a number of losses that Rob has had over the years, and his relationship with death and funerals. We also talk about his new live comedy venture "Last Laugh Comedy" at an actual funeral home in Brooklyn.   

After the death of his father followed by a string of traumatic losses, comedian Ben Wasserman began exploring ways of expressing his grief on stage as a way to relate to a world that keeps moving forward regardless of what we've been through. We talk about the importance of community as well as the difference between catharsis and active coping, and the ways in which we can connect with an audience even when dealing with difficult topics.

In this episode I talked with Female Empowerment Coach and Podcaster Eleanor Beaton! After the death of her father, Eleanor struggled with her own identity, which led to her starting SAFI Media, an education company for women Entrepreneurs, as well as hosting the "Power + Presence + Position Podcast." We talk about the importance of acknowledging our own story and identity, the changing family dynamics after a loss, and the positive impact helping others can bring to our own lives.  Follow Eleanor and learn more about her and the podcast at https://eleanorbeaton.com/

In this episode I talk to singer/songwriter Gina Harris! After the death of her parents, Gina began writing songs to help her process the emotions. Eventually the songs themselves began to take on their own form, telling Gina, "we're a one-person show now." Her show, which then became a podcast, "The Magic of Ordinary Things" is a 7 part audio drama that weaves together stories and songs that have helped Gina own her own story in a way that is relatable and inviting.  Follow all things Gina, including the podcast at http://GinaHarris.com  

In this episode I got to talk to comedian Jason Salmon about his experience taking care of his dad after 10 years of living with Alzheimers disease. As our parents get older, we often find ourselves in the Care-giver role that they played for us for so long. We talk about how important communication is, as well as the ability to enjoy a cupcake even on our hardest days. Follow all things Jason at https://jason-salmon.com  Follow him on IG @JSalmonComedy

Here's my conversation with Brennan Wood, executive director of The Dougy Center, an org that provides grief peer support to children and families dealing with loss and illness.  Brennan walked through the doors of Dougy Center for the first time in 1987 at the age of 12 just three days after her mother died. At 14, she was a featured speaker at many Dougy Center events, and was so inspired by the then executive director,  dr. Donna Schuurman, that she dreamed of becoming ED herself one day. Brennan continues the mission of Dougy Center and would love to connect with you anytime about how you can support children and families who are grieving. Follow Dougy.org to find support in your area! Get "A Kids Book About Grief" Here!

In this episode I got to talk to my good friend and comedian Leighann Lord, who found herself to be the primary care taker for both of her parents prior to their deaths. We talk about the difficulty of watching our parents deteriorate in front of us, and how it can feel like we end up losing them twice. We also talk about how acknowledging our feelings and letting our emotions out when they strike can help us keep it together when we are falling apart. Follow all things Leighann at http://www.veryfunnylady.com Make sure you check her out on Showtime's "Even More Women Of A Certain Age," now streaming!

After becoming an "adult orphan" in her formative years, Alexandra Locker channeled her grief into cooking, going on to create The Grief Kitchen as a way to bring people together in times of isolation and loss. Her Instagram and FB pages provide a grief-positive community to share memories and recipes with others struggling with life after loss. We talk about how much food plays a factor in every stage of the grieving process, and the ways in which the kitchen itself can be a haven from the world. Follow @TheGriefKitchen on IG and on Facebook! Email me at WheresTheGrief@gmail.com to let me know what you think!

In this episode, I talk with Comedian Shawn Hitchins about his new book, "The Light Streamed Beneath It" -  a memoir of grief and celebration of the two loves of his life after they both died unexpectedly within a short period of time. We talk about the importance of having a community to hold us up, finding humor in the darkest parts of our lives, and the power of gratitude in the face of devastating loss.  Follow all things Shawn at https://shawnhitchins.com Get the Book On Amazon!