Bury Me In NJ

Welcome back to Season 6 of the Bury Me in New Jersey podcast; we’re talking with musicians about grief, music, and how we can imagine and build a more liberated world. In today’s episode, I had the great pleasure of chatting with folk singer-songwriter Joe Holtaway. During out conversation, Joe talks about the Artists Supporting Palestine collective, experiencing censorship, building interconnect...

Hi everyone. Bradley here, the new host of the Bury Me in New Jersey podcast. Welcome back for the second episode of our sixth season where we’re talking with musicians about grief, music, and how we can imagine and build a more liberated world. In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Noel Petrie (vocals) and Joseph Gough (guitar & vocals) of the Philadelphia hardcore punk band Disapp...

Hi everyone, this is Bradley writing, and I’m the new host of the Bury Me in New Jersey podcast. Many thanks to Sara, my wife and the creator of Bury Me in New Jersey, for giving me the opportunity to take over the podcast for a bit. Sara is busy working on the next volume of Mourning Papers , our literary magazine focused on grief, joy, resistance, and New Jersey. You can learn more and stay up t...

Today’s episode centers on one of our key pillars, New Jersey—a theme we’ve returned to often but haven’t yet devoted an entire episode to. And who better to talk about Jersey with than Kerri Sullivan, a writer, librarian, and the creator of Jersey Collective —a multifaceted project that has documented and celebrated New Jersey history, happenings, and voices for well over a decade. I’ve been foll...

As someone with family ties to Italian roots, I’ve long been familiar with the often contentious pride that centers around Columbus Day. While some Italian Americans see this time as a much-deserved recognition for our contributions to this country, others see it as upholding a violent colonial narrative, in addition to being an inaccurate representation of the Italian contribution to our society....

One of my favorite aspects of the show is the opportunity to learn more from individuals based on their grief experiences. And while I absolutely love meeting and speaking with new people who have insights to share on these topics, I’m especially honored when I can connect with longtime friends who share parts of their stories that I might never have otherwise known. I had this exact opportunity w...

Today Sara is joined by Steve Cerulli, a PhD student at Fordham University, whose work focuses on the Italian diaspora to the United States. His research dives into themes like assimilation, settler colonialism, and Italy’s role in supporting colonialism abroad. In addition to his doctoral work, Steve is a researcher at the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute and teaches at Hostos Communit...

Today Sara is joined by Lupe Diaz, an end-of-life care specialist and death doula based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Lupe moved to the Midwest in 2022 to gain a new perspective on how different communities face death, grief, and healing. Lupe brings a deeply intentional approach to death care—shaped by her experiences in close-knit Indigenous communities, and a...

In this week’s episode, we talk to historian Gabe Christy and musician Young Sam James, the duo behind The Labor Jawn podcast, which blends history, storytelling, and music to shine a light on labor movements rooted in Philly and beyond. During this conversation, they shed light on a labor movement with Jersey roots, the 1913 Paterson Silk Strike; discuss the power of solidarity among working folk...

Today, Sara speaks with Norwegian artist, storyteller, and influencer Kim Diaz Holm. Known online under the handle Den Unge Herr Holm , Kim has built a passionate following by sharing videos of the creation process behind their striking ink monsters while discussing topics ranging from mythology and music to mental health and politics. In this episode, Sara and Kim discuss Kim’s portrait project,...

Today, we’re sharing our conversation with Kara Perez—founder of Bravely Go, a financial education company—and author of the newly released book Money For Change: Reduce Waste, Build Wealth, and Build a Better Future for All . Kara’s work explores personal finance through the lenses of environmental sustainability and community, offering actionable steps to not only improve your financial health,...

After a very, very long hiatus, we're happy to welcome you back to a new episode of Bury Me in New Jersey! This podcast is still a space for exploring grief, but we’ve spent some time reflecting on how we want to show up in these conversations—and that’s led us to a new focus, summed up in our new tagline: Grief. Resistance. Joy. New Jersey. This season, we’ll explore the ways that people are navi...

Reach out to us at hello@burymeinnj.com. Music by New Harm. Get full access to Bury Me in New Jersey at burymeinnewjersey.substack.com/subscribe

This week, I’ll be sharing my interview with my long-time friend Kristen Fowler as we both speak candidly about our shared grief experience in a topic not often discussed: the grief that comes after divorce. During our conversation, we discuss some of the complicated aspects of loss related to divorce that go beyond the dissolution of the marriage, including the other relationships that become col...

This week, I’ll be sharing my interview with Laura Smothers-Chu, CEO & Founder of Befriended Heart , who speaks candidly about her fertility journey.  During our conversation, which was recorded in October during National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, we explore the various situations she and her husband have navigated in their desire to become parents, including numerous invasive...

This week, I’ll be sharing my interview with my long-time friend, Joyce DeStasio. During our conversation, she shares her experience giving birth to her baby girl, Alaina, at 27 weeks, and the subsequent 104 days Alaina spent in the NICU before passing away the following February. Joyce shares how her initial documentation of her daughter’s medical care soon evolved into writing about her experien...

This week, I’ll be sharing my interview with Jillian Ryan, my long-time friend, and fellow S. Jerseyean where we discuss her experience with losing her daughter, Isabelle, during her 8th month of pregnancy. During this discussion, Jill talks about how she handled her grief in the weeks and months immediately following the loss of her daughter; how the experience has shaped her as a mother; and the...

This week's episode features Effie Anolik, founder of Afterword, an online funeral planning service offering virtual and in-person memorials, as well as a combination of the two. Effie garnered inspiration for Afterword after experiencing the sudden loss of her own father, and realizing that the funeral industry offered no convenient ways to funeral plan online. Using her extensive background...

This week, we're sharing our conversation with Lori LoCicero and Lisa Pahl, creators of The Death Deck, a game and conversation tool consisting of 112 cards, allowing friends and family to share thoughts, stories, and preferences about life and death in a relaxed way. Lori and Lisa first met when Lori’s husband, Joe, was on hospice and Lisa was their hospice nurse. The two felt an immediate c...

For our Season 4 release, we spoke with Emma Payne, founder and CEO of Grief Coach, a text message-based platform that provides personalized grief support to the bereaved and people in their inner circle throughout the year.   During our conversation, we discuss the personal experiences that drew Emma to developing this service, the difficulties many grieving individuals face after a loved one die...

In our final episode for this season, we speak with Penny Smtih, a hospice nurse who's gained a viral following on TikTok for helping to normalize conversations about death and dying. During our conversation, we talk about what led her to pursue work as a hospice nurse, the ways helps people navigate their death experiences, and what inspired her to share her stories through social media. Pro...

This week we speak with Co-Founder & CEO of GatheringUs, Noha Waibsnaider. Based on her own experiences of organizing memorials and funerals as part of a large family, Noha was determined to help other families honor their loved ones in a way that was easy and convenient. With the onset of COVID-19, and the global travel restrictions set in its wake, the need for alternative and virtual gather...

Today's conversation is with pioneer and established thought-leader of pet death care, Coleen A. Ellis. She uses her decades of experience to assist those mourning the loss of a beloved animal companion and bring much-needed continuing education to the veterinary industry to help better guide clients through the loss of a pet. Produced by Nick Rumaczyk. Theme music "P to the A" by A...

Today's episode features UK-based cartoonist and illustrator Gary Andrews (@garyscribbler). While a daily doodle was a way for him to record the general happenings of life, the project took on new meaning after the sudden passing of his wife, Joy.  Through this project, Gary chronicled his grief journey, providing insights into the pain,  reflections, and perseverance that he and his two youn...

This week’s episode features End-of-Life Guide, Naomi Edmonson who was first drawn to death work after a close mother figure’s battle with, and subsequent passing from, cancer.  Upon the sudden passing of her own mother, Naomi found herself using the tools she learned about to navigate through her own unexpected grief journey while also creating a space for others to freely express their grief exp...