Where's The Grief?

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 bru...

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 re...

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 ta...

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 al...

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 wa...

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 typ...

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 lik...

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...

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 mournin...

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, connecti...

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....

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 bereave...

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 imortan...

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 pe...

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 hon...

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 o...

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 @erin...

In this episode, I talk with grief specialist and hypnotherapist Silke Herwald. Silke was already a therapist dealing with  the ways our unconsious copes with grief and trauma when her sister died of cancer, giving her work new meaning.  Silke created the Grief To Love program that helps women find hope after loss. We talk about how important it is to find ways to speak out about how we're doing,...

Oh Boy! Once again I got to attend The Compassionate Friends National Conference, this year in Houston Texas!  The Compassionate Friends is a self help support group that provides resoources to bereaved parents, grandparents and siblings. In this episode, recorded in August 2022 at the TCF Conference in Houston, I sat down with Barbara Hopkinson to talk aboout her book "Faces of Resilience." Find...

Russell Ferber died in a car accident on July 6th, 2002, at the age of 21. This podcast was borne out of my need to continue talking about my brother and how I have managed to keep going without him.  In this episode, I (along with my parents) interview a number of people who actually KNEW Russell to share stories of his indominable spirit. We talk with Denise Fraser, who taught both Russell AND J...

In this episode I talk with author Edy Nathan about her book, "It's Grief - 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 com...

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...

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...

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 t...

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 Allis...