Where's The Grief?

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

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, to remember our loved ones, and to stay connected to the people around us. Find out more about Silke and her work at https://www.grieftolove.com Follow Silke on IG at https://www.instagram.com/grieftolove/ Follow her on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SilkeHerwald Don't forget to rate/review the show!  

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 out more about what Barbara does at https://abutterflysjourney.org And of course, this years "blooper reel" of the madness that comes when we are getting our best work done. To find out more about what TCF does, or to find a local chapter, visit https://www.compassionatefriends.org

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 Jordon in elementary School; Steven Schnitzler and Betsy Becker - two people who worked at MSG and helped Russell gain access to the Knicks; Bobby Flay and George Morone, two world renowned chefs that Russell worked for along with Carolyn Beard, Russells baking partner while in culinary school; and we finish up talking with Morgan and Geoff, two of Russell's best friends. I tell some incredible Russell stories on the podcast from time to time, and finally I get to share some from the people who were actually THERE! (This episode is comprised of interviews that aired as part of the 15th Annual Russell Ferber Foundation

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/