Maria Popova is a Bulgarian-born writer, curator, and critic best known as the creator of The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings), a long-running online publication exploring art, science, philosophy, and the human condition. What a treat to talk with her on this episode about birthdays, mortality, meaning, “un-selfing,” nature, daily practice, and the big questions that lie in the substrate of all human lives. How often do you get to think alongside a modern-day philosopher who believes that mortality drives everything we do? 

Join me on BLBD this week, for a gorgeous conversation with Diane Button. Author of several books, Diane’s latest is with Maria Shriver’s imprint, The Open Field, an imprint of Penguin Life. With this work, she turns towards the stories and wisdom of her clients and shares just what the title says: What Matters Most: Lessons the Dying Teach Us about Living. We share some of the experiences in the book, talk about why these stories make a difference, and get Diane’s perspective on what thinking about mortality brings to our lives.

Jody Gelb has written a deeply moving memoir about the life and loss of her daughter. Brain damaged at birth, life with Lueza is as complex as you imagine it to be. Jody captures and condenses details of her experience through the years, and ultimately puts them together into what she calls a micro memoir. Wondering if these short chapters were “right,” Jody says, “At some point I thought, Can it just be what it is? Can this be my way of telling a story? This is the way it is. Can it be this?” She May Be Lying Down, But She May Be Very Happy is a brief, moving book about a brief, moving life – with large moving lessons for all of us about life and love.

This week’s podcast is especially close to my heart. In the spring of 2025, my family said goodbye to our beloved 16-year-old dog, Kaya. Sarah and I explore the many complex decisions that arise around the death of our cherished animal companions. With her years of experience and compassionate perspective, Sarah and I talk through the importance of acknowledging pet loss and holding the both/and. As she says, “There is beauty available, even in the heartbreak… Paradox is the only basket large enough to hold the truth.”

https://sacreddeathcare.com/

Director Scott Kirschenbaum joins me to discuss the powerful documentary, The Last Ecstatic Days, and the transformative journey of making this film. Drawn by a long-standing connection to Dr. Aditi Sethi and the story of Ethan Sisser, Scott traveled from California to North Carolina to document Ethan’s final days. The result is a deeply moving, life-affirming film that honors Ethan’s wish to share his experience with the world. Scott finds himself deeply moved by the way in which Ethan was cared for, and he tells me, “We need to see community death care be a part of the fabric of how we engage with our neighbors. It’s imperative now.” What does that mean? How did Ethan’s experience shape that thinking? And where can you see this film? Coming on PBS in August 2025 and available on streaming platforms everywhere.

To sum up this episode, I’d say: listen to learn all about Death Cafés from a seasoned facilitator! How does it work? Who attends? What sorts of things are discussed? And how can I find one near me? Pull up a chair at this conversation about Death Cafés – where talking about the end is just the beginning of a really lively conversation.

Rachel has her MDA – Master of Death Administration! Her personal experience settling estates led her to create a business as an After Loss Professional. So what does that actually mean? In this episode, we talk about “legacy organization” before death, and the management of everything that follows after. What do we need to know now? What blind spots might we be leaving behind? Why do so many of us avoid getting organized in advance? Often, our excuses are rooted in denial, dread – or just plain defiance. Tune in for Rachel’s signature mix of humor and wisdom as we explore what it means to get truly prepared and handle the aftermath. How do you choreograph a well-planned exit?

https://myafterlight.com/

https://www.instagram.com/myafterlight

https://www.facebook.com/myafterlight

Words straight from her website: “As a death doula, educator, and public speaker, Erin Merelli guides individuals, families, and communities to meet mortality with intention, courage, and love. Her message is simple but not easy: We are all going to die, and to manage that well, we need to talk about it.” Oh yes indeed! Erin’s clarity and ability to articulate why these conversations matter shines through in this surprisingly upbeat chat. Most intriguingly of all, we explore this question: is it our human responsibility to carry one another through death?

Description: On BLBD episode #145, one year ago, Kate and I talked extensively about VSED, Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking. Her mother chose VSED to hasten her death, and we discussed her family’s experience in detail. Well, Kate is back with an update — and beautifully, remarkably, it’s about her father’s experience with VSED. After witnessing his wife choose VSED to bring her life to a close on her own terms, he ultimately made the same choice for himself. As I say to Kate in our conversation, “Hearing someone’s story about VSED makes such a difference in our understanding.” I think you’ll find that to be true. [Note that BLBD episodes #145, #146 and #201 are each about VSED if you’d like to learn more.] vsedresources.com

Now this is a subject that I really enjoy covering: books. In this episode I chat with a teenager who is a voracious reader — and does she ever know death-themed books! She gives us the run-down on her six favorite books about death, and by the end of it, I challenge you to choose one to read. From settings of fantasy worlds, to cemetery plots; from characters who are the Son of Death, to terminally ill people falling in love… these books are exploring this theme in all kinds of innovative ways. Listen as we discuss: They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera, Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas, You’ve Reached Sam by Dustin Thao, I Fell in Love with Hope by Lancali, Masters of Death by Olivie Blake, The Ghosts We Keep by Mason Deaver.