Gabriel Jermaine Vanlandingham-Dunn has lost enough people in his life to form a "Grief Voltron" (his words), and he didn't hold back in this wide-ranging talk that's been a long time coming. I hope you appreciate this conversation with a man who spends so much time appreciating the music of others through his writing, thinking, DJing, and, yes, curating.

We talk about: deliberately cultivating your life, the Bomb Squad, "boundaries" & "healing" as buzzwords, lifelong what if-ism, grieving the recent passing of his mother, losing family members to gun violence and HIV/AIDS, invisible disability, recategorizing friendships, traveling as achievement, tech people = enemies, and our new podcast: Future Words.

This Is Your Afterlife is made possible by listeners like you on Patreon. Support the show & get bonus episodes by subscribing to TIYA After Dark:

https://www.patreon.com/thisisyourafterlife

Follow Gabriel:

https://www.instagram.com/soundsbydjibril/

https://www.instagram.com/thecowartsprogram/

https://www.instagram.com/astralspiritsrecords/

https://theofficialcowmusic.bandcamp.com/

https://astralspirits.bandcamp.com/

His recent "archival appreciation" of late jazz legend Sonny Rollins is a warm and rewarding read:

https://www.agatheringtogether.com/blog/the-brightest-of-sonsets

He wrote the foreword to Cisco Bradley's I Hear Freedom:

https://cup.columbia.edu/book/i-hear-freedom/9780231221573/

And there will be a panel for the book on August 6, so pay attention to his Instagram for details!

Follow TIYA, share your thoughts:

https://thisisyourafterlife.com/

https://www.instagram.com/thisisyourafterlife/

[email protected]

Music by TIYA house band Lake Mary:

https://lakemary.bandcamp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/chaz.prymek/

Artwork by Matt Sage:

https://www.instagram.com/matthewjsage/