Emmy Award-Winning journalist and author, Allison Gilbert, joined host Lisa Keefauver for an important conversation on the intersections of grief, joy, and loneliness. They dive deep into the lessons from Allison's latest book, 'The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life.' co-authored with the late Dr. Ruth Westheimer. They explore early experiences of grief, the importance of peer support, and the tough love lessons from her co-author, Dr. Ruth Westheimer. The conversation delves into defining joy, the structure of their book, and the significance of communicating needs in relationships. They also address the challenges faced by caregivers and the importance of maintaining connections amidst caregiving responsibilities.

Allison Gilbert is an Emmy Award-winning journalist and one of the most influential writers and speakers on how to find the inner resources to overcome life’s biggest challenges. Through research and lived experience, Allison helps audiences transform grief and loss, manage caregiving and chronic illness, and find connection amid the growing public health crisis of social isolation and loneliness. She is co-author of Dr. Ruth Westheimer’s final book, The Joy of Connections: 100 Ways to Beat Loneliness and Live a Happier and More Meaningful Life. The book stems from the article Allison wrote for The New York Times, “Dr. Ruth Saved People’s Sex Lives. Now she wants to Cure Loneliness,” about Dr. Ruth’s appointment as New York State’s Ambassador to Loneliness, the first such position in the United States. Allison is also the author of Passed and Present, Always Too Soon, and Parentless Parents. You can follow her on IG at @agilbertwriter.

Lisa Keefauver is a social worker, widow, cancer survivor and grief activist on a mission to reimagine the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

LEARN more at www.lisakeefauver.com.

FOLLOW @lisakeefauvermsw on Instagram.

LISTEN to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch Podcast - Available on all podcast platforms.

READ Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. Available in bookstores and on your favorite online booksellers, including Bookshop.Org. Also available as an audiobook.

WATCH her TEDx talk, Why Knowing More About Grief Can Make it Suck Less here or the video versions of this podcast here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kathleen Blackburn was the oldest of five children, a 12-year-old from Lubbock, Texas, whose evangelical family eschewed publ­ic education for homeschooling and wove improbable scientific theories into literal interpretations of the bible. Then her father, a former air force pilot, was diagnosed with stage IV cancer at the age of thirty-eight, and, as Kathleen writes in her searing memoir, Loose of Earth, “it was like pouring gasoline on the Holy Spirit.”

In this conversation, we explore the intricate relationship between personal grief, memory, and the political dimensions of loss. We dive dep into the complexities of memory, denial, and the impact of parental beliefs on childhood experiences of loss. As a memoirist, Kathleen explores the journey of humanizing those we’ve lost and shares her experiences growing up in a family that prioritized faith healing over medical care for her father's cancer.

Kathleen explores the impact of her father's military background, the denial surrounding his illness, and the emotional toll it took on her as a child. The conversation also explores the environmental factors contributing to her father's health issues, particularly PFAS contamination, and how these experiences shaped her understanding of grief and memory.

Kathleen was born in a military hospital on Guam in 1984. She was raised in Lubbock, Texas. She earned an MFA from the Ohio State University and a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is the author of the memoir Loose of Earth, out with the University of Texas Press (April 2024). Her writing has appeared in The New York Times, Texas Observer, Belt, Guernica, Gulf Coast, River Teeth, and elsewhere. For five years, she’s taught creative nonfiction workshops at the University of Chicago. In Fall 2024, she will join the English faculty at SUNY New Paltz as an Assistant Professor. You can pick up a copy of her extraordinary memoir, Loose of Earth online here or in your favorite local bookstore.

Lisa Keefauver is a social worker, widow, cancer survivor and grief activist on a mission to reimagine the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

LEARN more at www.lisakeefauver.com.

FOLLOW @lisakeefauvermsw on Instagram.

LISTEN to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch Podcast - Available on all podcast platforms.

READ Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. Available in bookstores and on your favorite online booksellers, including Bookshop.Org. Also available as an audiobook.

WATCH her TEDx talk, Why Knowing More About Grief Can Make it Suck Less here or the video versions of this podcast here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Please welcome my wonderful friend, Jamie Thrower to the show. They are a Creative, Death Doula and founder of the Queer Grief Club. This episode is all about the intersections of grief, art, and community. Jamie and Lisa explore how personal experiences with loss shape grief beliefs, the importance of creative expression in processing grief, and the need for safe spaces for grieving individuals, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community. Jamie shares their journey of using photography and art as tools for mindfulness and connection, emphasizing the significance of community in navigating grief. Jamie explores their own losses, including a late pregnancy loss and how that informs the community work they do. The conversation highlights the necessity of witnessing grief and creating environments where individuals can both embody and express their grief.

You can learn more about Jamie’s work as a Death Doula, End-Of-Life Educator, and Grief Supporter at www.jamiethrower.com. They also host an incredible Substack called Mourning Glory. You can sign up here: https://jamiethrower.substack.com/

Lisa Keefauver is a social worker, widow, and grief activist on a mission to reimagine the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

Learn more at www.lisakeefauver.com.

Follow @lisakeefauvermsw on Instagram.

Listen to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch Podcast - Available on all podcast platforms.

Read Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. Available in bookstores and on your favorite online booksellers, including Bookshop.Org. Also available as an audiobook.

Watch her TEDx talk, Why Knowing More About Grief Can Make it Suck Less here

SPECIAL EPISODE

Submit your question: If you have a grief question, you’d like Lisa to answer on the air, record your question here: https://www.speakpipe.com/GriefIsASneakyBitchLive. Make sure you’re subscribed to the show so you get notified when these bonus episodes drop so you can hear your question, and her answer live on the air.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Doménica Feraud joined host Lisa Keefauver for a conversation about her play 'Someone Spectacular' and the experience of creating a play about grief. They discuss the early lessons about grief that Doménica learned from her parents, the losses she experienced as a child, and the impact of those losses on her understanding of grief. Doménica shares how her close relationship with her mother, Nathalie, shaped her identity and how her mother's sudden death led her to write the play. They also touch on the importance of open conversations about grief and the struggles of navigating life after loss. The play 'Someone Spectacular' explores the messy and complex nature of grief through the stories of six characters who come together in a grief support group. Each character represents a different type of loss, including the death of a spouse, the loss of a sibling, and the experience of miscarriage. The play delves into the individual experiences of grief and the ways in which people cope and support each other. It emphasizes the importance of staying connected and working through the pain together, even when it's messy and uncomfortable.

Doménica Feraud is a first-generation Ecuadorian writer, producer, and actor from New York City. Her groundbreaking play Rinse, Repeat premiered at the Signature Theatre in 2019 (NYT Critic’s Pick). Her sophomore play, someone spectacular, a tribute to her late mother Nathalie, is currently running at Signature Theater until September 7th. After the viral success of The Movie Star and Me and The 26-Year-Old Virgin, Feraud’s debut book, You Are What You See, will be released next summer. Acting credits include: Rinse, Repeat (Signature), The Wild Parrots of Campbell (Cherry Lane). Film/TV: Life After You, “Law & Order: SVU.” BA: NYU Tisch School of the Arts.

Learn more about her and her work at https://www.domenicaferaud.com

Lisa Keefauver is a social worker, widow, and grief activist on a mission to reimagine the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

Learn more at www.lisakeefauver.com.

Follow @lisakeefauvermsw on Instagram.

Listen to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch Podcast - Available on all podcast platforms.

Read Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. Available in bookstores and on your favorite online booksellers, including Bookshop.Org. Also available as an audiobook.

Watch her TEDx talk, Why Knowing More About Grief Can Make it Suck Less here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jessica Waite, author of The Widow’s Guide to Dead Bastards is my guest in this thought-provoking episode. We explore the complexities of grief, betrayal, and healing through Jessica's personal journey as a widow. We discuss early memories of loss, the impact of mental health on relationships, and the importance of processing anger and forgiveness. Jessica shares her experiences with writing as a healing tool and the societal expectations surrounding grief. Our conversation emphasizes the significance of intuition, agency, and the need for compassion in navigating the aftermath of betrayal and loss.

When life handed Jessica Waite a riveting, horrifying and surprisingly beautiful story, she transformed herself into a writer. Her debut memoir, The Widow’s Guide to Dead Bastards (Atria) was an instant national bestseller, featured by The Washington Post, Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, The Toronto Star and many other outlets. Jessica lives on Treaty 7 territory in the city of Calgary, Alberta. You can find her at JessicaWaite.work

Lisa Keefauver is a social worker, widow, and grief activist on a mission to reimagine the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

Learn more at www.lisakeefauver.com.

Follow @lisakeefauvermsw on Instagram.

Listen to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch Podcast - Available on all podcast platforms.

Read Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. Available in bookstores and on your favorite online booksellers, including Bookshop.Org. Also available as an audiobook.

Watch her TEDx talk, Why Knowing More About Grief Can Make it Suck Less here

Submit your question: If you have a grief question, you’d like Lisa to answer on the air, record your question here: https://www.speakpipe.com/GriefIsASneakyBitchLive. Make sure you’re subscribed to the show so you get notified when these bonus episodes drop so you can hear your question, and her answer live on the air.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Answering your grief questions LIVE in this SPECIAL EPISODE of Grief is a Sneaky Bitch, with co-host Kousha Navidar. Co-host Kousha introduces 4 callers (Sachi, Robin, Bethany, and Sabrina) to Host Lisa Keefauver as she answers their questions in real time. They explore themes of compounding grief, the importance of communication in expressing needs, and the role of movement and rituals in processing loss. The conversation emphasizes the duality of experiencing joy amidst grief and the necessity of self-compassion in navigating the grieving process. Listeners are encouraged to find their own paths through grief, recognizing that there is no right way to heal.

Lisa and Kousha met in the summer of 2024 when she appeared as a guest on the WNYC NPR show, All of It, where Kousha was serving as a special host. Kousha is a host, writer, and producer. He has hosted national shows at WNYC / NPR, has been on-air talent at PBS, a former speechwriter for a member of President Obama's cabinet, and a high school math teacher. Kousha has hosted and produced shows on WNYC / NPR including The Brian Lehrer Show, All of It, and Notes from America. At WGBH / PBS, he helped launch the national show Point Taken, where he developed a companion YouTube series to reach younger viewers typically outside PBS's viewership. As a speechwriter, Kousha has written for and advised politicians, celebrities, and executives around the country.

Lisa Keefauver is a social worker, widow, and grief activist on a mission to reimagine the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

LEARN more at www.lisakeefauver.com.

FOLLOW @lisakeefauvermsw on Instagram.

LISTEN to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch Podcast - Available on all podcast platforms.

READ Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. Available in bookstores and on your favorite online booksellers, including Bookshop.Org. Also available as an audiobook.

WATCH her TEDx talk, Why Knowing More About Grief Can Make it Suck Less here

Submit your question: If you have a grief question, you’d like Lisa to answer on the air, record your question here: https://www.speakpipe.com/GriefIsASneakyBitchLive. Make sure you’re subscribed to the show so you get notified when these bonus episodes drop so you can hear your question, and her answer live on the air.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I’m thrilled to share that today’s guest is Alica Forneret. You might recognize her name as her writing and work about grief, work, and race have been featured in The The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Psychology Today, Huffington Post, GQ, and more. She is also an educator, speaker, and consultant dedicated to creating new spaces for people to explore grief and grieving. She is the Founder and Executive Director of PAUSE, a nonprofit focused on supporting Communities of Color through grief and end of life.

In this episode, we explore some very important themes, including the grief around adoption, mother loss, grieving someone who we had a complicated relationship with, and the experiences of grieving as a Black woman. I so appreciate Alica’s honesty, thoughtfulness, and directness in helping us better understand some of the more complex corners of grief.

Learn more about Alica by visiting https://alicaforneret.co/ and her incredible organization, PAUSE, at www.timetopause.org.

Don't forget to sign up for the PAUSE Resource Fair happening at Our House in Los Angeles on November 23rd.

Lisa Keefauver is a social worker, widow, and grief activist on a mission to reimagine the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

Learn more at www.lisakeefauver.com.

Follow @lisakeefauvermsw on Instagram.

Listen to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch Podcast - Available on all podcast platforms.

Read Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. Available in bookstores and on your favorite online booksellers, including Bookshop.Org. Also available as an audiobook.

Watch her TEDx talk, Why Knowing More About Grief Can Make it Suck Less here

Submit your question: If you have a grief question, you’d like Lisa to answer on the air, record your question here: https://www.speakpipe.com/GriefIsASneakyBitchLive. Make sure you’re subscribed to the show so you get notified when these bonus episodes drop so you can hear your question, and her answer live on the air.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this conversation, Dr. Red Hoffman shares her experiences with grief and loss, including the deaths of her grandparents, the murder of her father in a terrorist attack, and the death by suicide of her boyfriend. She discusses the challenges of navigating grief as a teenager and the lack of support and language to express her emotions. Red also talks about her journey into the medical field, combining her passion for surgery with her interest in palliative care and end-of-life conversations. She discusses the unique challenges faced by survivors of violent loss, including the loss of safety in the world and the complications of dealing with the legal system and media. Red emphasizes the importance of extending grace to oneself and others in the grieving process and highlights the need for understanding and support for survivors of violent loss.

Melissa Red Hoffman, MD, ND, FACS began her professional career as a naturopathic physician and a yoga teacher and now practices as an acute care surgeon (a combination of trauma, emergency general surgery, and surgical critical) at Mission Hospital in Asheville. As one of just 90 US surgeons board-certified in Hospice and Palliative Medicine, she serves as an Associate Hospice Medical Director at Care Partners. Red is the co-founder of the Surgical Palliative Care Society. She recently launched a new podcast, The Surgical Soul with Red MD, focused on the joys and struggles of surgeons, both inside and outside of the operating room.

Lisa Keefauver is a social worker, widow, and grief activist on a mission to reimagine the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

Learn more at www.lisakeefauver.com.

Follow @lisakeefauvermsw on Instagram.

Listen to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch Podcast - Available on all podcast platforms.

Read Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. Available in bookstores and Amazon, Bookshop.Org. Barnes & Noble. Also available in the UK and available as an audiobook.

Watch her TEDx talk, Why Knowing More About Grief Can Make it Suck Less here

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Joanne Cacciatore is an expert in traumatic grief and she is also a bereaved mother. The conversation today is wide and deep exploring themes including: traumatic grief, the loss of a child, the healing practices and rituals required to metabolize loss, the ways in which our culture makes navigating the messy non-linear path of grief unnecessarily difficult, and so much more. Her best selling book, Bearing the Unbearable: Love, Loss, and the Heartbreaking Path of Grief, is one of my all-time favorite books on loss and a national award winning best seller that has helped revolutionize the way our culture thinks, and feels, about grief. 

MORE ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr. Joanne Cacciatore is a Professor at Arizona State University, a Senior Sustainability Scholar, and Director of the Graduate Certificate in Trauma and Bereavement Program. She is in the top 2% of scholars in her field around the world, and has devoted her life to research, practice, and community based care of those suffering traumatic grief. She served on Oprah and Prince Harry’s Mental Health Committee for the Apple TV Series, The Me You Can’t See, which also featured her work at the Selah Carefarm, a therapeutic ecocommunity that combines rescued animals with humans who are grieving the tragic death of a child, parent, partner, or other primary family member. Her research has been published in the Lancet, and other medical journals, and she just released one the Great Courses called Understanding and Coping with Grief with Audible in 2022.

Lisa Keefauver is a social worker, widow, and grief activist on a mission to reimagine the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

Learn more at www.lisakeefauver.com.

Follow @lisakeefauvermsw on Instagram.

Listen to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch Podcast - Available on all podcast platforms.

Read Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. Available in bookstores and on your favorite online booksellers, including Bookshop.Org. Also available as an audiobook.

Watch her TEDx talk, Why Knowing More About Grief Can Make it Suck Less here

Submit your question: If you have a grief question, you’d like Lisa to answer on the air, record your question here: https://www.speakpipe.com/GriefIsASneakyBitchLive. Make sure you’re subscribed to the show so you get notified when these bonus episodes drop so you can hear your question, and her answer live on the air.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kicking off Season 6 of the show, actress and author Tembi Locke shares her experience of grief and the lessons she learned after the death of her husband. She discusses the importance of bringing awareness to grief and the opportunity it provides for connection and aliveness. She emphasizes the need to hold both the pain of loss and the joy of the person's life. Tembi also talks about the impact her husband had on her and the importance of sharing stories and memories of loved ones. In this conversation, Lisa Keefauver and Tembi Locke discuss the daily challenges of grief and the importance of finding agency and small moments of control amid loss. They also explore the vulnerability of being a young widow and the overwhelming weight of responsibility. Tembi shares her experience of navigating solo parenting and the importance of finding a partner who can understand and support her grief journey. They emphasize the need for rest, self-care, and finding moments of joy or ease in the midst of grief.

From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home: https://www.amazon.com/Scratch-Memoir-Love-Sicily-Finding/dp/150118766X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

From Scratch (the Netflix special): https://www.netflix.com/title/81104486

Lisa Keefauver is a social worker, widow, and grief activist on a mission to reimagine the narratives of grief, one conversation at a time.

Learn more at www.lisakeefauver.com.

Follow @lisakeefauvermsw on Instagram.

Listen to Grief is a Sneaky Bitch Podcast - Available on all podcast platforms.

Read Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss. Available in bookstores, favorite online booksellers, including Bookshop.Org. Also available as an audiobook.

Watch her TEDx talk, Why Knowing More About Grief Can Make it Suck Less here

Submit your question: If you have a grief question, you’d like Lisa to answer on the air, record your question here: https://www.speakpipe.com/GriefIsASneakyBitchLive. Make sure you’re subscribed to the show so you get notified when these bonus episodes drop so you can hear your question, and her answer live on the air.

This conversation was recorded in May 2024 prior to the release of host Lisa Keefauver’s book and held to be the kickoff episode for Season 6 of the podcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.