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November is Worldwide Bereaved Siblings Month, yet most siblings grieve alone. They’re told to be strong for their parents, or they get subtle, and, sometimes not so subtle, cues to move on. Yet  the loss of a sibling is the loss of a lifetime, because it’s a relationship we expect we’ll have for most of our lives.

Join me, Alyson Shelton, and Lynn Shattuck as we remember our brothers and talk about sibling loss, the challenges of living with disenfranchised grief, and how writing has helped us heal and maintain a relationship with our siblings even though they are gone.

Alyson’s Bio: Alyson Shelton is an award winning screenwriter. Her essays have been published widely at outlets such as The NY Times, Ms., The Rumpus and more. She hosts a popular series inspired by George Ella Lyon’s poem, Where I’m From. The poem is also the inspiration for her memoir in progress.

Lynn’s Bio: Lynn Shattuck grew up in a Southeast Alaskan rainforest and is now a Maine-based writer. She co-founded thelossofalifetime.com, a website for grieving siblings. Her essays have been featured in Elephant Journal, Human Parts, Al Jazeera, P.S. I Love You, The Fix, Vice and Mind Body Green.

Resources Mentioned During This Episode:

There’s No Escape by Alyson Shelton

What I Want You to Say When I’m Grieving by Lynn Shattuck:

My 20-Year-Old Brother Died By Suicide. Here's Why I Almost Joined Him by Lisa Cooper Ellison

Lynn’s Where I’m From Poem 

Lisa’s Where I’m From Poem 

Alyson’s Where I’m From Poem 

Episode Highlights:

• 3:23 Silent, Unacknowledged Grief
• 7:45: The Impact of the Hierarchy of Grief
• 12:23 The Benefits of Writing about Sibling Loss
• 18:31: Grieving and Writing in Community
• 23:49 Building the Sibling Loss Anthology
• 32:48 Getting to Know Alyson and Lynn
• 35:23 Lynn and Alyson’s Best Writing Advice

Connect with Lynn

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064888772287

Substack: https://lynnshattuck.substack.com/

Connect with Alyson

Website:

Connect with your host, Lisa:
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Produced by Espresso Podcast Production