In this episode, I interview comedian and improv performer Ronny Pasquale! It's been 15 years since Ronny's mother died at the age of 39, when Ronny himself was just 20. He has since managed to combine parts of his pain with his love of dead-mother jokes as a way to cope with the difficult parts of life without her.

We talk about how important being about to have tough conversations can be, as well as just how tough it can be to write jokes about topics the audience might be trying NOT to think about.

Follow Ronny on Twitter and IG @RonnyPascale

I don't know who NEEDS to hear this episode right now, but I hope it's a lot! Here's my interview with comedian Myq Kaplan, who manages to create humor out of the intersection of wordplay and philosophy. Enjoy an in depth discussion about the ways that human nature has us alternately hide/express our true feelings, and the power of truly connecting with other humans.

Follow Myq at @myqkaplan across social media, or HERE!

Check out his podcast Broccoli and Ice Cream!

Get Myq's Album AKA here!

In this episode, I sat down to talk with Ken Levy and Sam Feldman, two of the founders of The National Widowers Organization. Having each lost their wives, both Sam and Ken struggled to find a place where widowers (and men in general) were allowed to be vulnerable and open about their feelings, leading to them stepping up to help others while helping themselves.

Check out the National Widowers Organization here!

In this episode, I welcome fellow grief podcaster, Jayme Ails!

After the death of her mother to cancer 4 years ago, Jayme struggled to find her way, and ultimately started a podcast about grief (and how the fuck to deal with it) called Grief Unfiltered! We talk about the importance of semantics, and of cutting through the BS to get to a real conversation, especially about difficult topics.

Follow Jayme on IG @GriefUnfiltered!

Jason Rosenthal is a widower who became nationally known after his wife wrote a heart-wrenching column days before her death. He is now sharing his insight about love, loss and living again in his new memoir, "My Wife Said You May Want To Marry Me." We talk about the importance of family support, and the need to connect with people, as well as how to carry someones legacy forward while also creating a legacy of ones own.

Go to jasonbrosenthal.com to find out more about Jason, and where to get the book!

Follow him on IG @JasonBRosenthal

In this episode, I interview comedian AMarie Castillo to talk about the difficulties of losing her best friend. After her best friend Bex was murdered last year, AMarie struggled to make sense of not just what happened, but how to find a peaceful way forward. We talk about the importance of the family we choose and the community we have to support us.

Follow Amarie on all social media @Part_Time_Bro

In this episode, I interview comedian Sharon Simon! A veteran of the NYC standup community, Sharon has dealt with a number of losses, including her mother 10 years ago, and more recently an aunt and her cousin. We talk about how important it is to have a space to speak your truth and claim ownership of your story. We also talk about the difficulties of having to grieve during quarantine.

Follow Sharon's YouTube page Simon Says Laugh!

Follow her online at SimonSaysLaugh.com

In this episode, I interview Mary FitzGerald, CEO of the Eluna Network, a non-profit that supports children and families impacted by grief or addiction. No stranger to loss herself, Mary's brother Dennis died not too long before she became a mother, as well as beginning to find her reluctant calling in the field of grief and mental health support. We talk about how important having peer support can be, and how much kids AND adults benefit just from having their issues acknowledged.

Go to https://elunanetwork.org/ to find out more about support in your area.

Follow Eluna on FB!

In this episode, I talk with Good Day LA's on air meteorologist and author Maria Quiban Whitesell about her new book, "You Can't Do It Alone; A Widow's Journey Through Loss, Grief and Life After." After the death of her husband Sean to brain cancer, Maria has managed to cultivate the community she needed to help her cope with life after loss, and how to keep Sean's memory and legacy alive, as well as how to talk to their son about what happened.

Find out where to get the book at https://YouCantDoItAloneBook.com

Follow all things Maria at https://mariaquiban.com

In this episode, my first in the quarantine era, I interview comedian Jim Mendrinos! A veteran of the stand up comedy scene (his is Mr. Comedy 101 as far as I'm concerned), Jim has suffered through a number of losses, including his sister Mary in 1992 to the Aids epidemic. We also talk about the loss of his parents as well as parts of himself. A truly enlightening conversation with a guy I already thought I knew pretty well!

Follow Jim online at http://worldsbestcomic.com

Get his book, The Complete Idiots Guide To Comedy Writing