Where's The Grief?

In this episode, Jordon talks with comedian Brian Baron. A divorcee and a father, Brian met a woman named Ellen, and he describes it as "a match made in heaven." Shortly after the two of them decided they would move in together, Ellen was diagnosed with an aggressive cancer, and Brian found himself in the outer circle, not quite part of the family, watching his life with her fade away. We talk about what it means to be on the outside, and how hard it can be to claim any voice from that vantage point.

A quick technical note, this episode had some issues in the recording, so please do your best to overlook the moments of static that i was unable to edit around.

In this episode, Jordon talks with comedian Ajai Raj, whose best friend Jacob took his own life 6 years ago. We talk about the dangers of depression, and how strongly suicide can affect the people beyond just one's family. We also talk about who is allowed to grieve, and how difficult it can be to incorporate ideas about death and grief into comedy.

Ajai has a podcast of his own as well called "Notes From a Void." Subscribe here!

http://www.ajairaj.com/voidcast

Follow him on Twitter @SaintAjaiRaj

https://twitter.com/SaintAjaiRaj/

In this episode Jordon sits down with comedian Geoff Kole, whose mother died of cancer when he was still in high school, and whose father died more recently, if you consider 10 years ago recent.

With all the ups and downs that come in the grief process, Geoff has seemingly taken everything in stride, and truly exemplifies the notion that the show must go on.

Learn more about Geoff and where to catch him live at http://geoffkole.com/

Comedian Evan Williams lost his brother to CF (Cystic Fibrosis) and his mother to complications from Lyme disease a year later.

The roller coaster of grief that life puts you on, coupled with Evan's own struggles with sobriety make for some serious insights into why we do what we do.

Evan is about as open and vulnerable as any of my guests have been, and I can't thank him for coming on and discussing his life as frankly as he does.

For more info on Evan, check out his website http://evanwilliamscomedy.com/

Follow him on twitter @ItsEvanWilliams

This episode features an in depth interview with Alan Pedersen, Executive Director of The Compassionate Friends (TCF) the self-help support group that Jordon's sibling support group is a part of. Alan lost his daughter Ashley in 2001, and in the despair he was feeling, he re-immersed himself into his musical career, and began writing  songs that reflected what he was going through and what he wished he could say to his daughter.

Shortly after selling CDs of his music at a Compassionate Friends national conference, he began playing his music at local chapters around the country.

For more info on The Compassionate Friends go to http://www.compassionatefriends.org/home.aspx

There you can find the nearest local chapter to you via the chapter locator, as well as info on upcoming regional and national conferences.

For more info on Alan and how to buy his music, go to http://thegrieftoolbox.com/products/best-alan-pedersen or you can find him directly on iTunes at

https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/alan-pedersen/id272445722

In this episode, Jordon sat down with fellow comedian and native Brooklynite Beth Maria to talk about what her process has been following thea death of her best friend Alex to suicide.

Beth reminds us that it is never just the immediate family that feels the pain of losing a loved one, even whilst having internal debates with one's self about whether or not it's ok to feel grief when you're "just a friend."

Her final thoughts on the matter of suicide and depression are quite poignant and worth taking to heart.

In this episode, Jordon sits down with Comedian and Actor Angelo Lozada!

A veteran of the NYC comedy scene, Angelo talks about the death of his brother David after a long battle with aids, although the conversation also features a lengthy discussion about the loss of a handful of comedians who have died in the past couple years, and the toll that has taken on the comedy communit at large.

Follow Angelo on twitter @AngeloLozada66

Check out his podcast at http://kollidetv.com/watch/get-some

In this episode, Jordon sits down with Comedian Ray Gootz, whose mother and aunt, both of whom he lived with, passed away within a week of each other. This episode was recorded only about a month or so after thier funerals, giving Ray a much closer detailed account of the weeks leading up to his mothers death.

While this episode is heavy at times, Ray ultimately has a positive message about the future and an optimistic outlook for what comes next.

Follow Ray on Twitter @RayGootz

I sat down with fellow comedian Nick Whitmer, who lost his step brother Sam 4 years ago. Nick and I talk about what it was like to gain a new brother and best friend only to have him die in a car accident just as they were both becoming adults. We also talk about how comedians deal with emotional issues, and how we each deal with the darker thoughts that we have.

Follow Nick on twitter at @NickWhitmer

In this episode, Jordon sat down with comedian and actor, Frank Liotti. It has been 7 years since Frank's mother died, and subesquently, he also lost his father 3 months later, his best friend to suicide a year after that, and his sister not long after That. His is a story not just of the struggle to survive, but the Fight to survive that lives within all of us. As we discuss in the opening, this was actually our second attempt to get our interview in the can.

Find out where you can see Frank live at FrankLiotti.com