Grief Is My Side Hustle

Ep. 103. Good Mourning Podcast Hosts: Imogen Carn & Sally Douglas

In this episode Meghan sits down with then dynamic duo Sal and Im from Good Mourning Podcast.  These two amazing women met at a support group shortly after Im's mother died by suicide and Sal's from an undiagnosed seizure disorder.  With their charm, and curiosity they have built a huge supportive community of grievers who are learning from the experts they bring on their podcast, as well as each other, the truth of what it takes to carry profound loss.

Sal and Im wrote an extraordinary book that publishes in the US on May 2nd.  DO NOT MISS IT.  It conveys all the warmth and curiosity you have come to expect from their podcast, with the hard fought wisdom of two incredibly intelligent women determinded to change the conversation on how we grieve.

https://www.amazon.com/Good-Mourning-Honest-conversations-about/dp/1922616311/ref=asc_df_1922616311/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=642162216434&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9870191713307570455&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007768&hvtargid=pla-1934235927738&psc=1&gclid=CjwKCAjwxr2iBhBJEiwAdXECwx6Zhp35des-VEU6fT2FB8B1w8cHvN7FPcKkahiI1E1R4QsS4328NBoCiDAQAvD_BwE

https://www.goodmourning.com.au

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/good-mourning-grief-podcast/id1529978129?i=1000601303937

 

Ep. 102. Angela Morris: Grief and Neurodivergence.

Today Meghan sits down wththe extraordinary author Angela Morris. She talks about how her ADHD diagnosis impacts her understanding of her own grief, and the profound secondary loss of friendship particularly in non-death loss.

 

More about Angela:

 

After the death of her father, friend and grandmother in quick succession, Angela needed a channel to grieve these profound losses. Writing has always been her lifeline through hard times, and grief from the loss of her loved ones was no different. Seeing how this helped her, Angela began to help others with their grief through her reflective writing on her social media channels. Angela offers people a soft space to land as they navigate their grief without judgement. She provides reflective writing for grievers who have lost something or someone dear to them. They walk together differently through their healing journey of learning to grow with their grief, not move on from it.

 

Love Notes to Grievers is available for pre-order and comes out on June 13th, 2023

 

WWW.ANGELAEMORRIS.COM INSTAGRAM: @ANGELAEMMAMORRIS

 

Ep. 101. Poet and Writer and Maggie Smith: Writing the Grief of Divorce

The extraordinary poet and writer sits down with Meghan to discuss her new memoir You Could Make This Place Beautiful (The title a nod to her viral poem Good Bones).  Maggie explores the concepts of partnership, marital roles, and how writing helps us find out truth.

 

https://maggiesmithpoet.com

Ep. 100. Laura Zigman: Author of Small World

Meghan sits down with one of her favorite authors–Laura Zigman to discuss ther widely celebrated most recent novel Small World. Laura decribes how she fused the emotional experiences of the death of her sister into the story of two divorced sisters who come to live in the same house for the first time in decades. 

Laura Zigman is the author of five novels, including Separation Anxiety (which was optioned by Julianne Nicholson and the production company Wiip (Mare of Easttown) for a limited television series); Animal Husbandry (which was made into the movie Someone Like You, starring Hugh Jackman and Ashley Judd), Dating Big Bird, Her, and Piece of Work. She has ghostwritten/collaborated on several works of non-fiction, including Eddie Izzard's New York Times bestseller, Believe Me; been a contributor to the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Huffington Post; produced a popular online series of animated videos called Annoying Conversations; and was the recipient of a Yaddo residency. Her sixth novel, Small World, was published in January 2023. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

https://www.laurazigman.com

Ep. 99. Cyndie Spiegel: Author of Microjoys- Finding Hope (Especially) When Life is Not Okay

This week Meghan Sits Down with the delightful Cyndie Speigel to talk about Microjoys and how she coped with the murder of her nephew, death of mother, and own diagnosis with breast cancer.  Despite the heaviness of the topic Cyndie offers us laughter, hope and deep wisdom that comes from facing the hardest of times.

 

About Cyndie:

Cyndie Spiegel is a born storyteller–turned–writer; she’s an aspirational voice and an igniter of powerful conversation around self-acceptance, integrity, and joy. She is a former fashion executive, adjunct professor at Parsons School of Design and Fashion Institute of Technology, and holds a masters of professional studies. She is also a TEDx speaker and a certified yoga and meditation teacher. Her honest storytelling, vulnerable self-inquiry, and penchant for swear words have made her a sought-after speaker for conferences, brands, and organizations, and she has been featured in publications such as Forbes, Glamour, Teen Vogue, and HuffPost. She currently lives in New Jersey with her (very handsome) photographer husband, two cats, way too many patterns, and an excessive number of houseplants. She is the founder of Dear Grown Ass Women, an inclusive and highly relatable social community for women 35+, and she is also the author of A Year of Positive Thinking.

https://www.cyndiespiegel.com

Ep. 98. Alessandra Olanow: Artist/Author of Hello Grief, I’ll be Right With You

Meghan sat down with Alessandra Olanow, NY based artist, mother and grieving daughter. In their hour together Alessandra talks bout her new book, Hello Grief: I'll Be Right With You, and how the writing helped her address her own feelings of loss.

 

Alessandra is a New York-based illustrator. Her broad roster of clients includes major brands such as Bergdorf Goodman, Clinique, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Uniqlo, Yahoo, and West Elm, and her work has been featured in top publications such as Vogue, Oprah Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Variety, Bon Appétit, and Goop. Additionally, she is the Founder of A.OK Body Oil and the Co-founder of a children’s pajama line, Dodo Banana. Through her unique illustrations, Olanow explores the themes of self-forgiveness, vulnerability, and resilience.

Alessandra's newest venture- A.OK body oil can be found here: https://www.feelingaok.com

Full disclosure--She sent Meghan a bottle and it's heaven.

 

 

https://www.alessandraolanow.com

Ep. 97. Anna Whitson Donalson: Author Rare Bird-Child loss

Meghan Sits down with Anna, who talks about the impact of her mother's death when she was just 18, and the tragic death of her son Jack when he was just 12.  In this hope filled conversation, Anna gives us a glimpse into what her grief feels like eleven years later, and graciously lets Meghas ask a question that had pagued her since she was 9.

 

Anna's Bio

Anna Whiston-Donaldson is a popular author and speaker whose New York Times bestselling book, Rare Bird: A Memoir of Loss and Love chronicles the raw, early grief of losing her 12 year old son in an accident. Selected one of Publishers Weekly’s Best Books of 2014, Rare Bird resonates with readers looking for hope in impossible circumstances. Her children’s book, A Hug from Heaven, speaks to grieving children from the point of view of a loved one who died.  Anna has been featured in The Washington Post, Ladies Home Journal, Woman’s Day, Time Magazine, and other publications both print and online. She lives with her family in the Virginia suburbs and blogs at An Inch of Gray.

website: annawhistondonaldson.com

https://www.facebook.com/aninchofgray

instagram: @annawhistondonaldson

 

Ep. 96. Colin Campbell: Author of Finding The Words and Grieving Father

In 2019, Colin Campbell's two teenage children, Ruby and Hart, were killed by a drunk driver. In the thick of this tragedy, Colin turned to the many books on grief that line shelves but ultimately realized they were unhelpful and failed to provide the insight he desperately sought. Channeling his grief, he wrote his new book (out March 14th) FINDING THE WORDS and a solo performance piece titled Grief: A One Man Shit-Show In LA (March 17-19) and NYC (March 29-April 16). You can find that info here. 

In FINDING THE WORDS (3/14/23; Hardcover; TarcherPerigee), Colin offers practical advice on how to survive in the aftermath of loss. By actively reaching out to their community, performing mourning rituals,and finding ways to express their grief, readers will learn how to live more fully while still holding their loved ones close. Campbell shines a light on a path forward through the darkness of grief.

While processing his own grief, Colin realized that much of the common wisdom about coping with loss was unhelpful—that it is a private and mysteriousprocess and that the pain is so great that there “are no words.”While detailing his beautiful and personal account, Campbell also provides practical and actionable methods he and his wife took to navigate their profound grief. Inside, you can expect both a series of journaling prompts as well as concrete action plans to practice active grieving. Unlike in other books about grief, Campbell articulates certain truths such as the act of
leaning into the pain, becoming an active protagonist in our journey through grief, and more.

 

To learn more about Colin:

(https://colincampbellauthor.com/

 

Ep. 95. What’s Your Grief: Grief Clinicians Eleanor Haley & Litsa Williams

Sit down with Meghan as she talks with the outstanding duo fo Eleanor Haley and Litsa Williams to talk about the publication of their recent book–What's Your Grief: Lists To Help You Through Any Loss

 

Eleanor Haley, MS and Litsa Williams, MA, LCSW-C are the co-founders of the online
community What’s Your Grief, one of the largest online grief and bereavement support organizations. Both are mental health professionals
with a collective 25+ years of experience working with people coping with all types of
complicated losses and life transitions. Eleanor and Litsa met while supporting families who had lost loved ones to traumatic andunexpected deaths in Baltimore, MD. Drawing on their personal and professional experience with grief, WYG was built as a resource offering concrete, practical, creative, down-to-earth, and relatable support, founded on the values of psychoeducation and creative coping. It has grown to serve more than 5 million visitors each year. Eleanor holds a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Loyola College in Baltimore, MD and Litsa received her master's degree in Clinical Social Work from the University of Maryland School of Social Work, as well as a master’s degree in Philosophy from the University of Warwick (UK). They have been interviewed as grief experts for the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, NPR, and New York Times. They co-authored the book What's Your Grief: Lists to Help You Through Any Loss.

 

Ep. 93. Christie Tate: Losing Female Friendship--B.F.F a Memoir

 

One of the luckiest things is my life is counting the extraordinary Christie Tate amongst my friends. She is warm, brilliant and an incredible writer.  In this discussion we cover all the aspects of what makes female friendship so beautiful and complicated.  Christie shares the story of the death of her dear friend, which she chronicles in the book, and how that impacts life now.

From the author of Group, a New York Times bestseller and Reese’s Book Club Pick, comes a moving, heartwarming, and powerful memoir about Christie Tate’s lifelong struggle to sustain female friendship, and the friend who helps her find the human connection she seeks.

After more than a decade of dead-end dates and dysfunctional relationships, Christie Tate has reclaimed her voice and settled down. Her days of agonizing in group therapy over guys who won’t commit are over, the grueling emotional work required to attach to another person tucked neatly into the past.

Or so she thought. Weeks after giddily sharing stories of her new boyfriend at Saturday morning recovery meetings, Christie receives a gift from a friend. Meredith, twenty years older and always impeccably accessorized, gives Christie a box of holiday-themed scarves as well as a gentle suggestion: maybe now is the perfect time to examine why friendships give her trouble. “The work never ends, right?” she says with a wink.

Christie isn’t so sure, but she soon realizes that the feeling of “apartness” that has plagued her since childhood isn’t magically going away now that she’s in a healthy romantic relationship. With Meredith by her side, she embarks on a brutally honest exploration of her friendships past and present, sorting through the ways that debilitating shame and jealousy have kept the lasting bonds she craves out of reach—and how she can overcome a history of letting go too soon. But when Meredith becomes ill and Christie’s baggage threatens to muddy their final days, she’s forced to face her deepest fears in honor of the woman who finally showed her how to be a friend.

Poignant, laugh-out-loud funny, and emotionally satisfying, B.F.F. explores what happens when we finally break the habits that impair our ability to connect with others, and the ways that one life—however messy and imperfect—can change another.

https://www.amazon.com/B-F-F-Memoir-Friendship-Lost-Found/dp/1668009420/ref=sr_1_1?crid=37RCYO7UH0X95&keywords=b+FF+Tate&qid=1675950529&sprefix=bff+tate%2Caps%2C75&sr=8-1#customerReviews