Grief Out Loud

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Now displaying: July, 2023

Remember the last time you tried to talk about grief and suddenly everyone left the room? Grief Out Loud is opening up this often avoided conversation because grief is hard enough without having to go through it alone. We bring you a mix of personal stories, tips for supporting children, teens, and yourself, and interviews with bereavement professionals. Platitude and cliché-free, we promise! Grief Out Loud is hosted by Jana DeCristofaro and produced by The Dougy Center for Grieving Children & Families in Portland, Oregon.

The Grief Garden - Supporting Collective Grief 0

Jul 14, 2023

As more opportunities for non-traditional grief support arise, it's no surprise that many of them are happening in historically marginalized communities who have not felt relevantly supported in those settings. The Grief Garden, co-created by Julia Mallory, a multidisiciplinary artist, and Tiana Zabala, the garden manager at Goggleworks Center for the Arts is the perfect example of this type of offering. The Grief Garden was designed to bring people together, in relationship with the outdoors, where they could engage with rest, movement, medicine making, and sound.

Julia Mallory is a storyteller, writer, and artist who after the death of her eldest son Julian in 2017 also became a community grief worker. Through her words, images, and offerings, Julia invites others to acknowledge and express their own grief.

Tiana Zabala is passionate about growing food, medicine, and building community. In her role as garden manager at GoggleWorks she focuses on urban farming and developing opportunities for collective healing.

We discuss:

What Julia & Tiana learned about grief from their families
The lack of opportunity to gather and honor collective grief, especially in the Black community
How grief gets pathologized in a grief avoidant society
The origin of the Grief Garden event
Why embodied practices like movement, song, and art are important in grief
How Julia makes engaging with grief more accessible through her lived experience
Farming as a metaphor for grief and the cycle of life
Julia & Tiana’s plans for future creative grief expression events

Grief Out Loud Episode 178: Survivor's Guilt - Julia Mallory

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When I Think Of Him, Love Is The Word That Comes Up - Pierce Freelon 0

Jul 7, 2023

Pierce Freelon is a GRAMMY® nominated musician, author, and educator. He is also a son, a father, a husband, and an astute observer of life and grief and everything in between. Pierce was a caregiver for his father, Phil Freelon, a renowed architect who died of ALS. He's also the author of the new children's book, Daddy and Me: Side by Side, a beautiful rendering of the times Pierce and his father spent in nature, and how Pierce is doing the same with his own son. A few hours before our interview, Pierce got word that a beloved professor from his time in graduate school, Dr. Micere Githae Mugo, had just died. In connection to both of these influential people, Pierce shares his unique and nuanced perspective on grief, legacy, and the power of artistry.

We talk about:

How Pierce thinks about death and grief and ongoing connection
The role gratitude plays in grief
How new grief feels familiar, because love feels familiar
The legacy of values, worldview, and artistry Pierce inherited from his dad, Phil, and his professor, Dr. Mugo
The cultural traditions Pierce turns to in grief
Caregiving for his father during his illness and end-of-life
The autobiographical elements of Pierce’s new children’s book, Daddy And Me: Side by Side.

Listen to our episode with Pierce’s mother, Nneena Freelon, Ep. 202 Grief Wanted My Attention.

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