Podcast
Peaceful Exit
Hosted by Peaceful Exit · EN
We live in a culture that avoids death and Peaceful Exit is an invitation to be in candid conversation about it. Writer and host Sarah Cavanaugh believes talking about death will work to dispel our natural fear and build courage in the face of death. She’s talking to authors who have written extensively on the topic to help us normalize death as part of the human experience, no matter who you are, no matter your politics, spiritual faith or socioeconomic status. Peaceful Exit explores how to radically accept our eventual demise, how to talk about it and even plan for it. But it’s not all doom and gloom – there's joy, meaning and connection to be found in exploring the messiness of death, dying and grief.
28episodes
Episodes
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In Lieu of Flowers with Nancy Howard Cobb
4d ago00:30:19Tap to summarizeWhen Nancy Howard Cobb wrote "In Lieu of Flowers: A Conversation for the Living" in the year 2000, she was ahead of her time. Little did she know that the cultural appetite for stories about mortality would only continue to grow, and that her book would be republished more than two decades later. In this interview, Nancy explores the deaths of her parents, the loss of a close friend, and the shattering discovery of a marriage built on lies. She also tells Sarah why telling our stories of death and grief may be one of the most vital things we can do.
Transcribe →Dying Empty with Darnell Lamont Walker
3w ago00:31:03Tap to summarizeDeath doula Darnell Lamont Walker, author of "Never Can Say Goodbye: The Life of a Death Doula and the Art of a Peaceful End," came to this work young. At just 12 years old, he sat with his dying cousin during the AIDS crisis. At 13, he helped classmates grieve the death of a friend. Darnell shares with Sarah how his grandma's fearless, open-hearted approach to death shaped those early experiences and everything that followed. He explains why grief doesn't have just one face: it can look like starting a garden, running a marathon, laughing hysterically, or crying at a red light. Darnell and Sarah also discuss their shared belief that adventure and creativity can be the ultimate antidotes to despair. For more information on Darnell and his work, please visit his website: https://www.darnellwalker.com/
Transcribe →How to Survive the End of the World with Anne Lamott
May 2600:35:26Tap to summarizeAnne Lamott is known for her piercing honesty, her humor, and her willingness to go to the hard places. She's the New York Times bestselling author of books like "Bird by Bird" and "Traveling Mercies," and she is, appropriately, so many people's favorite writer. In this conversation with Sarah, Anne explores the terrain that has defined so much of her life and writing: loss, grief, faith, and grace. She shares what she's learned from sitting with dying people, including her father and her best friend, and why she's well attuned to find hope - even in the darkest times.For more of Anne's delicious writing, check out her substack: Hallelujah Anyway
Transcribe →Briefly Perfectly Human with Alua Arthur (Replay)
May 1200:36:13Tap to summarizeAlua Arthur is a death doula and a New York Times bestselling author, most recently for her book "Briefly Perfectly Human." In this episode from 2024, Alua shares with Sarah what it was like fleeing Ghana as a child, and how she found her calling in an unexpected conversation on a bus. They also discuss the transformative nature of confronting mortality, why it's important to set boundaries in grief, and how to address people's natural fears during the dying process.For more information about Alua's work, please visit www.aluaarthur.com, and follow her on social media @alualoveslife.
Transcribe →What Does a Peaceful Exit Mean to You?
Apr 2800:13:52Tap to summarizeAt the end of every episode of Peaceful Exit, Sarah asks her guests the same question: what does a peaceful exit mean to you? There have been many overlapping themes in people's responses, but so far no two replies have been exactly the same. In this compilation episode, we revisit the answers from our amazing season 6 guests: Dr. BJ Miller; Dr. Lucy Hone; Lisa Keefauver; Mary Roach; Jenny George; Kaleel Sakakeeny; Jessica Correnti; Carla Fernandez; Suzanne O'Brien; James Crews; and Dr. Deborah Kado. If you've ever considered how you might answer this question - what does a peaceful exit mean to you - please share your response with us! You can send an email to peacefulexitpodcast@gmail.com.
Transcribe →Living to 100 with Dr. Deborah Kado
Apr 1400:35:28Tap to summarizeAs co-director of the Stanford Center on Longevity at Stanford University, geriatrician Dr. Deborah Kado helps patients live not just longer, but better. In this thoughtful interview, she shares what her earliest patients taught her about the end of life, and what any of us can do - starting now - to age with dignity and purpose. Dr. Kado also explains why, despite what you might think, older people are some of the happiest folks around, and why a baby born today could reasonably expect to live to 100 years old.For more information on Dr. Kado's work and the Stanford Center on Longevity, please visit https://longevity.stanford.edu/
Transcribe →Turning Toward Grief with James Crews
Mar 3100:35:54Tap to summarizePoet James Crews lost his father when he was just 20 years old, and then, decades later, his mother and both grandmothers died in the same year. In this episode, he talks to Sarah about the different experiences he had with grief across these major losses, and how they've inspired his work, including a number of poems in his latest collection, "Turning Toward Grief." James also explains why even messy, imperfect writing can help carry us forward when we’re grieving. He invites us to ponder two questions in this interview: what do we lose when we turn away from grief, and what do we gain when we lean in?For more about James's work, please visit his website: https://www.jamescrews.net/
Transcribe →The Good Death with Suzanne O'Brien
Mar 1700:33:28Tap to summarizeSuzanne O’Brien is founder and CEO of the Doulagivers Institute and author of the book “The Good Death.” She has trained thousands of people around the world in end-of-life care, with a mission to make death literacy accessible to all. She tells Sarah why she believes that dying is not just a medical event, but a sacred transition — one that can be met with preparation, presence, and even peace. In this conversation, Suzanne also shares what she has learned from decades at the bedside of dying people, how to diminish fear of the natural dying process, and why granny pods matter now more than ever.For more information on Suzanne's work and The Doulagivers Institute, please visit https://doulagivers.com/
Transcribe →Renegade Grief with Carla Fernandez
Mar 200:35:27Tap to summarizeCarla Fernandez, author of the book "Renegade Grief," was just 21 years old when her father José died. She felt ill-equipped to handle her grief alone, so she started reaching out to friends. What began as a simple potluck dinner with other young adults who'd also lost parents grew into The Dinner Party, a nationwide movement with tables in over a hundred cities. At these gatherings, grievers share food, stories, and the complicated reality of loss. In this episode, Carla talks to Sarah about the power of normalizing these conversations, the rituals that help us continue bonds with those we love, and why tending to our grief can be a renegade act.For more information on The Dinner Party and Carla's work, please visit www.thedinnerparty.org or www.carlafernandez.co
Transcribe →The ABCs of Grief with Jessica Correnti
Feb 1700:37:40Tap to summarizeChild life specialist Jessica Correnti helps kids and families navigate loss, change, and big life transitions. In this episode, she tells Sarah why children often experience grief in short emotional "bursts"; why they process grief best through play; and why it's best to talk to kids honestly about death and dying. Jessica also shares her deeply personal story of pregnancy loss, and how that experience inspired her books, "Forever Connected" and "The ABCs of Grief" series.To learn more about Jessica's work, please visit https://www.kidsgriefsupport.com/
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