The Moth Radio Hour – Life After Death

Airdate: November 4, 2025
Host: Jay Allison

Episode Overview

This episode of The Moth Radio Hour explores the profound theme of "Life After Death" through a mosaic of true, personal stories told live on stage. Ranging from poignant to humorous, the storytellers—a doctor, a grieving child, siblings emptying the family home, a Renaissance fair performer, and a screenwriter haunted by a Hollywood legend—grapple with the many ways death shapes the living. Told with honesty and warmth, each narrative offers a unique answer to what endures after loss and how we find meaning, connection, and sometimes laughter on the other side.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Certification on a Train: Finding Belonging in Tragedy

Storyteller: Panduranga Rao
[02:31–08:33]

• Context & Struggle:
  Pandu, a young Indian doctor freshly graduated and feeling impostor syndrome, travels third class across India for a job interview. Marking himself “Dr. Pandu” on the ticket form, fate intervenes.
• The Incident:
  During his journey, a ticket checker seeks out “Dr. Pandu” to certify a fellow passenger’s death, a necessary act to prevent an eight-hour train delay.
• Improvisation:
  Without medical tools, he uses a giant railway flashlight to examine the deceased. Certification done, he returns to his seat, suddenly transformed from outsider to hero, embraced by the other passengers.
• Reflection:
  Through this sad yet necessary act, Panduranga realizes his purpose and value as a physician—not just to the patient, but to everyone impacted by loss.

“Despite doing something so intensely sad, despite doing something which should actually cause so much of grief, I yet managed to bring so much comfort and stability to everybody else around me. And I felt really proud of being a doctor and felt I have arrived.”
— Panduranga Rao ([08:14])

• Follow-Up (Host Q&A):
  Dr. Rao affirms that the privilege of comforting the bereaved remains at the heart of his work:

  “Time and again, I'm reminded about the unique role the doctor plays in the patient's and the family's life, the comfort and the strength they always offer to the family, and about how privileged I am to practice medicine even in these turbulent times, or perhaps especially in these turbulent times.”
  — Panduranga Rao ([09:13])

2. Looking for Signs: A Daughter’s Leap of Faith

Storyteller: Jaron Ege
[10:05–14:43]

• Grieving Rituals & Lists:
  Jaron confesses she keeps a secret list of friends who came to her father’s visitation, mirroring the way her late father kept every birthday card she’d written.
• Honesty as Legacy:
  Her father was described as “a very honest man.” He promised her that, if there was an afterlife, he’d send a sign.
• The Proposition:
  Jaron, a college sophomore, records her father a month before he dies, asking if he’ll knock over a plant at her dorm as a ghostly signal. He promises, amidst jokes.
• The Sign:
  Two weeks after his death, a wind knocks over her plant. She chooses to believe, rather than rationalize it away, that her father kept his word.
• Deeper Insight:
  She notes that perhaps believing in the sign—choosing faith in connection despite uncertainty—is itself an act of courage and healing.

“Maybe the true leap in the story is that is concluding that that sign was not a coincidence and it was from my father... I'm going to choose to believe that somewhere out there he has and is still caring for me in this large and often lonely world. Because sometimes holding on is a big enough hurdle.”
— Jaron Ege ([14:43])

• Follow-Up (Host Q&A):
  Jaron later listened to the recording in flight; her headphones died midway, echoing the pain of losing her father too soon. She shares that more “visits” have occurred—further signs, moments that reinforce enduring bonds and the importance of human connection.

“If hearing the story made you think of anyone, then reach out to them. Human connection is all we have.”
— Jaron Ege ([15:37])

3. The Disbursement of Goods: Humor and Healing in Mourning

Storyteller: Noreen Grimes
[20:19–25:34]

• The Inheritance Book:
  After her mother’s death, Noreen and her siblings are grateful for a notebook her mother prepared called “The Disbursement of Goods.” Each family member has a page of claimed items to prevent fighting.
• A Process Infused with Levity:
  Their mother would slyly record wishes, chasing children around with the book (“You like that bowl? You want that bowl?”). Laughter and light arguments ensue when they finally consult it.
• Dealing with the Past:
  The act of emptying the family home is softened with humor—guests are forced to take away items from the swan collection post-funeral, vases are returned to florists, and a sibling tries to make the task fun by imagining hidden money inside old shoes.
• Letting Go:
  The most heart-wrenching moment comes when the personal objects—and even the tire swing—must be relinquished.
• Resonance:
  The family learns that even as a house empties, meaning lingers, and life reshapes sorrow.

“In this settlement if it was in that book, you had to take it. And in this particular case, when you turn that vase upside down, there was a little yellow sticker on the bottom of it with my name on it. So that made it a double whammy.”
— Noreen Grimes ([22:12])

• Follow-Up (Host Q&A):
  Noreen’s mother’s Christmas cactus still blooms, and above all, she inherited her mother’s capacity for laughter:

“We Grimes kids always look for the funny side of a situation and we never hesitate to giggle, chortle, guffaw. We never hold anything back when it comes to laughing because, well, because Mama made it sound so good.”
— Noreen Grimes ([26:52])

4. Acts of Farewell at the Ren Faire: Rediscovering Family

Storyteller: Jake Ottison
[27:48–38:48]

• Disconnection & Longing:
  As a burnt-out actor, Jake returns to the Sterling Renaissance Festival seeking creative and communal rejuvenation, only to find his old cohort missing.
• Solitude as the Gravedigger:
  Assigned to a solitary role, he feels isolated until asked to help scatter the ashes of a beloved colleague, Donna, in character at his mock graveyard.
• Improvised Ceremony:
  What begins as a Ren Faire act becomes a moving and authentic funeral: ashes buried, a traditional Irish song sung, and jokes shared in Donna’s irreverent style.
• Community Reawakened:
  Through this ritual, Jake realizes the magic lies not just in the performance, but in the transient, tender community assembled to “take being silly seriously.”

“Life doesn't work like that. You know, one day you're feeling like you're never going to fit in, and the next day you're standing in a circle of love. And because of Donna, it was like I was re meeting the magic of that festival.”
— Jake Ottison ([38:48])

• Memorable Moment:
  As the ashes are interred, a friend arranges stones in the shape of a breast, prompting laughter—a playful gesture Donna would have cherished.

5. Call from Beyond: Haunted by Montgomery Clift

Storyteller: Craig Chester
[43:11–54:10]

• Eerie Coincidences:
  Craig, a filmmaker, is told by two unrelated psychics—first in NYC, then in LA—that the spirit of actor Montgomery Clift is “attached at your hip,” urging Craig to write his life story.

• Encounters & Messages:
  Craig receives precise, verifiable messages only Monty would know (e.g., obscure details about Clift’s death location, accurate visual descriptions of Craig’s surroundings).
  The psychic relays:

  “Monty’s saying, you gotta find some guy named Jack... You need to write this down.”
  — message to Craig ([47:00–48:00])

• Real-World Confirmations:
  Soon after a “find Jack” message, he unexpectedly connects with Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen from Superman) within 24 hours.

• Returning to the Source:
  Craig is invited to a party at Monty’s long-preserved brownstone, learning new facts corroborated by the psychic. He realizes a deep kinship with Clift, stemming from both suffering traumatic facial injuries.

• Resolution:
  After re-enacting Monty’s last moments in the bathtub, Craig feels he can give Monty, and himself, a “happy ending.” The supernatural communications eventually quiet.

• The Haunting Returns:
  Months later, a distant cousin calls:

  “I woke up and there was a man in my bedroom... He said he wanted me to tell you something... My name is Clifton Montgomery, and you need to tell Craig to hurry.”
  — Craig Chester’s cousin ([53:03])

• Reflection:
  Craig never wrote Clift’s screenplay but is now working on a memoir, contemplating how the living can carry forward what the dead leave behind and give their stories closure.

Notable Quotes

• Jay Allison (Opening theme):

  “If you don't mind, I'll start with a quote from Keanu Reeves who, when asked by Stephen Colbert what he thinks happens after we die, said: ‘I know the ones who love us will miss us.’”
  — Jay Allison ([01:44])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:31] Panduranga Rao’s doctor-in-train story
• [09:10] Follow-up with Dr. Rao about his feelings on his profession and death
• [10:05] Jaron Ege’s search for signs and her father’s ghostly promise
• [15:37] Jaron hears her father’s recording—half listened to, more “hauntings”
• [20:19] Noreen Grimes talks dispersing her mother’s possessions with humor
• [26:52] Noreen reflects on inheriting laughter from her mother
• [27:48] Jake Ottison’s Renaissance fair reflection and impromptu funeral
• [38:48] Realization about communal magic at the festival
• [43:11] Craig Chester’s encounters with psychics and the spirit of Montgomery Clift
• [53:03] Final message through a relative—“Clifton Montgomery” visitation

Tone and Delivery

• Personal & Vulnerable: Stories blend sadness and reflection with humor and resilience.
• Conversational Narrative: Each storyteller retains their authentic voice—whether warm, wry, self-deprecating, or reverent.
• Balance of Sorrow and Lightness: Even in mourning, moments of levity and connection arise, as evidenced by the Ren Faire “boob” stone and Noreen’s family swan redistribution.
• Belief and Skepticism: Storytellers are candid about holding both, inviting listeners to find comfort in their own interpretations of grief, signs, and continuance.

Concluding Thought

This episode tenderly suggests that “life after death” is not one answer, but many: found in small signs and rituals, laughter and legacy, belief and connection, and the courage to keep telling our stories.