The Art of Grief

Writer and filmmaker Naz Riahi joins us to talk about the  devastation of losing our animal soulmates. What is the particular character of loss we experience when we lose the daily physical presence and companionship of our dogs, cats and other pets?  What about the isolation we encounter while grieving our pets, especially because grief for non-humans can be diminished or judged as “inappropriate”? And what are the realms of spirituality we touch upon in these moments of loss?

Comedian, writer, actor and Self Help Me-guru Jenny Yang joins us this week to talk about the thin line between laughter and tears, and the global, cumulative griefs she–and we–have experienced over the last five years. Jenny offers an emotionally honest account of her fertility challenges, and how she confronted that grief with a healing, satirical photo project using the aesthetics of “birth announcements.” Karen and Jenny compare notes about Filipino vs. Taiwanese expressions of grief, while Megan and Jenny discuss a range of therapeutic journeys, their benefits and their drawbacks.

Welcome to The Art of Grief, a new show featuring conversations with artists, creators, mental health professionals, spiritual guides and everyday people exploring the many forms of loss and grief, and the different ways we all try to cope – or can’t. In our premiere episode, you meet hosts Karen Tongson and Megan Auster-Rosen and hear about their shared histories of grief as they cut across their friendship, and their own creative and professional practices.