End-of-Life University Ep. 525 Writing as a Lifeline Through Loss and Grief with Christina Holbrook and Jane Flynn
Learn about a beautiful memoir co-written by friends whose correspondence helped them both navigate a year of overwhelming loss and grief.
My guests today are Christina Holbrook and Jane Flynn, co-authors of a shared memoir from a year when they were both confronting loss and grief–the diagnosis a glioblastoma brain tumor and the death of a child by suicide. Through a series of emails the two long-term friends shared not only their grief but also the little moments of life’s wonder and joy. They discuss their newly released book Antiphon: A Call and Response in a Year of Grief and Renewal and how writing together helped them navigate overwhelming grief while offering support to one another. Learn more at the website:
This episode includes:
- The long trajectory of friendship between Chris and Jane
- Their personal grief that led to a year of email correspondence
- Why they decided to share their writings in Antiphon
- The waterfall metaphor for grief and how it applies to each of their stories
- How writing helps us express complex and painful emotions
- Why sharing our pain lightens the burden for both parties
- How writing about the ordinary events of a day helps us stay in the present moment
- The little joys that are present even within deep grief
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Latest post on Substack: Using AI to Talk to Children About Grief
- What Really Matters Podcast
- View my Patreon tier for Soul Supporters and receive extra reflections as a special bonus
- NEW Gift Guides for Caregivers, People Receiving Care, and People Who are Grieving
- Get my two newest books!! Stories from the Dark Night and The Tao of Death
- Get EOLU Podcast Merch here
- Conversations on Death with ChatGPT – Audiobook here; Print Book here
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