Peaceful Exit
Peaceful Exit
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 20, 2026 • 35min
Living in the After Image with Jenny George
Poet Jenny George was always drawn to writing about death and dying, even before she lost her wife to ovarian cancer. In her latest collection of poems, "After Image," Jenny uses the lens of grief to describe caring for and losing her sweetheart, and to explore what it means to live in the shadow of her death. Jenny tells Sarah about the challenges of writing about dying, and also why her grief sometimes makes her feel like "an old baby."
Jan 6, 2026 • 39min
What Cadavers Taught Me with Mary Roach
Mary Roach is a New York Times bestselling author and acclaimed science writer who once thought science was boring. She has traveled the world and written fascinating, humorous books about the human body and its curiosities. Today she discusses three of them with Sarah: "Stiff," "Six Feet Over," and her latest, "Replaceable You." They also talk about how our culture got so squeamish about dead bodies, and where we might go after we die. Learn more about Mary Roach and her wonderful books at https://www.maryroach.net/For more information and to become an organ donor, please visit https://www.organdonor.gov/
Dec 23, 2025 • 31min
A Few of Our Favorite Things 2025
Join Basil Twist, a visionary puppeteer, as he discusses how puppetry explores life, death, and presence. Joél Simone, a death educator, delves into culturally aware death care and the significance of memory pictures. Poet Danusha Laméris shares a poignant poem about her son, reflecting on grief and presence. Oliver Burkeman, an author, emphasizes how accepting our mortality can shape our use of time, urging us to prioritize meaningful moments over endless productivity. Together, they offer profound insights into life, loss, and the importance of memory.
19 snips
Dec 9, 2025 • 38min
Sneaky Grief with Lisa Keefauver
In this engaging conversation, Lisa Keefauver, a social worker and grief activist, shares her profound insights on navigating grief. She uses scuba diving as a metaphor for life, emphasizing the importance of asking for help. Lisa challenges myths about linear grief, highlighting its unpredictability and complexity. She discusses how grief is not just an emotion but a narrative we rewrite through various experiences. Lisa's activism seeks to reshape cultural understandings around grief, advocating for presence and empathy as essential forms of support.
Nov 25, 2025 • 38min
Resilience Is in Your DNA with Dr. Lucy Hone
Psychologist Dr. Lucy Hone studies resilience, a topic that hit especially close to home when her 12-year old daughter Abi and two friends were killed in a car crash in 2014. She tells Sarah how her close knowledge of resilience informed her grieving, why humans are hardwired to cope, and what role her grief over Abi plays in her life now. Lucy also shares practical tips for anyone who is grieving from her first book, "Resilient Grieving," and previews her new book about living losses, called "How Will I Ever Get Through This?," which will be out in 2026. For more information about Lucy Hone, please visit www.drlucyhone.com
Nov 11, 2025 • 38min
What Dying Can Teach You About Living with Dr. BJ Miller
Palliative care physician Dr. BJ Miller survived a near-death experience and lost three limbs at just 19 years old. In this intimate conversation, he tells Sarah how confronting mortality reshaped his purpose, and opened his heart to awe, humor, creativity, and love. BJ has been on a mission to redefine end-of-life care through his work at Mettle Health and his book, "A Beginner's Guide to the End." He invites you to challenge the fear and silence around death, and imagine a better way to live — and die.
Nov 4, 2025 • 3min
Season 6 Trailer
Peaceful Exit is back with new episodes starting Tuesday, November 11! Host Sarah Cavanaugh is on a mission to dispel people's natural fear surrounding death, dying and grief. This season, she'll talk with a new slate of exciting guests: writer Mary Roach, palliative care physician Dr. BJ Miller, psychologist Dr. Lucy Hone, grief activist Lisa Keefauver, poet Jenny George, and many others. You'll hear how death has brought each of them meaning, connection, and even moments of joy. Not one of us is getting out of here alive - so we might as well talk about it.
Oct 28, 2025 • 34min
Everyday Awe with Dacher Keltner (Replay)
Dacher Keltner is the founding director of the Greater Good Science Center and a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. He’s one of the world’s leading scientists studying emotions, and his latest book is "Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life." In this episode, Dacher tells Sarah why we need awe, and where (and how) to find it each and every day. He also shares the deeply personal story of losing his brother to colon cancer, and why this relationship was a key source of awe in his life. You can learn more about Dacher Keltner’s work and find his book here:https://www.dacherkeltner.com/
Oct 14, 2025 • 49min
The Art of Dying Well with Katy Butler (Replay)
Journalist Katy Butler spent years listening to hundreds of people’s stories of good and difficult deaths. She’s talked to countless experts in palliative care, geriatrics, hospice, and oncology. Those conversations, paired with lots of research and the story of her own father's challenging death, come together in her deeply practical and existential book, "The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life." In this episode, Katy tells Sarah what she learned from each of her parents’ deaths, what the research says most people want in their final chapters, and what she'd like for the end of her own life.
Sep 30, 2025 • 23min
Death Before Dying with Patti Davis (Replay)
Actress and author Patti Davis spent ten years caring for her father, President Ronald Reagan, as he faced Alzheimer's disease. She joins Sarah to share the hard truths of caregiving for a loved one with dementia, the emotional toll it takes, and the surprising moments of grace that can emerge.
