The Grand Exit

S2 Episode 3 w/ Maya Solovey she/her (musician, mother, daughter)

In this episode Julia speaks with Maya Solovey. Maya is a musician, a mother, Julia's best friend since they were 3 years old, and the daughter of previous guest, Diana Felber. Diana passed away exactly a year ago from the release of this episode and our discussion is a tribute in memoriam. Content Warning: This episode contains a detailed retelling of Maya's experience of her mother's death. Whether it is what happens to the physical body as it begins to decompose, or the complexities of grief before and after losing a mother.  It is however, a beautiful and vulnerable reflection, and worth sitting with for a time. Thank you for tuning in to this very special episode, dedicated to the life of Diana Felber.

S2 Episode 2 w/ Russell E.L. Butler they/them (Artist, Mastering engineer, DJ)

Julia talks with Russell E.L. Butler, an electronic music maker, mastering engineer, and DJ. Russell begins by taking time to delineate between their relationship to familial loss, and contemporary loss and how that has strengthened their bond to their own life. They also discuss the immigrant experience of survival and how that has impacted their relationship to legacy and what it feels like to realize you definitely want to be remembered. Significant time is spent towards the latter end of the episode discussing Russell's relationship to the Ghost Ship fire of 2016 and the people they lost. Below are the names of the 36 people who died in the Ghost Ship fire. Cash Askew, Em B, Jonathan Bernbaum, Barrett Clark, David Cline, Micah Danemayer, Billy Dixon, Chelsea Dolan, Alex Ghassan, Nick Gomez-Hall, Michela Gregory, Sara Hoda, Travis Hough, Johnny Igaz, Ara Jo, Donna Kellog, Amanda Kershaw, Edmond Lapine, Griffin Madden, Joseph Matlock, Jason McCarty, Draven McGill, Jennifer Mendiola, Jennifer Morris, Feral Pines, Vanessa Plotkin, Wolfgang Renner, Hanna Ruax, Benjamin Runnels, Nicole Siegrist, Michele Sylvan, Jennifer Kiyomi Tanouye, Alex Vega, Peter Wadsworth, Nick Walrath, Brandon "Chase" Wittenauer.

S2 Episode 1 w/ Steve "Toro" Torres he/him (future mortuary science student)

Julia talks with her good friend and ex-boyfriend, Steve "Toro" Torres. He talks about applying to mortuary science school, his multiple and varied experiences with death, our connection over the death of a mutual friend, and projecting images from his browser history on the wall during his funeral.  Follow toroknows on Spotify to hear his multiple funeral playlists. Content warning: there is a lot of cursing in this episode and some graphic physical descriptions of death. It's not gratuitous, but it is detailed.

Season 1 Epilogue

Following the death of one of her guests, Julia finds a natural close to Season 1. In this short Epilogue, she reflects on how it's feels to move through one of the primary functions of the podcast: a guest shares their funeral wishes, passes away, the funeral happens, and we bear witness.

S1 Episode 5 w/ Diana Felber she/her (Artist, Mother, Grandmother)

Julia speaks with Diana Felber, a multidisciplinary artist and mother of Julia's childhood best friend. They discuss Diana's life as an artist, recount some rather risqué anecdotes from her memoir in progress, and Diana surprises Julia with a question about having children. Something important to note while listening, is that Diana has cancer and that shapes the trajectory of the conversation as well as underscores Diana's desire to leave a "wake of beauty" wherever she goes.