Close to Death

Close to Death Trailer

Close to Death is a podcast that profiles people who spend every day working with the dead and dying. Sound depressing? It isn’t. Sound creepy? It can be! From death doulas to crime scene cleaners, obituary writers to taxidermists, human composting farms to witches who talk to the dead, these death experts have seen it all. In each episode, with the help of comedians and reporters, we’ll hear their stories and find out what they have learned about life by working with death. Hosted by Utkarsh Ambudkar. This is a USG Audio podcast in collaboration with Transmitter Media and Powderkeg.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

1: Obits

Greg Heller sets out to discover what actually makes an obit feel like a satisfying account of a person's life. With the guidance of professional obituary writer John Pope, Greg practices the craft by writing his own. Credits:Josh Bloch- For USG AudioJessica Grimshaw- For USG AudioJennifer Sears- For USG AudioTara Frelund- For USG AudioUtkarsh Ambudkar- HostGretta Cohn - Executive ProducerKesila Childers - Executive ProducerGreg Lubin - Executive ProducerJordan Bailey – Lead ProducerGreg Heller - ProducerSara Nics - Executive EditorJasmine Flott- Music SupervisorAJ Hanneld- Graphic ArtistNocturnal Sound - Mixing and Sound DesignThis is a USG Audio podcast in collaboration with Transmitter Media and Powderkeg.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

2: Witch

After someone we love dies, it’s hard to get them off our minds — especially if we didn’t get the chance to say everything we needed to. But for some people, the conversation doesn’t die when their loved one does. Comedian and TV writer Jourdain Fisher confronts his fear of witches and visits Lynn Swain of Magik Craft — a woman in his hometown who speaks to the dead… and owns a handful of cauldrons and wands, too.Credits:Josh Bloch- For USG AudioJessica Grimshaw- For USG AudioJennifer Sears- For USG AudioTara Frelund- For USG AudioUtkarsh Ambudkar- HostGretta Cohn - Executive ProducerKesila Childers - Executive ProducerGreg Lubin - Executive ProducerJordan Bailey – Lead ProducerJourdain Fisher - ProducerAllie Graham - ProducerSara Nics - Executive EditorJasmine Flott- Music SupervisorAJ Hanneld- Graphic ArtistNocturnal Sound - Mixing and Sound DesignThis is a USG Audio podcast in collaboration with Transmitter Media and Powderkeg.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

3: Taxidermy

It feels normal to try to preserve someone we've lost. But what does that do for us — and our grief? Comedian Mary Beth Barone seeks the wisdom of someone who makes mementos out of the once living: a very chic, very glamorous taxidermist. For a lot of us, losing a pet is our first introduction to death, and taxidermist Divya Anantharaman helps clients process that grief by turning their well-loved pet into a beautiful and lovingly stuffed memento. Credits:Josh Bloch- For USG AudioJessica Grimshaw- For USG AudioJennifer Sears- For USG AudioTara Frelund- For USG AudioUtkarsh Ambudkar- HostGretta Cohn - Executive ProducerKesila Childers - Executive ProducerGreg Lubin - Executive ProducerJordan Bailey – Lead ProducerCamille Peterson - ProducerMary Beth Barone - ProducerSara Nics - Executive EditorJasmine Flott- Music SupervisorAJ Hanneld- Graphic ArtistNocturnal Sound - Mixing and Sound DesignThis is a USG Audio podcast in collaboration with Transmitter Media and Powderkeg.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

4: Earth & Stars

For years, we’ve been sold on just two ways to deal with a dead body — you either get cremated or you’re caked in makeup and placed in a casket six feet under. But there’s gotta be more options, right? Uninspired with what's on offer, comedian and journalist Francesca Fiorentini went on a tour of how to dispose of a dead body to get some ideas of what she'll do with her eventual corpse. First, she visits Walt Patrick at Herland Forest, a green burial site in Washington that's composting human bodies. Then, she gets a peek into Celestis, the space burial company that'll shoot your remains into space. Credits:Josh Bloch- For USG AudioJessica Grimshaw- For USG AudioJennifer Sears- For USG AudioTara Frelund- For USG AudioUtkarsh Ambudkar- HostGretta Cohn - Executive ProducerKesila Childers - Executive ProducerGreg Lubin - Executive ProducerJordan Bailey – Lead ProducerAllie Graham - ProducerFrancesca Fiorentini - ProducerSara Nics - Executive EditorJasmine Flott- Music SupervisorAJ Hanneld- Graphic ArtistNocturnal Sound - Mixing and Sound DesignThis is a USG Audio podcast in collaboration with Transmitter Media and Powderkeg.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.