Death: the podcast

Hosted ByDr Arian Elfant

New Orleans has a unique relationship to death: we have a ridiculously high murder rate, we party at funerals, and we end up above ground. Death: the podcast tells the stories of personal experiences of death - fear of it, laughing at it, life-changing brushes with it, dealing with lost loved ones, and our own inevitable and unknown heart-stopping moment. Through confronting death we learn what it is to be alive.

Speaking to the Unspeakable – Death: the podcast – It’s New Orleans

Growing up on the family rhubarb and pumpkin farm, Shannon Ritscher’s life was like that of most small-town teenagers. In 1986, all that changed when Shannon’s brother, Steve, killed himself. Devastated by the loss of his son, four years later, Shannon’s father David, also took his own life.

Despite these set backs, Shannon found a way to move forward. She earned an art degree, married, became a mother, and started the eco-friendly, handmade accessory company, Greenbelts. In 2010, Shannon’s world was once again shaken when her beloved friend and confidant committed suicide.

How is grief different when multiple loved ones die by suicide? Join Arian as she explores the resilient heart of Shannon Ritscher.

Check out Shannon’s work at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Greenbelts