Episodes

In this episode of "Death And," mortician and funeral director Victor M. Sweeney sits down with author and refugee Daniel Nayeri to talk about "Death And Finding Home." Their conversation weaves through Daniel’s experience fleeing Iran as a child after his mother’s religious conversion, what it mean...

In this episode of "Death And," mortician and funeral director Victor M. Sweeney takes the mic solo to explore the theme of "Death and Charity." Victor reflects on what charity—rooted in the Latin "caritas," meaning love—really looks like in the context of his work as a funeral director and undertak...

In this episode of "Death And," mortician Victor M. Sweeney sits down with certified Yoga Therapist Baxter Bell to explore the concept of healthspan and how it intersects with our experience of death and aging. Victor admits that "healthspan" was a new term for him, but quickly connects it to his da...

In this episode of "Death And," undertaker and mortician Victor M. Sweeney is joined by physician and writer, Dr. Lucy Kalanithi. The conversation centers around Lucy Kalanithi's experience as a widow to Dr. Paul Kalanithi, author of When Breath Becomes Air, and what it was like to help bring his me...

In this monologue episode of "Death And," mortician and funeral director Victor M. Sweeney explores the theme of death and fear, inviting listeners to reflect on their own anxieties around mortality and the grieving process. Victor shares personal stories from his life and career, demystifying the f...

In this episode of "Death And," mortician and funeral director Victor M. Sweeney sits down with Paige Pederson, a certified midwife from Grand Forks, North Dakota, to explore the fascinating overlap between death and the practice of midwifery. The conversation reveals how both professions, though on...

In this episode of "Death And," mortician and funeral director Victor M. Sweeney sits down with Dr. Tony Cicoria, an orthopedic surgeon who shares his remarkable near death experience after being struck by lightning. The conversation centers on Tony’s experience of dying, and what it means to come b...

In this episode of "Death And," mortician and funeral director Victor M. Sweeney sits down with writer and producer Jessica Alpert to delve into the deep and spiritual tradition of ritual washing in Jewish death customs. The theme centers on Tahara, the ancient practice performed by volunteers in a ...

In this episode of "Death And," funeral director Victor M. Sweeney sits down with David Berg to explore the theme of death and attitude. Dave, who has a terminal diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, opens up about how his perspective on life and relationships has shifted since receiving the news. The dis...