It can be hard to feel like I’m keeping up with this project, even though I’m literally working on aspects of it every single day. The podcast is just one part of what we’re working on, and while we’ve already got two new episodes live (woohoo!), we have even more interviews recorded, waiting for edits and intro/outro recordings.
As I mentioned in the intro of our first episode back, a lot has changed since we last recorded in 2021. While this podcast is still a space for exploring grief, we’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on how we want to show up in these conversations—and that’s led us to a new focus, summed up in our new tagline: Grief. Resistance. Joy. New Jersey.
At its core, Bury Me in New Jersey has always been about stories and perspectives focused on loss, love, community, and healing. While grief tied to death and end-of-life experiences remains a central theme, we’ve come to recognize the need to broaden our focus. There’s a growing, collective grief rooted in injustice, systemic failure, and the ongoing struggle to exist in a world that often overlooks our pain.
This season, we’ll explore how people are navigating these complex layers of grief, whether caused by inequality, economic instability, or institutional neglect.
It also provides us the chance to acknowledge that while some grief is inevitable, some of it isn’t—and that’s where the “resistance” part of our tagline comes in. We’ll explore how people are pushing back, challenging what’s broken, and finding ways to reclaim agency in the face of pain. We’ll also look at the historical roots of these struggles, and highlight the ways communities have come together across generations to grieve, resist, and rise.
My hope is that by sharing these stories, we offer some sense of connection and possibility to anyone who’s feeling overwhelmed—whether by their own circumstances, the things they see happening to others, or the general state of the world.
Grief can be heavy, but it’s also a gateway that leads us to deeper connection, greater clarity, and ultimately, the purest joy.
And that’s why joy is also an essential part of what we’re doing this season. When we truly make space for grief—when we let ourselves feel it, honor it, and move through it—we have more capacity for joy, too. Because when you understand what there is to lose, it makes you so damn grateful for what there is to hold onto.
In addition to all that, there of course will be opportunities to celebrate New Jersey. It is where I was born, where I’ve come back to no matter where I’ve roamed, and the place where I’ve encountered some of the most incredible and talented people I know. In an effort to lean into the joy that makes my life worth living, I look forward to introducing you all to bits and pieces of Jersey that demonstrate why it’s the greatest state within our country.
The podcast is just one aspect of what Bury Me is becoming. After years of dreaming and scheming, it feels like I finally have the time, energy, and right crew of incredible people to finally bring things together the way I always hoped. I’m so damn excited to see what this becomes, and to share more with you as these other bits and pieces become available.
I want to thank everyone who’s here for this ride, whether you’re a free subscriber, a paid supporter, a casual listener, or someone who’s been here since Day 1. We wouldn’t be able to do what we’re doing if it wasn’t for you all. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Stay tuned for more things to come soon, and for our next episode, which will be posting up this Tuesday!