Death shows up for all of us eventually — and most of us have no idea how to handle it. Host Linda Vale brings in grief counselors, end-of-life professionals, and real people with real stories to talk honestly about death, dying, and everything grief drags in behind it.
The more we understand it, the better we can show up.
Death is Weird. Let's talk about it.
Living With the End in Mind: Hope, Goals, and Comfort Care with Andrea Branson, CNP
In this episode, Linda sits down with Andrea Branson, a nurse practitioner specializing in palliative and hospice care, to talk about what it really means to live well at the end of life. Andrea shares her path to becoming a CNA started at 16 in emergency, through internal medicine and cardiology/electrophysiology, to finding her calling in palliative and hospice care. The conversation covers goals-of-care conversations, deprescribing, advance directives, holding vigil, traveling while on hospice, and why the language we use around dying — "fighting" vs. "giving up" — matters so much.
Linda hosts a Death Cafe — July 10, 6–8 PM at The Root Note (no RSVP needed)
Death is Weird is hosted by Linda Vale. Follow along for upcoming events and future episodes as the show continues to grow.
Disclosure Statement
Andrea Branson's comments and opinions shared in this episode are her own personal views and do not represent the views, positions, or policies of any organization she currently works for or has worked for in the past. This conversation reflects a personal discussion between Andrea and the host, and should not be taken as official guidance from any employer or institution.
21 May 2026
A Conversation with a Filmmaker w/ Guest Nathan Deming
What does it look like to sit with someone at the end of their life — and why don't we talk about it more? In this episode, Linda sits down with Nathan Deming, the Wisconsin-born filmmaker behind Winter Hymns, a stunning new drama set entirely inside a single hospital room over the course of one winter day.
Nathan's father was a palliative care physician in Eau Claire. That's where this film was born. The two of them talk about what it means to tell stories about death honestly, what filmmaking and end-of-life work have in common, and why Nathan believes the Midwest has something unique to say about all of it.
Plus — you can see Winter Hymns live. Nathan joined Linda ahead of a screening at the Rivoli Theater in La Crosse, and this episode is the perfect reason to go.
About the film:
Winter Hymns (2026) — written and directed by Nathan Deming. A 158-minute feature following a palliative care physician through ten conversations with terminal patients and their families. Shot in Wisconsin. Premieres locally at the Rivoli Theater, La Crosse — Saturday, June 6th at 3pm.
Showtimes and info:
winterhymnsfilm.com (http://winterhymnsfilm.com)
rivoli.net (https://rivoli.net/)
21 May 2026
A Good Death at Home w/ Guest Beth
In this episode, I step back and simply listen.
Beth, a local business owner, shares the story of her father's death at home — a story told with bravery, tenderness, and love. There's no interview format here, no back-and-forth. Just Beth, her experience, and the kind of honest storytelling that reminds us death doesn't have to be something we fear or hide from.
This is exactly the kind of conversation Death is Weird exists for.
Beth's book recommendation:
The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life by Katy Butler A compassionate, practical guide for anyone who wants to think ahead — for themselves or someone they love.
12 May 2026
Understanding Hospice w/ Guest Jacqui Marcou
Death is weird. And so is everything we don't know about it — including hospice care. In this episode, host Linda Vale sits down with Jacqui Marcou, a hospice nurse at Agrace Hospice Care, a non-profit serving the La Crosse, Wisconsin area, for an eye-opening conversation about what hospice actually is, what it isn't, and why it matters more than most of us realize.
Jacqui brings years of frontline experience to the table, and Linda brings the questions most of us are too afraid to ask. Together they cover the misconceptions people have when they first encounter hospice, what the day-to-day reality looks like for patients and families, and the unexpected ways hospice changes the people who work in it.
Both Jacqui and Linda also open up about their own personal experiences — because when it comes to death and dying, it's never just clinical.
Guest: Jacqui Marcou, Hospice Nurse at Agrace Hospice Care (https://www.agrace.org), La Crosse, WI
Connect & Learn More:
Agrace Hospice Care: agrace.org (http://agrace.org)
Follow Death is Weird for new episodes
5 Mar 2026
Let's Start with Grief w/ Guest Ellen Lilla
Let's Start with Grief w/ Guest Ellen Lilla
For the first episode, host Linda Vale sits down with her cousin Ellen Lilla — a licensed clinical social worker and grief counselor — to talk about what loss actually does to your brain.
Guest: Ellen Lilla, MSW, LICSW
Look Up Counseling lookupcounselingmn.com (http://lookupcounselingmn.com)
507-722-2303 (call or text)
ellen@lookupcounselingmn.com (mailto:ellen@lookupcounselingmn.com)
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