Sarah Wildman: Let Grief Be Messy

About this episode

Anderson Cooper speaks with Sarah Wildman about her daughter's battle with cancer and the complexities of grief.

New York Times writer and editor Sarah Wildman’s daughter Orli was 10 when she was diagnosed with a rare liver cancer. Anderson reached out to her after reading her remarkable essays about Orli's life and death. Their conversation is thought-provoking and deeply moving. Host: Anderson Cooper Showrunner: Haley Thomas Producers: Chuck Hadad, Grace Walker, Emily Williams, Madeleine Thompson Associate Producer: Kyra Dahring Video Editor: Eric Zembrzuski Technical Director: Dan Dzula Bookers: Kerry Rubin and Kari Pricher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Anderson Cooper

Guest: Sarah Wildman

Topics covered

• grief
• cancer
• parenting
• loss
• writing
• personal stories

Keywords

• grief
• cancer
• Sarah Wildman
• Anderson Cooper
• personal essays
• loss
• parenting

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York Times

More episodes of All There Is with Anderson Cooper

• Amanda Peet: ‘There’s No Algorithm For Grief’ · June 12, 2026 · 36 min
• Mariska Hargitay Knows Loss And Longing · May 28, 2026 · 36 min
• Sheinelle Jones on Grief and Joy · May 21, 2026 · 28 min
• Isaiah Thomas: The Loneliness of Grief · May 14, 2026 · 33 min
• Cameron Crowe on Grief, Memory and Music · April 30, 2026 · 39 min
• Rachel and Jon Goldberg-Polin: ‘ Grief is a Badge of Love’ · April 22, 2026 · 45 min