How Humor Helps Us Heal with John Kenney

About this episode

In this episode, Donna Ferris talks with John Kenney about how humor can aid in emotional healing and processing grief.

“I grew up among funny people who, the darker the event, the more opportunity for lightness and absurdity, and I've always loved that.” What if laughter really is a kind of medicine—especially when we’re experiencing loss? In this episode of Bounce Back Stronger, Donna sits down with Thurber Prize-winning humorist and New Yorker columnist John Kenney about his latest novel, I See You’ve Called In Dead. With warmth, wit, and a generous dose of honesty, John shares how humor doesn’t erase our pain—but it can make healing feel more possible. In this episode, we explore: How humor supports emotional healing Life after loss and rediscovering joy Why writing helps us process grief What midlife reinvention really looks like Letting go, starting over, and finding purpose again If you’re moving through a tough season—or simply need a good laugh with a side of wisdom—this conversation is for you. To learn more about John's writing and books, click here. If you enjoyed this episode, you might want to listen to Episode #55 – When Gratitude is Hard and Episode #79 – Finding Inner Peace and Joy with Agapi Stassinopoulos. Also, please consider subscribing to this podcast, leaving a review, and…

People in this episode

Host: Donna Ferris

Guest: John Kenney

Topics covered

• humor and healing
• emotional support
• grief processing
• midlife reinvention
• finding purpose

Keywords

• humor
• healing
• grief
• loss
• joy
• midlife
• writing

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: I See You’ve Called In Dead

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