
Getting Through Grief — with Humor and Heart
From Totally Booked with Zibby by Zibby Owens
April 21, 2026 · 28 min · Season 26 · Episode 53
About this episode
Two authors discuss their experiences with loss and the healing power of humor and writing.
Hear from two amazing women authors who have survived loss and learned to live with it by finding humor in the darkest times. Screenwriter Angela Nissel writes about the loss of her mother — who had been caught up in a deceptive relationship — in Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom is Dead . Content creator Leslie Harter-Berg shares how she survived the sudden loss of her 30-year-old husband while on vacation post-Disneyland with their family and small children in You’re So Strong . The two of them are funny, sensitive souls who should really be friends. Taken together, these two conversations highlight how writing is healing, how humor is necessary, and how we can get through the hardest things life throws our way. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
People in this episode
Host: Zibby Owens
Guests: Angela Nissel, Leslie Harter-Berg
Topics covered
- grief
- humor
- loss
- writing
- healing
- resilience
Keywords
- grief
- humor
- loss
- writing
- healing
- Angela Nissel
- Leslie Harter-Berg
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Good Grief, Pass the Bread, Mom is Dead, You’re So Strong
More episodes of Totally Booked with Zibby
- Mega-bestselling author of The Help is back! Kathryn Stockett on The Calamity Club · May 5, 2026 · 30 min
- Dr. Tara Narula and Jenny Bartoy Tackle Pain from All Sides · April 30, 2026 · 26 min
- Friendship for the Win: Jessica George, Geneen Roth · April 29, 2026 · 31 min
- Marisa Renee Lee, Long Covid, and Hope · April 28, 2026 · 21 min
- BONUS: Rachel Goldberg-Polin, When We See You Again · April 24, 2026 · 56 min
- Book of the Month Club pick Sally Hepworth’s Mad Mabel · April 23, 2026 · 25 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Totally Booked with Zibby podcast page.