What Next

Best of 2020: Grief, Comedy, and COVID

Dying from the coronavirus isn’t funny. Laurie Kilmartin is.

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Episode Notes

Over the summer, comedian Laurie Kilmartin took to Twitter to joke about something that wasn’t funny: Her mom was dying. JoAnn Kilmartin, Laurie’s mother, had contracted the coronavirus in her nursing home and was on her deathbed only a few miles from Laurie’s home in southern California.

Guest: Laurie Kilmartin, comedian and author of Dead People Suck: A Guide for Survivors of the Newly Departed.

We’re re-running some of our favorite episodes from the past year. This episode originally aired in June, 2020.

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Podcast production by Mary Wilson, Jayson De Leon, and Danielle Hewitt, with help from Frannie Kelley.

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About the Show

The problem with the news right now? It’s everywhere. And each day, it can feel like we’re all just mindlessly scrolling. It’s why we created What Next. This short daily show is here to help you make sense of things. When the news feels overwhelming, we’re here to help you answer: What next? Look for new episodes every weekday morning.

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  • Mary Harris is the host and managing editor of What Next, Slate's new daily news podcast. She has reported throughout the public radio system, for NPR, Marketplace, and WNYC.

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