Contemplating Mortality with Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider
Sounds Like Impact: A newsletter for audio and action
Welcome to Sounds Like Impact!
Today, we have a guest curation from Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider, host of the Before We Go podcast.
Content warning: The subject of the curation is grief and death. Please take care if choosing to listen.
I don’t normally editorialize curations, but in multiple ways, the topic of this week’s curation is perfectly timed:
The upcoming Halloween and Día de los Muertos holidays, while different in meaning, tend to conjure reflection on the often-taboo yet very human and, frankly, earthly process we all go through.
Today is my birthday, and nothing makes you think about your mortality more than aging.
There is also the constant drumbeat of death in our media, both traditional and social, that calls on us to confront the realities of life. Grief is a constant these days, whether for people or planet.
I invite you not to shy away from conversations with loved ones about preparing for the end of life. This year, I finally stopped dragging my feet and put a plan in place for my family as I continue to deal with health issues and try to travel more.
I’ll step off my soapbox now, and maybe it’s the Scorpio in me that wants us all to be brave when it comes to this topic, but I am grateful to podcasters, writers, and other creatives who continue to tackle the tough subjects. If that’s you, too, thank you.
Sincerely,
Ayo, Publisher of Sounds Like Impact
Want to celebrate my birthday with me? 🎂 There are a couple of ways you can do that, including these actions below and registering for our upcoming event!
ICYMI: Last edition, we had a guest curation from Jonathan F.P. Rose about “The Common Good.”
Register for the upcoming AIR/Soundpath webinar The State of Social Impact Podcasting on November 18, 3-4pm ET. I will be moderating, and we have some great panelists! Learn more and register.
Speaking of AIR, they are hiring a Program Manager for Soundpath! $85k, remote
#SLICommunity
Unfortunately, I did not get a ticket to the sold-out RESONATE Podcast Festival this year, but you and I can check out Resonate Pitch Party, a new podcast that our friends at
are doing in collaboration with the festival!
🎧 #AudioForAction Guest Curator: Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider
Making the End of Life, Part of Life
Most of us want something simple at the end: to be at home, surrounded by love. Yet while nearly 80% of Americans wish to die this way, only about 30% actually do - a gap that speaks to how far we are from aligning our care with our values. I chose this collection because death, though universal, is still one of our most avoided conversations. These episodes show how speaking openly about mortality can soften fear, deepen connection, and remind us that preparing for the end is really about living more fully until that moment comes.
-Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider, Host of Before We Go Podcast
You can follow Dr. Shshana Ungerleider on social media @beforewegopodcast @shoshanamd @endwellproject.
Before We Go with Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider
Season 1 followed Shoshana’s deeply personal journey through her father’s terminal cancer diagnosis, a path that forced her to confront her own mortality and illuminated unexpected truths about love, loss, and meaning.
Now, Season 2 opens the conversation wider. Shoshana sits down with people from all walks of life to explore what it means to live alongside mortality.
All There Is with Anderson Cooper, Sadness Isn’t An Enemy
Palliative care physician BJ Miller joins Anderson Cooper to explore loss, mortality, and what it means to make peace with our endings.
TED Health, What Happens as We Die with Kathryn Mannix
With lessons from a career witnessing thousands of people’s final breaths, palliative care expert Kathryn Mannix urges us to demystify the experience of death, sharing how a better understanding of what actually happens can reduce fear in the final days, for you and your loved ones.
End Well Podcast, My Father’s Terminal Illness May Save My Life
Physician and End Well founder Dr. Shoshana Ungerleider talks about her father’s terminal diagnosis and how testing and new medicines are changing his life and hers.
The BJ Miller episode on Cooper's podcast is remarkable because both of them understand mortality from different angles, Miller as a palliative care physician and Cooper through personal loss. Their conversation about sadness not being the enemy reframes how we approach grief and dying. Miller's perspective on making peace with endings instead of fighting them constantly resonates with Cooper's own journey through grief. This is one of those rare conversations where both people have earnd the right to speak on these topics through lived experience.
Happy Birthday and thanks for sharing!