Why are we so uncomfortable with grief?
In this episode of Top of Mind, we explore America’s fear of grief and mourning and what we lose when we rush people to “move on.” Writer Jacqueline Dooley shares how she keeps her daughter’s memory alive years after her death. Historian Brandy Schillace takes us back to Victorian mourning rituals when grief was public, visible and communal. And grief expert Lisa Athan offers clear, compassionate advice on what to say (and not say) to someone who’s lost a loved one. We’ll also hear stories of miscarriage, pet loss, and the unexpected ways people find healing when they finally let grief in.
GUESTS
Jaqueline Dooley, writer and essayist (https://jacquelinedooley.medium.com/)
Brandy Schillace, author of “Death's Summer Coat: Our Strange, Unsettled History of Mourning” (https://brandyschillace.com/deaths-summer-coat/)
E.B. Bartels, author of "Good Grief: On Loving Pets Here and Hereafter" (http://www.ebbartels.com/good-grief/)
Katie C. Reilly, writer and attorney (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jul/09/pregnant-after-miscarriage-emotional-pain)
Lisa Athan, founder of Grief Speaks (http://griefspeaks.com/index.html)
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
03:25 Cultural Perspectives on Grief
11:42 The Victorian Era: Mourning Rituals and Practices
17:00 Modern Grieving
21:11 Disenfranchised Grief
22:50 Pet Grief: A Missed Opportunity for Learning
31:36 Katie Riley: A Skilled Griever
32:13 Katie's Journey with Miscarriage
35:09 Why We Should Talk About Miscarriage
38:20 How to Support Grievers
46:35 Encouraging Healthy Grieving
47:40 Self-Care During Grief
51:19 Conclusion
(This episode was originally released in September 2022)
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54:11
What Does It Mean to Be Patriotic in America?
American patriotism is at a historic low. Gallup polls show fewer and fewer Americans say they feel “extremely” – or even “very” proud to be American. When you dig into the polling data on patriotism, you find significant differences depending on political party, racial identity and age. Why are some groups of Americans much less likely to tell posters they’re proud to be American? And does it really even matter to the nation’s health? On the one hand, national pride seems to have a worrisome way of sliding into nationalism and protecting our own interests at the expense of others.
At the same time, research clearly shows that people who feel pride in their country are more likely to vote, write their members of Congress, and volunteer in their communities. Meanwhile, expressions of patriotism—flying the flag, standing for the anthem—have become divisive flashpoints that leave many Americans unsure what even means to be patriotic.
In this episode of Top of Mind, host Julie Rose explores how Americans are redefining patriotism in the 21st century. From disillusionment and division to new forms of civic engagement, the meaning of pride in America is shifting in ways that will shape the country’s future.
GUESTS
Susan (not real name), Top of Mind listener
Karlyn Bowman, senior fellow emeritus at the American Enterprise Institute (https://www.aei.org/profile/karlyn-bowman/)
Michelle Duster, author and public historian (https://mldwrites.com/)
Douglas Satterfield, retired Brigadier General of the U.S. Army and blogger (https://www.theleadermaker.com/)
Steven Smith, professor at Yale University and author of Reclaiming Patriotism in an Age of Extremes (https://politicalscience.yale.edu/people/steven-smith)
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:53 Decline in American Patriotism
02:05 Struggling with Patriotism
04:28 Historical Context and Public Opinion
10:49 Patriotism Among Different Demographics
20:28 A Veteran's Perspective
28:53 Reclaiming Patriotism in Modern America
42:14 Conclusion
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42:54
Wrongful Convictions: How Innocent People End Up Behind Bars
What happens when the justice system convicts an innocent person? Anthony Graves spent 18 years in prison—12 of them on Texas death row—for a crime he didn’t commit. His story is one of unthinkable injustice, unbroken faith, and a determination to reform the system that failed him. Criminal defense attorney David Rudolf reveals the patterns of human error and bias that lead to wrongful convictions. And Sheriff Walt McNeil and former public defender Emily Galvin-Almanza share how policing and defense work can evolve to keep innocent people out of prison. Can we ever make the system truly just?
GUESTS
Anthony Graves, exoneree, author “Infinite Hope: How Wrongful Conviction, Solitary Confinement, and 12 Years on Death Row Failed to Kill My Soul.” (https://www.beacon.org/Infinite-Hope-P1347.aspx)
David Rudolf- author, “American Injustice: Inside Stories from the Underbelly of the Criminal Justice System” (https://davidsrudolf.com/)
Emily Galvin-Almanza, co-founder of Partners for Justice (https://www.partnersforjustice.org/)
Walter McNeil, sheriff of Leon County, Florida (https://www.leoncountyso.com/about-us/meet-the-sheriff)
(This episode has been updated from its original release in May 2022.)
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Why are Americans Having Fewer Kids?
Americans are having fewer babies than ever before. The fertility rate in the United States has dropped to an all-time low of 1.6 births per woman. In response, the Trump Administration has urged Americans to have more children and proposed a range of pronatalist policies including baby bonuses, an expanded Child Tax Credit and making IVF treatment more affordable. Critics of the Trump Administration worry the underlying intent is to restrict access to contraception and return women to primarily domestic roles.
In this episode of Top of Mind, host Julie Rose explores the complex choices American women face when deciding how many children to have. We’ll dive into the history of fertility trends in the U.S. and take a look at how France managed to sustain a higher fertility rate than most European countries. We’ll also unpack the cultural and political tensions driving the pronatalism debate to discover a bit of common ground in the concept of “reproductive justice.”
GUESTS
Mother and daughter Melody (12 kids), Jaynee (3 kids)
Karen Benjamin Guzzo, professor of sociology, director of the Carolina Population Center at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill(https://www.cpc.unc.edu/)
Laurent Toulemon, population researcher at the French Institute for Demographic Studies in Paris (https://www.ined.fr/en/)
Mara Gordon, mother of 1, family physician in Camden, NJ, author of “Your Doctor Friend” on Substack (https://maragordonmd.substack.com/)
Lyman Stone, director of The Pronatalism Initiative at the Institute for Family Studies (https://ifstudies.org/pronatalism-initiative)
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53:49
Too Hot to Handle? America’s Deadly Heat Problem
Extreme heat kills more Americans most years than hurricanes, floods and tornadoes combined, but we don’t give it the same emergency treatment. The government doesn’t name heatwaves like it does storms. And extreme heat doesn’t qualify for federal disaster funding. But record-breaking temperatures are now a yearly reality across the U.S. Cities are scrambling for solutions—from planting trees to setting up cooling centers—but experts say quick fixes aren’t enough.
In this episode of Top of Mind, host Julie Rose speaks with heat researchers about how policy, planning, and public awareness must evolve to confront rising temperatures. From deadly heatwaves to heightened risks for vulnerable communities, the danger isn’t just about how hot it gets—it’s about how prepared we are to respond.
GUESTS
Larissa Larsen, Professor of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Michigan (https://taubmancollege.umich.edu/faculty/directory/larissa-larsen/)
Rob Meade, Research Fellow for the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (https://hsph.harvard.edu/profile/robert-meade/)
Michelle Litwin, Heat Response Program Manager for the Phoenix Office of Heat Response and Mitigation (https://www.phoenix.gov/administration/departments/heat.html)
TIKTOK ACCOUNTS HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS EPISODE:
@Junifrec, @Ascocool, @Mitchellfranxman, @Jenwhite, @Ashley_simone1108, @Hardline_daily, @Jordanjchart, @Stefanies.lifestyle, @Damarypaz, @abbymcduck
CHAPTERS
00:00 Introduction
00:43 The Growing Threat of Heat Waves
02:27 Heat as an Emergency
04:43 Historical Heatwave Impact
06:07 Urban Planning and Heat Resilience
17:42 The Human Body's Response to Extreme Heat
23:55 Behavioral & Physiological Responses to Heat
26:11 Cooling Strategies
28:25 Phoenix's Heat Response Initiatives
31:02 Challenges & Solutions in Phoenix
39:08 Data-Driven Heat Mitigation
40:25 Conclusion
Tackling tough topics in a way that will help you feel more empathy and empower you to become a better citizen, kinder neighbor, and more effective advocate. For people who are turned off by the divisive nature of the news, but still want to engage with important issues. Hosted by journalist Julie Rose, Top of Mind is a production of BYUradio.
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