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In this engaging conversation, Kilah Storm, a writer and puppeteer, shares her unique perspective on life, death, and storytelling through her art. We discuss her early encounters with death, the impact it had on her desire for honest storytelling, and her journey into puppetry using taxidermy roadkill. Kilah emphasizes the importance of honoring life and death in her performances, aiming to change perceptions of taxidermy and encourage positive conversations about mortality. Through her work, she connects with audiences, especially children, fostering a deeper understanding of life and death. In this conversation, we explore the themes of life, death, and the importance of storytelling in understanding and honoring both. We discuss the value of self-care, the cycle of life and death, and the need for community support in navigating difficult conversations about mortality. The conversation emphasizes the beauty in acknowledging death and the importance of being present in the moment, as well as the significance of solitude for personal reflection.

Kilah is a writer and puppeteer. Obsessed with nature and life’s big questions, Kilah has created a unique line of puppets made from taxidermied roadkill. These discarded critters are now characters in The World Of Fluff, a puppet theater that performs retellings of fairy tales. The World of Fluff has performed in multiple venues, including the Denver Performing Arts Complex, Planet V, and the Oddity and Bizarre Expo in Colorado Springs. Kilah is an active member of the Rocky Mountain Puppetry Guild and the Puppeteers of America.

Links:

Kilah's Website
Oddity & Bizarre Expo (Kilah's next performance)
Planet V

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You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

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You can see the video version of this episode here

In this reflective conversation, hosts Wakil David Matthews and Annalouiza Armendariz discuss the highlights of their third season, featuring a diverse array of guests who share insights on death, dying, and the various cultural and personal approaches to end-of-life care. They explore the roles of death doulas, innovative practices in body disposition, and the importance of community support in navigating grief. The conversation emphasizes the interconnectedness of life and death, the need for cultural sensitivity in death care, and the evolving understanding of grief and loss.

Support the show

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.

Send us a text

In this compelling episode, we speak with Sam Lee Zemke. Sam is part of our podcast family and does terrific work as our editor. He is a jack of many trades and interests: radical anthropologist, neo-mythologist, cooperative living counselor, mediator, artist, musician, improviser, ancestral advocate, part-time house spirit, and service magician. He is my friend on the Sufi path, and I’ve known him since he was a little rascal! Sam has been walking a lifelong journey with the trickster and has an excellent affinity for the liminal parts of life. Transformation and boundary tending have revealed themselves to be key facets of the work Sam has been called to do, and they endeavor to honor that call to the best of their ability.

In our conversation, Sam shares his unique perspectives on death, transformation, and community living. He reflects on his early experiences with and the importance of rituals in processing loss, as well as the interconnectedness of all beings. We emphasize the significance of community and relationships in navigating life's transitions. Ultimately, our conversation underscores the importance of acknowledging and valuing the unique contributions each person brings to the collective experience of healing and support. We explore themes of transformation, community learning, and the importance of reclaiming indigenous wisdom in the face of societal collapse.

LINKS:

His Podcast - A House of Hungry Ghosts

Sam's Instagram

Hospicing Modernity book

Robin Wall Kimmerer's 'The Serviceberry'

Support the show

You can find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and BlueSky. You are also invited to subscribe to support us financially. Anyone who supports us at any level will have access to Premium content, special online meet-ups, and one on one time with Annalouiza or Wakil.

And we would love your feedback and want to hear your stories. You can email us at endoflifeconvo@gmail.com.