Podcast
This Is Actually Happening
The book was discussed by its author, who described how writing it forced him to confront lingering grief and persistent guilt after his wife's death, revealing that the memoir focuses more on guilt than on grief. He noted that the process was emotionally taxing, resurfacing feelings he believed were settled, and highlighted the ongoing struggle of second‑guessing and regret. The conversation centered on the personal impact of the memoir rather than a formal endorsement.
Episode: 227: What if you faced a terrifying beast?
It is a memoir about the author's experience of grief and guilt after the death of his first wife, Katie. The writing process was difficult and brought up many previously settled feelings.
Writing Young Widower was awful. It dredged up a lot of feelings that I thought were settled, though I don't know why I thought they were settled only four or five years out.
She said, this is not a book about grief. This is a book about guilt.
Writing about guilt, living with guilt is a whole nother thing. It's just a constant project of second guessing and regret.