Note: This episodes contains references to suicide.
When a state trooper appeared at Rachel Zimmerman's door to report that her husband had jumped to his death off a nearby bridge, she fell to her knees, unable to fully absorb the news. How could the man she married, a devoted father and robotics professor at MIT, have committed such a violent act? How would ... Show More
Aug 14
Eric Hoffer's "The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements" (1951): A Discussion with Jay Garfinkel
A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, who eventually taught at the University of California at Berkeley, Eric Hoffer wrote philosophical treatises in his spare time while living in the railroad yards. The True Believer: Thoughts on the Nature of Mass Movements—the ... Show More
32m 13s
Jul 17
Susanne Paola Antonetta, "The Devil's Castle: Nazi Eugenics, Euthanasia, and How Psychiatry's Troubled History Reverberates Today" (Catapult, 2025)
The Devil’s Castle: Nazi Eugenics, Euthanasia, and How Psychiatry's Troubled History Reverberates Today (Catapult, 2025) delves into the forgotten history of eugenics and links it to present-day psychiatry to explain how we as a culture continue to get mind care so wrong. In The ... Show More
1h 4m
Jul 15
Mike F. Alvarez, Warren J. Bareiss, and Jolane Flanigan eds., "Suicide in Popular Media and Culture: Studies in Framing a Social Catastrophe" (Bristol University Press, 2026)
NB: This episode contains a discussion of suicide and may not be appropriate for all listeners. If you are thinking about hurting yourself, help is always available at 988 in the United States. Suicide in Popular Media and Culture: Studies in Framing a Social Catastrophe (Bristol ... Show More
1h 17m
Apr 2019
Dr. Jennifer Ashton on Life after Suicide
Dr. Jennifer Ashton, the chief medical correspondent for ABC News and a prominent physician with a private practice, has made a career of explaining difficult medical issues to her patients and viewers. Now, she has written a book about a trauma in her own life and the lives of 4 ... Show More
33m 53s
Apr 2022
Gabfest Reads: He Wanted to Die Holding Hands
David Plotz talks with author Amy Bloom about her journey to support the death, by suicide, of her husband, chronicled in her new book In Love: A Memoir of Love and Loss. Tweet us your questions @SlateGabfest or email us at gabfest@slate.com. (Messages could be quoted by name unl ... Show More
17m 31s
Apr 2019
Introducing Life After Suicide with Dr. Jennifer Ashton
ABC News' Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton draws from her own tragic experience to explore the aftermath of suicide and sudden loss and, similar to her book, "Life After Suicide," this eight-part series serves a roadmap to survival and offers inspiring insight on h ... Show More
2m 28s
Jul 2024
Stephanie, Part 2 | Betrayal Weekly
After unearthing her husband's secret online life, Stephanie struggles to find a way forward. Content Warning: This episode includes description of a suicide attempt. If you are experiencing feelings of hopelessness or thinking about ending your own life, you are not alone. He ... Show More
35m 9s