I Swear on My Mother’s Grave

Podcast hosted by Dana Black

“You might expect a podcast about death/loss to be sad and morbid, but that is not this podcast. You might expect a public therapy session, but that is not quite what’s going on here either. Dana is curious about humans, curious about parent/child relationships, and curious about how we navigate major (and minor) life events. Every time I listen, I find myself thinking about my parents, my grandparents, and so many others who I've "lost" but who have shaped me.” - Dave Belden

A MEMOIR/CONVERSATION PODCAST FULL OF Bold, funny, vulnerable MOMENTS about the loss of our complex mothers. (2020-2023)

  • My name is Dana Black, and my mom’s name was Shirlee Jo Black. She died alone in her bed at 67. But really, she had already died many years before, suffering from intense neuropathy, addiction, and depression.

    I didn’t want to talk to—or about—my mom for years. I was embarrassed by her, angry, and in deep denial.

    But now I can, and I’m pretty good at it (this whole podcast thing helped!). I don’t just make jokes about her anymore. I will actually talk about her addiction, and her crippling pain, and her childhood … and also her gorgeous legs, her high school teaching days, and her compulsion to write her name on literally everything.

    I wanted to honor the beautiful, hilarious, organized, bossy, smart and complicated woman I grew up with, and in the process, honor myself. Her daughter.

    So join me, and my guests, as we explore what it means to lose a mother. Come for the healing, stay for some laughs.

    Even though I ended the podcast in late 2023, there are 3 incredible seasons for you to listen to.

    I hope it helps.

    I’m so glad you’re here!

Listen on: Apple | Radio Public | Stitcher | Spotify

EPISODES WITH Bonus Content

“Sometimes your podcast helps, even when I'm not listening to it. When I have feelings about my mom that I can't process or name, I imagine talking it through with you and your listeners. I think about how to describe what I'm feeling and how it impacts those around me. I find it tremendously cathartic.”

—Brian Pastor, friend of the pod