The only psychiatrist in New Britain, Connecticut, collected 124 local stories of suicide from 1941 to 1948. Fifty years later, his grandson discovered them, studied them and researched the people in those stories, how they lived and what they left behind. These are stories of the human struggles of…
This is about my friend Eric Geyer, who died in his sleep a year ago. (Eric was the voice of Albert Kayeski in Episode 2.) For information about the Eric Geyer Memorial Scholarship Fund, please visit http://www.tilfoundation.org/donate/become-a-donor/eric-geyer-memorial-scholarship/
...in which the narrator concludes this initial run of episodes with brief thoughts on life and the new year and thanks to various people. Thank you very much for being a part of this project so far!(To view this in iTunes and subscribe, click the notes below. If you subscribe, you'll stay up-to-date on the next stages of this project...)
...in which our narrator reflects upon a good friend’s struggle with the will to die. Sound and music by Wilson Vediner and Courtney Sheedy. Guest voice by Erin Leddy.Episode notes:This episode is based on a live show we did at the Shout House in Portland on November 10. This one is very dear to my heart, and I'm extremely grateful to my friend Lora for letting me tell her story. (First-time listeners can jump in with this one and not be lost.) (To view this in iTunes and subscribe, click the notes below. Give us a nice rating there too!)
...in which our narrator looks at his grandfather at the start of his career and the roots of his suicide studies. Sound and music by Wilson Vediner and Courtney Sheedy. Episode notes:This episode is based on a show we did on November 3 at the Shout House in Portland. The Cook Family history I quote is titled Brigham Hall Hospital: A Family History and it's by Alan S. Cook. Special thanks to the Ontario County Historical Society for their research assistance.(To view this in iTunes and subscribe, click the notes below. Give us a nice rating there too!)
... in which our narrator follows a thread of racism, arson and misogyny in wartime New Britain. (To view this in iTunes and subscribe, click the notes below. Give us a nice rating there too!) Sound and music by Wilson Vediner and Courtney Sheedy. Guest vocal by Stephanie Barr.Episode notes:This episode is based on a performance we did at the Shout House in Portland two days after the election. Unfortunately, there are some themes in this episode that are very relevant today -- it was at least a little cathartic performing it, and hopefully you'll feel the same listening to it.
Update on our podcasting schedule, plus news about our last live 2016 show in Portland. Join us Thursday, November 17, 2016, at the Shout House. See envelopeofsuicides.com for more info.
An examination of two stories of immigration to New Britain, labor unrest and four cases of leaping from various heights.
This episode explores different expressions of the will to die and how a suicidal act can echo around town.
A deep dive into contemporary ethnography provides context for one elderly man's attempt.
The relationship between a psychiatrist at the end of his life and his grandson at the start of his adulthood... and the grandson's discovery of his long-forgotten study of suicide.