Narrative Podcasts interviews docs …

Sample request email, advance questions, and guest fact sheet

// SAMPLE INTERVIEW REQUEST EMAIL: SARAH CHAVEZ, A GOOD DEATH //

Subject: URGENT: interview request for Caitlin Doughty and/or Sarah Chavez

Dear Tara,

I'm the host and creator of Shelter in Place, a podcast about coming together in a world that pulls us apart. We put out weekly episodes, and would love to feature the beautiful work your organization is doing on death acceptance in our current season, which ends in May.

Would Caitlin or Sarah (or both!) be available this month for a 45-minute interview?

You can listen to a 1-minute trailer for Shelter in Place here, and find more information on the show in our press kit here.

Take care,

Laura

Laura Joyce Davis

listen // support // review

//

// SAMPLE ADVANCE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS: SARAH CHAVEZ, A GOOD DEATH //

 Hi Sarah,

We are so looking forward to speaking with you next week! As requested, I'm sharing the list of questions we are hoping to discuss with you. We realize there's a lot here, and we may not get to all of it. Quite frankly, we could ask you hundreds of questions, but these are the ones we are most excited about. Please don't hesitate to reach out if any of these topics are off-limits. And of course, we will give you space at the end of the conversation to talk about anything we didn't get to that you want to share.

  • What led you to working in death studies?

  • For listeners who aren’t familiar, what is the Death Positive Movement?

  • Why do you think Western society is reluctant to talk about death? How does this affect our current practices around death?

  • On your website you write that you examine death through an intersectional-feminist and anti-racist lens. Can you tell us more about this and what it means to “decolonize death”?

  • Are there any specific cultures or death practices within those cultures that you wish were understood/practiced more in the United States?

  • How do you approach death acceptance when it comes to premature, unnatural deaths, or even suicide?

  • How can we live out the values of the Death Positive movement in our everyday lives, and what benefits do you see in holding this ethos?

  • Has your work changed or shifted at all in this pandemic? If so, how?

  • What makes you hopeful right now--in your work or personally? Is it challenging to find hope when your work engages death and loss?

  • Is there anything we didn’t ask you about that you’d like to talk about in this conversation?

On another note, I wanted to check in about your recording set-up. I know you said you were planning on using your iPhone to record, but is there any chance you have a podcasting mic? I'm only asking because I know you are a podcast host yourself (we love Death in the Afternoon!) If you don't have access to a mic, no worries. We just want to make sure we're getting the highest sound quality as possible. I will also be following up with more specific recording instructions early next week. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks Sarah!

Best wishes,
Eve

[ SAMPLE GUEST FACT SHEET, FOR S2, E30 “A GOOD DEATH” ]

 Interview guest: Sarah Chavez

The Basics

  • Refers to herself as a “Feminist Death Positive Activist”

  • One of the founders of the Death Positive movement

  • Her work weaves together the relationship between death and food, rituals, culture, and society

  • She’s also a museum curator & historian

  • Sarah’s work centers women, both as death professionals and as a part of the Death Positive movement. She uses her platform to help examine the historical and cultural reasons women are at the forefront of death activism, and then she places the narrative back in the hands of the women who are actively doing this work and shifting the future of death.

Upbringing

  • She had an unusual upbringing - her parents worked in the entertainment industry and she was raised witnessing choreographed Hollywood deaths on soundstages. Her work has been deeply influenced by these experiences.

  • She was raised in a Latinx neighborhood in Los Angeles and identifies as Chicana.

Other

  • She was the subject of a chapter in Caitlin Doughty’s NYT bestselling book, From Here to Eternity.

  • She’s worked on the popular YouTube series, Ask a Mortician

Resources & Affiliations

[ SAMPLE GUEST FACT SHEET, FOR S2, E18, “PROPHETIC IMAGINATION” ]

 Interview guest: Jemar Tisby

  • Upbringing 

    • Grew up in Chicago 

    • University of Notre Dame 

    • Received MDiv from Reformed Theological Seminary

    • Currently working toward PhD in History at the University of Mississippi studying race, religion, and social movements in the twentieth century.

  • Career  

    • Taught 6th grade at public charter school at Mississpi Delta Corps, became principal later 

  • Accomplishments

    • Author of the New York Times bestseller, The Color of Compromise 

    • New book, How to Fight Racism released in January 2021 

    • President and co-founder of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective 

    • Co-host of the podcast, Pass The Mic, which amplifies dynamic voices for a diverse church engaging discussions and high profile interviews addressing the core concerns of African Americans biblically

    • Featured in the Washington Post, Vox, CNN, and The Atlantic.

  • Key quotes 

    • “Jemar Tisby is a public historian with the ability to explore racial justice solutions and cultural conversations that compel listeners to action. Tisby brings history to bear with contemporary relevance. His style provides audiences with richly-informed explorations, unflinching moral insight, and clear paths forward.”

    • “Don’t quote King on Monday if you choose to be silent about the president’s racism today.” Jemar’s Twitter on Jan 12/2018 

    • “History demonstrates that racism never goes away; it just adapts.” The Color of Compromise 

// SAMPLE FOLLOW-UP EMAIL //

SUBJECT: Your upcoming interview with Shelter in Place

Dear Sarah,

We’re looking forward to speaking with you for Shelter in Place!

For our interview on {INSERT DATE}, you can find a pre-recording checklist here and suggested questions for our conversation here. You'll also find links to our post-interview forms and instructions on how to send the audio files.

The Zencastr link is {INSERT LINK}

My phone number is {INSERT PHONE} (just in case).

Note: I'll have you do a back up recording of your side of the conversation on your smartphone, so make sure that is fully charged before we start. We recommend restarting your computer before our call and allowing 15 minutes to set up.

If there is anything specific you'd like us to cover in our conversation, please don't hesitate to let me know!

— {INSERT NAME}

(ROLE) // Shelter in Place podcast

listen // support // review