Close to Death

Close to Death is a podcast that profiles people who spend every day working with the dead and dying. Sound depressing? It isn’t. Sound creepy? It can be! From death doulas to crime scene cleaners, obituary writers to taxidermists, human composting farms to witches who talk to the dead, these death experts have seen it all. In each episode, with the help of comedians and reporters, we’ll hear their stories and find out what they have learned about life by working with death. Hosted by Utkarsh Ambudkar.

This is a USG Audio podcast in collaboration with Transmitter Media and Powderkeg.

Last refreshed: July 7th, 2025 at 12:30 AM ⓘ

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Episodes

Introducing...Aftermath: Hunt for the Anthrax Killer - Episode 1

A deadly bioterror attack shook the U.S. and triggered one of the FBI’s most complex investigations. Aftermath takes you inside the high-stakes hunt for the Anthrax killer and the investigative breakthrough that cracked the case. Episode 1: Isolated Incident - Right after 9/11, the FBI scrambles to stop a second-wave attack using a deadly toxin. When a Florida photo editor is poisoned by a rare bacteria, agents uncover a possible al-Qaeda plot to spread anthrax from the air. But are they already...

Apr 15, 2025•36 min

6: Home Funerals

We've all been to a funeral where we've looked around and thought: "[The deceased] would have hated this." So what would it look like if we ditched the stuffy funeral homes, skipped the expensive caskets, and designed our funerals before we died? Death doula Jill Schock helps her clients have end of life celebrations that feel unique to the life they lived. In this episode, she guides writer and producer Greg Heller through a practice run of his own funeral. Credits: Josh Bloch- For USG Audio Je...

Nov 24, 2021•35 min•Ep. 6

5: Crime Scene

When someone dies, they always leave things behind, and their loved ones are left to clean up. But sometimes, cleaning up after death means cleaning up a literal biohazardous crime scene. Comedian Mary Beth Barone spends time with people who do that kind of extreme cleanup for a living: crime scene cleaners from Spaulding Decon. They share what they've learned from looking at the messiest parts of death head on. Credits: Josh Bloch- For USG Audio Jessica Grimshaw- For USG Audio Jennifer Sears- F...

Nov 17, 2021•28 min•Ep. 5

4: Earth & Stars

For years, we’ve been sold on just two ways to deal with a dead body — you either get cremated or you’re caked in makeup and placed in a casket six feet under. But there’s gotta be more options, right? Uninspired with what's on offer, comedian and journalist Francesca Fiorentini went on a tour of how to dispose of a dead body to get some ideas of what she'll do with her eventual corpse. First, she visits Walt Patrick at Herland Forest, a green burial site in Washington that's composting human bo...

Nov 10, 2021•34 min•Ep. 4

3: Taxidermy

It feels normal to try to preserve someone we've lost. But what does that do for us — and our grief? Comedian Mary Beth Barone seeks the wisdom of someone who makes mementos out of the once living: a very chic, very glamorous taxidermist. For a lot of us, losing a pet is our first introduction to death, and taxidermist Divya Anantharaman helps clients process that grief by turning their well-loved pet into a beautiful and lovingly stuffed memento. Credits: Josh Bloch- For USG Audio Jessica Grims...

Nov 03, 2021•28 min•Ep. 3

2: Witch

After someone we love dies, it’s hard to get them off our minds — especially if we didn’t get the chance to say everything we needed to. But for some people, the conversation doesn’t die when their loved one does. Comedian and TV writer Jourdain Fisher confronts his fear of witches and visits Lynn Swain of Magik Craft — a woman in his hometown who speaks to the dead… and owns a handful of cauldrons and wands, too. Credits: Josh Bloch- For USG Audio Jessica Grimshaw- For USG Audio Jennifer Sears-...

Oct 27, 2021•30 min•Ep. 2

1: Obits

Greg Heller sets out to discover what actually makes an obit feel like a satisfying account of a person's life. With the guidance of professional obituary writer John Pope, Greg practices the craft by writing his own. Credits: Josh Bloch- For USG Audio Jessica Grimshaw- For USG Audio Jennifer Sears- For USG Audio Tara Frelund- For USG Audio Utkarsh Ambudkar- Host Gretta Cohn - Executive Producer Kesila Childers - Executive Producer Greg Lubin - Executive Producer Jordan Bailey – Lead Producer Gr...

Oct 27, 2021•39 min•Ep. 1

Close to Death Trailer

Oct 09, 2021•1 min

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