The elephant in the room represents the conversations we avoid having about end of life.

“Hi, everybody, and welcome back to Coffin Talk, Interviews with the Living, a weekly podcast that explores how our views on death affect the way we live our life. This week, our guest is Michael Hawley. He's coming to us from Los Angeles, but he's originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, and he is a death doula.

He's also a death project manager. He had a longer title in the interview, but he's a great, gregarious, hilarious guy who also knows when and how to get serious about the topic which this show is centered on, which is death. But talk about a person you want to be working in this industry.”

From Coffin Talk: #267 - Death Doula - Michael Hawley, Feb 21, 2026

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coffin-talk/id1551574282?i=1000750854632&r=2

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As a death doula, I walk alongside individuals and families as they navigate the sacred thresholds of life and death, and I often find solace and meaning in stories that reflect the tender complexities of this journey. Pedro Almodóvar’s The Room Next Door is one such film—a luminous exploration of memory, love, and the spaces we inhabit as we prepare to let go.