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Essential Pittsburgh: Cartoonist Roz Chast Takes on Issues of Aging, Dying and Death

A conversation with award winning New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast about her graphic memoir “Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant” which takes a head on look at issues involved with aging, dying and death. She's speaking in Pittsburgh on Thursday at Temple Rodef Shalom in Oakland to benefit Family Hospice and Palliative Care.

Chast explains her reasoning for sketching her mother as she lay dying-- it jump started her memoir:

"It was something to do. There's nothing really to do when you're sitting at your parents' bed side and you want to be with them but they're in that stage of life where they're not really talking anymore and sleeping most of the time. I wanted to be with her in a deeper way and for me drawing is part of that."

Also in this program, Nancy Spielberg's latest film, Above and Beyond, tells the story of a group of Jewish American pilots flying for Israel in its War of Independence. 

Nancy Spielberg's Above and Beyond (starts at 29:35)

We’ll talk with movie producer Nancy Spielberg (sister of Steven) whose latest film “Above and Beyond” tells the story of a group of Jewish American pilots who flew for Israel in its War of Independence. The film is showing Monday evening at the Manor Theatre as part of the J Film Festival.  

More Essential Pittsburgh segments can be found here. 

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