Darnell Lamont Walker - Never Can Say Goodbye

To be held at Solid State Books on H St. NE

“Never Can Say Goodbye is deliciously woven from threads of guidance, memory, and devotion to the sacred labor of holding space at the end of life." —Alua Arthur, author of Briefly Perfectly Human

Compelling narrative that illuminates the role of a death doula and the often-unseen ways people show up for one another at the end of life.

Across cultures and communities, death is frequently surrounded by silence and uncertainty. Many of us are taught to avoid conversations about loss, grief, and dying, even as we find ourselves quietly doing this work for loved ones, sitting at bedsides, holding hands, listening to final stories, and loving people through their last moments. Never Can Say Goodbye invites readers to recognize this shared human experience and to see themselves in the sacred act of holding space.

Walker shares personal stories from his role as a compassionate guide navigating the delicate space between life and death. These narratives unfold as intimate accounts of individuals, each seeking solace, closure, and the opportunity to share the stories that define them.

Never Can Say Goodbye captures the essence of these profoundly human moments while exploring the connection between the grieving and their doula, revealing the transformative power of storytelling in the face of mortality. Walker helps you process feelings and emotions from past losses and instills wisdom on how you can hold space and provide your loved ones with the closure they deserve.

Darnell Lamont Walker is a Death Doula and Emmy-Nominated Writer whose work lives at the intersection of creativity, care, and transition. Sometimes that looks like helping families hold love and memory at the end of life. Sometimes it means creating stories for kids, writing for shows like Karma’s World, Work It Out Wombats!, and Blue’s Clues & You, and helping young people make sense of big feelings in gentle, joyful ways. Sometimes it looks like gathering strangers into rooms where grief, joy, art, and conversation can coexist. Always, it’s about making room for people to feel seen and supported. He is the author of Never Can Say Goodbye (HarperOne), always asking: What would it look like to tend to one another well?

The chat will be moderated by Jaya Saxena, a DC Death Collective member and organizational strategist helping institutions build cultures where people can thrive. An avid reader and aspiring death doula, Jaya is deeply engaged in community leadership through her nonprofit board service. She lives in Washington, DC, with her two spirited daughters, whose curiosity fuels her commitment to building a more compassionate world.

is a creative incubator and community collective working in the death and grief space. We are part of the holistic death care movement, and support neighbors in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. We look forward to meeting you; please get in touch!

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