Never Can Say Goodbye: Book Launch & Celebration
Schedule
Tue Feb 10 2026 at 07:00 pm to 10:00 pm
UTC-05:00Location
The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center | Charlottesville, VA
About this Event
This isn’t just a book launch. It’s a full-on celebration of life, love, and still being here to feel all of it. drops February 10, 2026, and I'm bringing it home to Charlottesville because this is where everything started for me. This city raised me, held me, shaped me. We’ve lost a lot of folks along the way, but so many of us are still here, still living, still showing up. And that alone is worth celebrating.
And don't worry. Talking about death won't make it happen any faster. I promise this will be a night of fun, remembrance, joy, and love.
BOOKS WILL BE SOLD ON SITE
DRESS CODE:
Wear whatever lets you feel most like yourself, but if you really want to stand out: come dressed for your own funeral: be dramatic, be extra, be unforgettable.
From dust we came and to joy we return. Show up, show love, and celebrate this wild gift of being here together. This is the night we remember why community matters.
UPDATES WILL BE PROVIDED AS WE GET CLOSER
Darnell Lamont Walker is a death doula, Emmy-nominated children’s television writer, producer, and explorer. Born in Charlottesville, Virginia, he creates spaces worldwide for healing through storytelling, end-of-life care, and workshops on grief, resilience, unlocking the writer within, and radical empathy.
Agenda
🕑: 07:00 PM - 07:30 PM
Doors Open | Come In
Info: Please plan to be inside by 7:30 PM so you don’t miss the opening conversation with Darnell Lamont Walker and Andrea Douglas. It’s the perfect way to start the night and set the tone for the celebration.
🕑: 07:30 PM - 08:00 PM
The Art of Living & Dying: A Conversation
Host: Andrea Douglas
Info: We’re kicking off the night with a powerful, intimate conversation between Darnell Lamont Walker and Andrea Douglas, diving into Never Can Say Goodbye, the stories that shaped it, the work that shaped the man, and the truths carried from the bedsides of the dying back into the world of the living. Expect honesty, laughter, reflection, and a few things you didn’t know you needed to hear.
🕑: 08:00 PM - 10:00 PM
The Repast
Host: Darnell Lamont Walker
Info: After the conversation, The Repast kicks off! The moment where the real celebration begins. This is your time to grab a book, get it signed, laugh loud, share your stories, get a snack, and connect with the people who make life worth living. It’s all about joy, presence, and the electric magic that happens when we come together fully alive. This is the celebration we’ve been waiting for.
Where is it happening?
The Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, 233 4th St NW, Charlottesville, United StatesEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
USD 0.00 to USD 10.00
