Unsilence Grief

Katie Rizzo on Shame and Addiction in Grief

Unsilence Grief

Show Notes

Katie Rizzo’s memoir, The Trimesters of Grief, a hybrid memoir and prescriptive guide, reframes the experience of losing a child to opioid addiction through the lens of gestation - moving readers through invisible, undeniable and public stages of grief toward the lifelong work of living with loss, blending raw journal entries, original poetry and pools. Pitched for readers of It’s OK that You’re Not OK and Beautiful Boy, with a foreword by Colin Campbell. Katie holds two masters: one from Yale University and another from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. For the last fifteen years, Katie Rizzo taught Anatomy and Biology at her local community college and public high school. Her short stories have been published in literary journals and in anthologies. In September of 2024, Katie lost her firstborn son to addiction. In a tragic irony, she found that grief mirrored pregnancy. After joining grief groups, listening to podcasts, and reading everything she could get her hands on, Katie carried her grief as long as she could.Finally, she found ways to help cope with the trauma and deliver this ‘grief baby.’ Her memoir, The Trimesters of Grief, will be released on 6th October 2026 by Koehler Books, with Blackstone Publishing handling audio licensing. None of Them Are You - A book of Poems is being published by Extra Extra Publishing on Dia de los Muertos, November 1st.

Here's how to connect with Katie: Author website: https://katierizzo.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katie-rizzo-098978280 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rizzoboysandagirl Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katierizzo007 Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@katie.rizzo007

#addiction #shame #addictionawareness #grief #trimester

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