Why Is Mo Rocca So Obsessed with Obituaries?

Since he was a child, humorist Mo Rocca has been fascinated by obituaries. Host Karen Bussen asks him why on this episode of Farewelling: The Podcast. Mo answers that question, plus gives us his thoughts on why we don’t talk about death, why he created a podcast called “Mobituaries,” and what three items he’d pack for the afterlife.  Scroll down to the bottom of the post for Mo's very own farewelling playlist!

More About the Episode

Multi-talented CBS Sunday Morning correspondent, humorist, author and podcast host Mo Rocca joins Farewelling Founder Karen Bussen in the studio for a delightful chat about his latest book, “Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving,” and the new season of the podcast that inspired the book, also titled “Mobituaries with Mo Rocca.”  Fueled by Mo-mosas (a signature cocktail Karen created for Mo--see the recipe below) and plastic-wrapped snack cakes from Mo's childhood, they talk about facing death beautifully, why Marlene Dietrich was such a patriot, and what’s on Mo’s own bucket list (hint: it involves gymnastics).

Mo Rocca is an award-winning writer, humorist, correspondent, podcast host, public radio superstar, and author.

Bonus! Here are some fun behind-the-scenes moments from Mo's visit to the studio...

A Note from Karen

One of the things I love to do is prepare treats for people. When my friend and Farewelling strategic advisor Dhanusha comes to my apartment for our early morning or late night meetings, I always have a spread of snacks and drinks. I like to entertain! So when I started Farewelling: The Podcast, I decided to keep that theme. Because if you're going to talk about death and dying, you deserve a treat! 

For Mo, about 16 hours before our podcast I found out that he has a childhood favorite snack--well, actually, they're snack cakes and they're called Tastykakes! I was surprised that I'd never heard of them, but I made it my mission to find them for Mo. It took three of us four hours and we must've visited seventeen grocery stores in the New York metropolitan area, but darn it--we found 'em! And if you listen to the episode, you'll hear Mo's delight. Find out if I let him take the leftovers home...

I also felt that Mo deserved a one-of-a-kind signature cocktail, and since we recorded just before lunchtime, I decided to create a "Mo-mosa" especially for him. 

Mo-mosas--your next great brunch cocktail. Here's the recipe

1. Fill a champagne flute halfway with chilled champagne or the sparkling wine of your choice.
2. Add Fanta orange soda (or your fave) a quarter of the way. Then finish it off with a splash of simple red vermouth.
3. You'll know the ratios are perfect when it's burnt orange and slightly bitter!