Podcast Pick: 'Terrible, Thanks for Asking' is anything but

Looking for something new to listen to while you drive to work/go for a walk/wash the dishes? We're here for you. In a weekly series, we're highlighting a podcast, audio personality or specific story worth hearing.

This week's pick: Terrible, Thanks for Asking

Usually the question "How are you?" solicits the answer "Fine." But what about those times when you feel like you're on fire? What about when you aren't sure how you'll keep going? What about when you're actually "Terrible, thanks for asking"? Those are the times that podcast host Nora McInerny wants to talk about in TTFA, which debuted in November.

Why it's ripe for listening

McInerny, who's experienced her own horrors— she had a miscarriage, lost her father and buried her husband all within a few weeks— hears from people who talk openly about their misery. But the show isn't melodramatic: McInerny's tender and candid storytelling turns sob stories of loss into engaging tales of life and love. TTFA feels like a warm, tear-stained hug. Warning: The podcast has some graphic language.

Memorable line

McInerny talks about misconceptions of grieving in the show's introductory episode:

"Did you know that grief isn't just crying? That grief isn't just a facial expression or physical act? Did you know that a grieving person can do a lot of things like laugh and go to movies and grocery shop and raise a child, all while bleeding to death internally?"

"Well, now you know, so you won't be surprised when it happens to you. That grief— that sneaky, stalkery, internal-bleeding kind of grief— can't be posted to Instagram. It can't be performed on cue when you run into former friends who have evaporated from your life, or acquaintances you recognize from the Internet ... Grief was my constant companion, and I didn't totally hate it, either."

To see last week's podcast pick, go here.