Episode 225: In The Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried (by Amy Hempel)

This week on The Easy Chair, it’s the iconic short story writer Amy Hempel’s “The Cemetery When Al Jolson Is Buried.” This poignant story is about bearing witness to the final days of a best friend’s life. Full disclosure: I had to record the end four times before I made it through without crying. Also note: there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING even remotely maudlin about Hempel’s story. Like all of her work, it’s brutally, beautifully honest. Tune in to hear this heartbreaking short story masterpiece. This week’s sponsor is Rothy’s. The holidays mean celebrations with friends and family. Why not feel comfortable and look stylish? Rothy’s makes flats for women and kids out of plastic water bottles, so even better- they are sustainable, too! Go to to get the flats you've been waiting for in time for the holidays. See Privacy Policy at and California Privacy Notice at

You can listen to Episode 225: In The Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried (by Amy Hempel) online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Episode 225: In The Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried (by Amy Hempel) is an episode from The Easy Chair with Laura Hurwitz by Laura Hurwitz.

This episode is 00:18:44 long.

This episode was published on Nov 26, 2019.

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