What is You're Going to Die?
You’re Going to Die [YG2D] - once a simple poetry night held in the golden belly of a San Francisco apartment, now a 501(c)3 nonprofit, event producer & much, much more…
After that first “golden-bellied” occurrence on March 6th, 2009, You’re Going to Die: Poetry, Prose & Everything Goes… quickly spilled into the community spaces of the city, filling local cafes & dark bars with the words & songs of community. And now the event [finding its current form primarily online!] has given way to a larger manifestation of its title, one that encompasses more than simply open mics & shows…
Now, the You’re Going to Die movement is a deeper & more varied exploration of death & dying, one driven by creativity, fueled by arts & entertainment, writing & music, facilitating community connection & vulnerability, but always with the continued commitment to bring people creatively into the conversation of death & dying, while helping to inspire & empower out of an unabashed embrace of our losses & mortality…
Why You're Going to Die?
It's simple...
WATCH:
Testimonies
A Wonderfully Comprehensive Article by SF Chronicle’s Annie Vainshtein on You’re Going to Die
A Write-Up by KQED’s Emma Silvers
An SFGate Article on Our Last Show at ViracochaAn SFGate Article on YG2D Presents… Thoughts in Passing
"As an animal lover, veterinarian & leader in animal welfare, I know how the human animal bond lifts us with unconditional love & leaves us bewildered at how quickly our beloved companions pass through our lives. I can’t remember where I read the line, 'Life is short but wide,' but it stuck & when I first encountered YG2D I realized its founder, Ned Buskirk, & the amazingly brave group of YG2D participants are all about acknowledging the shortness of our time together & celebrating the width of our existence. The message of YG2D is as wide as life with enough room for everyone. Go experience it." - Jennifer Scarlett [President SF SPCA]
"When we invited Ned Buskirk to speak to our Brothers Keepers group in San Quentin, I knew it would be special but I had no idea how vitally important it would be for the men in blue (Brothers Keepers is a highly skilled & trained group of prisoners in San Quentin providing peer counseling to other prisoners). People in prison can spot a phony or a real deal in seconds — they immediately saw the real deal in Ned & trusted him. Ned’s skill at providing support & the space for the men to speak of their own loss allowed prisoners who rarely say a word stand up & pour out their hearts. It was clear afterwards how needed Ned’s service is —we hope to have you back to engage with other groups of prisoners in San Quentin. With all of my heart - Thank you." - Sandra Fish [Humane Prison Hospice Project & Co-Facilitator of Brothers Keepers (Insight Prison Project)]
"What an incredible experience last night was…this amazing event that has been a safe place for true expression for a long time…we are blessed…thank you..." - Carlos Aguirre [Performer]
"WHOA. What a phenomenal show tonight. Thank you, Ned Buskirk for building this community of such staggeringly talented and inspirational mortals." - Desiree Lyons [Audience Member]
"Stand up performers, supportive audience, and everyone was sucked in, engaged, and a part of healing. It was beyond healing, it was like layers of mind crap got pulled off of everyone and we could just be all that we wanted to. It was really special. Different, needed and special." - Kate Russo [Venue Employee]
"...amazing night from onset to end -- if this is what dying is like -- really looking forward to it -- over & over -- again..." - Martin Hickel [Performer]
"...a spiritual experience of therapeutic catharsis, an entertaining discovery of meaning & fulfilling fellowship - not unlike all the best parts of going to church." - [Audience Member]
"...everytime I attend, it feels like an earthquake shake for the cement that daily life flings on my spirit." - Andrew Kippen [Audience Member]
"What a great night. I am filled to the brim with gratitude, awe and inspiration." - Rossana Fiero Schneider [Performer]
"The juxtaposition of being in a hip club while wrestling with ideas and the realities of death, created a unique atmosphere of vulnerability and truth. It wasn't a chance to 'perform' as much as it was an opportunity to reveal..." - Joshua Eden [Performer]
The Open Mic
At the heart of YG2D is our community open mic, or “opening,” titled You're Going to Die: Poetry, Prose & Everything Goes...
We often host up to four of these sell-out open mics every month, occurring regularly throughout the Bay Area, where any community member may attend & share whatever they’re compelled to share out of the context of our communal engagement with mortality. We facilitate the shows by partially curating music, stories & poetry throughout the event, to set the tone & create an inviting, inclusive, & attentive environment. No one is turned away for lack of funds to ensure our shows remain accessible to all, no questions asked.
YG2D Presents...
The first manifestation of the You're Going to Die movement, after & out of You're Going to Die: Poetry, Prose & Everything Goes, was You're Going to Die Presents, first occurring at the very start of 2013.
You're Going to Die Presents is a place to proudly present great artists as they deserve to be presented: in the concert context of acknowledging their brilliant beaming mortal magic. Shows still steeped in the context of mortality, showcasing inspiringly enlivening musical acts with movingly entertaining spoken word.
It came as no surprise that the first event would headline an artist that's supported You're Going to Die almost since its inception - Andrew Blair & his band We Became Owls. And the opener for the night was an artist featured once before at You're Going to Die: Poetry, Prose & Everything Goes... Tom Rhodes.
Now, jump forward almost 10 years - in January 0f 2020 we hosted our largest show ever for our 10-year anniversary event, selling out the Independent, one of the Bay Area’s favorite historical concert venues, featuring all local YG2D musicians, friends, & storytellers, with over 650 people in attendance. It was an incredibly special show, a deserved evening to celebrate both the wonderful community we’ve built & also what that community has accomplished together in 10 years.
All YG2D artwork by Becky Redman!
The Nonprofit
With the shift from our event series into an official 501(c)3 nonprofit, came the development of our two active nonprofit programs – Alive Inside & Songs for Life – to further support our mission’s commitment to diverse & marginalized members of our community.
Alive Inside is our prison program hosting a version of the above shows for the incarcerated. This structured open mic space invites those inside to safely share stories, poems, and songs about the loss and grief that they experience; these events offer a chance in the prison context to explore our shared mortal experience together, to grieve, bereave & honor what we’ve lost & loved, while all the while making room for being ALIVE where we are with what we have. YG2D’s staff & musicians who attend these shows not only share their own stories to help create the container, but listen to what the men inside have to share & bring their stories back to the community shows on the outside, amplifying the voices of incarcerated populations that are so often voiceless.
Songs for Life is a free nonprofit program where musicians offer their talents & companionship, playing music & writing songs for hospice patients & their communities. The program is designed to help create meaning at the end of life, while at the same time strengthening the connection between the dying, the dead, & the living. Ultimately, live memorial concerts are presented, where musicians participating in the project perform their original work in honor of the patients, offering yet another way to bridge a connection between our attendees & members of our community who so often remain unheard & unseen.
The Podcast
You're Going to Die's next major endeavor is another online access point to what we do, an audio version of the event, including interviews, stories, music & more - YOU'RE GOING TO DIE: THE PODCAST - so now, more people that make up our continually growing international online community, can have yet another way to tap into YG2D.
CHECK IT OUT NOW ON…
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Stitcher
Tiny Mortal Reminders
Do you want your own tiny mortal reminder shipped ready for wall or shelf, a mortally conscious hankie to cry into or a deathy article of clothing? Get one from You’re Going to Die’s line of mortally conscious merch & support a 501(c)3 nonprofit while you’re at it.
The Videos
Our MUSIC & MORTALITY video series, produced in collaboration with The Bay Bridged, showcases musicians’ songs & stories about loss, grief & the hardest parts of life. Much gratitude to The Bay Bridged’s Jody Amable for the vision & Kyle M. Terrizzi for the expert video execution.
And in the The YG2D Vimeo Group, with the invaluable work of Max Silverman. Mathew Brady & Danny Baldonaldo, we have a collection of over 250 videos of many of the featured YG2D: Poetry, Prose & Everything Goes performers... we’ve had over the years. Enrolling the help of these three different videographers, we were able to organize regular posting to our Vimeo group, as well as a "Best Of" spot reserved on the YG2D website for those outstanding performances deserving special recognition.
These videos help to further connect people to the kinds of artists & experiences our live events offer.
The Publication Series
The You're Going to Die Publication Series came out of a want to showcase the writers involved in the live event series. We put a call out to artists to submit their writing for inclusion & enlisted the help of graphic designers to create all issue artwork. These publications were made available at every show for free or by donation, helping further fund the You're Going to Die movement as a whole.
The Albums
The You're Going to Die albums came out of a desire to showcase the musicians involved in our live events in the same way that the writers are showcased in the publication series. In much the same way as the publication, we put a call out to artists to submit tracks for inclusion & again enlisted the help of graphic designers to create all album artwork.
The albums are made available for free or by donation on YG2D's Bandcamp Page.
Album artwork by Becky Redman!
The Website
Check out YG2D's definitive online presence, compiling all versions of the movement to be accessible through one simple and easily navigable website.
The Online Presence
Writing for all manifestations of YG2D's online presence, with clear, digestible, catchy & moving messaging, containing inspiring, empowering, funny & poignant content, through The YG2D Facebook Page, The YG2D Facebook Group, The YG2D Twitter Profile, The YG2D Instagram Profile & YG2D's MailChimp Account, we’ve been able to grow the movement beyond the live event, to a movement with over 25,000 followers... & counting.