Some end-of-life options offer a patient a path of least resistance while others provide the opposite. Why is that? To pursue answers to this question, Anita Hannig, a medical anthropologist and professor, spent hundreds of hours accompanying patients, families, and physicians on their journey through end-of-life options, in particular Medical Aid in Dying. During this session Hannig discusses her award-nominated book The Day I Die: The Untold Story of Assisted Dying in America, which renders the stories of individuals and families making the difficult and often heart-breaking choice to work through this “resistance.” Hannig’s insights and discoveries about a “good death” provide guidance for both the curious and those thoughtfully considering this end-of-life option.

Anita Hannig, PhD is a trained anthropologist, death educator, and freelance writer. In recent years, she has emerged as a leading voice on death literacy in America, speaking about her work in hospitals, medical schools, and art museums across the country. Her work, The Day I Die: The Untold Story of Assisted Dying in America, is a Diane Rehm-endorsed book and as well as a finalist for the Oregon Book Awards. Hannig is a writer for the new PBS series Dead and Buried, and she’s written for Cognoscenti, The Conversation, Undark, and the Seattle Times, among other places. In 2024, she is coming out with a new death education tool, My Death Diary: A Guided Journal for Mortals.