diane rehm

Sheryl Cannady from the Library of Congress speaks with Diane Rehm, who appeared at the 2016 National Book Festival on September 24 in Washington, D.C.

Public radio host Diane Rehm lost her husband to Parkinson’s disease nearly two years ago. His was an unconventional death, where, in the end, he refused food, water, and medication. Physician-assisted suicide isn’t permitted in Maryland, the state where he died, so he took matters into his own hands. Now, Diane Rehm is an advocate in the right-to-die debate, or what she terms “right-to-choose.” In this episode, she talks about her memoir On My Own, which details the struggle to reconstruct her life after the death of John. The couple was married for 54 years. Rehm spoke as part of the Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn Book Series at the Aspen Institute.

aspenideas.org