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 John’s death. The couple was married for 54 years. Rehm spoke as part of the Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn Book Series at the Aspen Institute.
Catch up on previous episodes by visiting the Aspen Ideas Festival website.
Marci Krivonen is the associate editor and producer of public programs at the Aspen Institute.
The “Aspen Ideas to Go” podcast is a weekly show featuring fascinating speakers who have presented at the Aspen Ideas Festival and other public programs offered by the Aspen Institute — including Aspen Words, the Alma and Joseph Gildenhorn Book Series, and various events around the country. For a curated listening experience, subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or listen to each episode on the Aspen Ideas website.
