BornCurious Storytelling and Grief in Palliative Care
There is a long-held belief in the medical field that doctors should maintain a professional distance from their patients. But it’s only human to be affected by one’s everyday experiences—and for professionals who work with serious illness, these experiences can range from distressing to profound. In this episode, a collaboration with Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch, we discover how the Palliative Story Exchange uses storytelling to center human connection and meaning in this setting.
Released on May 22, 2025.
Guest Host
Lisa Keefauver is a social worker, a grief activist, and the founder of Reimagining Grief. She hosts the podcast Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch, and she recently published her first book, Grief is a Sneaky Bitch: An Uncensored Guide to Navigating Loss (University of Texas Press, 2024).
Guests
Alexis Drutchas is a palliative care physician at Massachusetts General Hospital, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a cofounder of the Palliative Story Exchange. Her work has appeared on CNN, on NBC News, and in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Richard Leiter is a palliative care physician, writer, and researcher at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a cofounder of the Palliative Story Exchange. He also directs the adult inpatient palliative care consult service and leads the Dana-Farber Department of Supportive Oncology Writing Core. His writing has been published in Cell, the New York Times, and STAT News.
Related Content
Podcast: Grief Is a Sneaky Bitch
Radcliffe Accelerator Workshop Program
Lisa Keefauver Personal Website
Alexis Drutchas Personal Website
Richard Leiter Institutional Website
The Palliative Story Exchange on Instagram
Palliative & Supportive Care: “The Palliative Story Exchange: An Innovative Storytelling Intervention to Build Community, Foster Shared Meaning, and Improve Sustainability”
Credits
Ivelisse Estrada is your cohost and the editorial manager at HRI, where she edits Radcliffe Magazine.
Kevin Grady is the multimedia producer at HRI.
Alan Catello Grazioso is the executive producer of BornCurious and the senior multimedia manager at HRI.
Heather Min is your cohost and the senior manager of digital strategy at HRI.
Emerson Prond is a multimedia intern at HRI and a Harvard College student.
Lily Roberts is a multimedia intern at HRI and a Harvard College student.
Anna Soong is the production assistant at HRI.
Special thanks to Cabin 3 Media, including the sound engineer Jeff Hayash and editors Katie Toulmin and Justin Callahan, for their contributions to the production and editing of this episode.