Based on the groundbreaking podcast of the same name, Last Day weaves together a heartbreaking story of personal loss and an unflinching investigation of what could have prevented it. Alongside expert voices on opioid addiction, Stephanie Wittels Wachs issues a clarion call for change in an ongoing and overwhelming opioid crisis.
Based on the groundbreaking podcast of the same name, Last Day is borne of Stephanie Wittels Wachs’s determination to shed light on the ongoing opioid epidemic in America.
After the tragic and untimely death of her brother Harris Wittels to an opioid overdose, Stephanie connected with Jessica Cordova Kramer, whose brother died under nearly identical circumstances. Together they launched Last Day, a podcast that facilitates unflinching conversations with addiction specialists, harm reductionists, people in long-term recovery, public policy experts pushing for reform, and many others, to determine what could have saved their brothers lives and how we can prevent overdose deaths moving forward.
Ten years ago, Stephanie lost her brother—her person—and over the last seven years, her interviews and research have become a vital resource for others fighting not to lose their person. Heartbreaking yet deeply hopeful, Last Day is, at its core, a powerful story of love that endures long after loss.
Stephanie Wittels Wachs is cofounder and CEO of Lemonada Media, an award-winning podcast network on a mission to “make life suck less.” She created and hosts Last Day, Lemonada’s Webby, Gracie, and Third Coast Award–winning flagship show. Its first season focused on the opioid crisis, which took the life of her brother, writer-producer-comedian Harris Wittels (Parks and Recreation, Master of None). Wittels Wachs is also the author of the bestselling memoir Everything Is Horrible and Wonderful: A Tragicomic Memoir of Genius, Heroin, Love, and Loss, which Kirkus Reviews hailed as a “a powerful debut.” Wittels Wachs serves as an executive producer across Lemonada’s slate of chart-topping podcasts, including Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, which was named Apple’s Best Podcast of the Year. She lives on California’s central coast with her husband, two kids, two dogs, and an ungodly amount of houseplants.
Recognized as one of today’s foremost experts on grief, Claire Bidwell Smith is a licensed therapist, international speaker, and the author of five books published in 22 countries. Led by her own experience in grief and fueled by her work in hospice and private practice, Claire strives to provide support for all kinds of people experiencing all kinds of loss. Claire has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, NPR, MSNBC, CNN, Scientific American, Goop, Oprah and many more outlets. Her most recent books Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief and Conscious Grieving have provided groundbreaking and transformative approaches to the process of grief. Learn more at clairebidwellsmith.com or by following @clairebidwellsmith on social media.
