The Human Remains

Nathan A. Gray, MD, is a palliative-care physician and clinical educator at Johns Hopkins University. He uses comics and other artwork to promote empathy, educate others, and explore the ironies of the medical world. His work has been published in the Washington Post, USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, the British Medical Journal, and the American Medical Association Journal of Ethics. Dr. Gray lives in Baltimore with his wife, Bethany; their children, Micah and Zoey; and their steadfast standard poodle, Lily.

"What an extraordinary book! Nathan Gray's drawings and narration convey fathoms of feelings. The Human Remains is insightful, vulnerable, and moving. Gray draws us into his life as a medical student. His artistic perspective poignantly illustrates the entwined visceral, moral, and emotional experiences of his medical training. Few physician writers have conveyed the combined angst and exhilaration of medical training as candidly and powerfully as Gray. In palliative care Gray found a salve to soften the calluses that had grown to encase his empathy and vulnerability." -Ira Byock, MD, palliative care physician and author of Dying Well and The Best Care Possible "The Human Remains is a powerful and beautifully drawn graphic memoir. Nathan Gray skillfully renders our medical culture with clarity, humor and compassion. A potent reminder that by giving form to our collective experience, we also heal." -Dr. Rana Awdish, author of In Shock and After Shock "An unflinching look at a life in medicine, inside out-sometimes disturbing, sometimes cynical, but compassionate and human in greater measure." -Kay Sohini, author of This Beautiful, Ridiculous City: A Graphic Memoir "Gray reminds us not only that doctors are human but that patients are, too. Authoritative, insightful, compassionate, and a powerful contribution to graphic medicine." -Brian Fies, author of Mom's Cancer