National Writers Series: Alua Arthur

At first, Alua Arthur’s profession may seem strange, but it’s meaningful work that helps people during a difficult time that everyone has to navigate eventually. She’s a death doula, meaning she provides non-medical support to people and families facing death. This involves helping people deal with grief and fear around death, but also practical issues such as writing wills and making funeral arrangements. Alua wrote a memoir about her life and work, called “Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real About the End.” She talked with speaking coach and podcast host Dana Black at the City Opera House in Traverse City in May of 2025.