Frish Brandt

Throughout her career in the arts, Frish Brandt was fascinated by the way art serves as a medium for exploring life's deepest questions—love and loss, beauty and wonder, justice and mystery. During her decades as partner and president of the renowned Fraenkel Gallery, she observed that while art often sparked profound conversations, it was ultimately life itself—and our relationships with one another—that lay at the center of those exchanges.

This realization led her toward palliative care and end-of-life work, where she saw firsthand the power of letter writing to help people express what matters most. She began volunteering at Stanford Hospital and later developed a practice devoted to helping individuals write meaningful letters to loved ones. Through this work, she discovered that while a diagnosis may prompt reflection, mortality itself is catalyst enough. Letter writing offers a powerful way to address the unfinished business of the heart—whether one is facing the end of life or simply seeking to live more fully.

Frish is the founder of LASTING LETTERS and creator of the course "Lasting Letters and The Art of Deep Listening," which she has taught at Stanford University School of Medicine and institutions including Harvard Divinity School. She continues to lead workshops across the country for audiences ranging from museums and community organizations to hospices, libraries, and correctional facilities.