L.A. Now Live: Chat with Times columnist Steve Lopez

Times columnist Steve Lopez will join City Editor Shelby Grad to talk about his series of columns on death and dying and his own experiences in his ailing father's last months.

The columns were recognized among the three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for commentary.

The chat will begin at 9 a.m PDT at www.latimes.com/lanow. Questions about the series -- or anything else you want to ask Lopez -- can be submitted live during the chat or by hitting the comment button above.

In a column after his father died, Lopez wrote:

I believe more strongly than ever that everyone ought to have the option of doctor-assisted aid in dying. I can't tell you how many people have asked me why we keep loved ones alive with cruel limitations, but humanely end the suffering of animals.

Let Tony Lopez's passing stand as a call for doctors to be more up front in laying out the hard realities of medical limitations. And let it stand as a call for families to share their own attitudes with each other as to how much compromise is acceptable.

Join us with your stories and questions for Lopez.