![]() You’ve been interviewed to death about this book, so I’ll limit this to two areas readers of The Open Notebook might be interested in: one is structure and the other is your decision to put yourself in the book and how you handled that. (This interview has been edited for length and clarity.) Here she talks with David Dobbs about two particularly writerly issues the book raises: structure, and the use of the writer as character. She’s also been interviewed many times as well. and Europe almost constantly since then talking about the book and the many issues of race, science, and privacy it raises. Rebecca Skloot needs little introduction to most readers of The Open Notebook: Her book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks has been a bestseller since its publication in February 2010, and she has toured the U.S. Degree Programs in Science, Health, or Environmental Writing Science Writing Resources (Elsewhere) That We Like.Guide to Using Alt-text to Make Images More Accessible.Sample Script & Survey for Tracking Source Diversity.Finding Diverse Sources for Science Stories.Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Resources.Tip Sheet for Newcomers to Science Writing.Where to Get Started at The Open Notebook.The Covering Science Slack: A Peer-Mentoring Community.Sharon Dunwoody Science Journalism Mentoring Program.Virtual Workshop Series: The Craft of Science Editing.Navigating the Science Journalism World.Rebecca reminds us that Henrietta Lacks continues to live on not just in the cells she left behind but in the family that remembers her, and those that remain interested in her story. In the end, it is a story about humanity, the good and bad. However, that is truly not the point to this book. Although to the scientific minded, it could benefit from a few more details of these incredible advances. This book is not a dry, clinical recitation of scientific discovery and experiments. Rebecca did not ignore or shy away from the racial overtones and undertones to this story, including the often genuine and founded fear the black community experienced over medical experimentation and malpractice. It was through consistent effort and genuine passion to tell Henrietta’s story, that Rebecca managed what no one else had before: she told the pure truth of Henrietta and her family without trying to glamourize the ugly pieces. Ill-treated by the media, they were not quick to trust the unknown white woman who was asking them questions they had been hounded about before. The truly impressive and unique feat of this novel was the sheer grit and determination it took in order to get Henrietta’s skittish and wary family to open up about what they knew and who they were. Meanwhile, Rebecca informs us that after her death, Henrietta’s family The accomplishments are legion, and the individuals who were involved in these discoveries have taken their place in history. Rebecca explains the progression of scientific advances achieved using the HeLa cell line from the birth of the field of human cell culture to the discovery that human cells have 46 chromosomes, to the development of a vaccine for HPV. Rebecca tells us that ultimately, Henrietta was a woman who cared about her family and that the positive impact of her cells is something that she would have been happy to see. ![]() Through this novel, one can get to know Henrietta’s life, beginning with her birth in a small, slave cabin in Roanoke, Virginia, through the births of her five children, to her sudden cancer diagnosis and painful passing. However, the natural, story-telling rhythm of the book is so intrinsically human that it draws the reader in, despite its unflinching look at the real nature of the world. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is not an easy read as it brings to light hard topics such as medical ethics, racism, poverty, and the rights individuals have concerning privacy and consent. The reader can’t help but find themselves celebrating the moments of triumph with Henrietta’s family then commiserating at their setbacks and suffering. She intermingles the joy with the sorrow in such a way that the pages fly by without thought. Rebecca refuses to shy away from the painful, tragic, demoralizing, and horrifying aspects of the reality of these stories. In her book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, Rebecca Skloot tells the interwoven narratives of Henrietta’s life, the lives of the family members she left behind, and the stories of the people involved in the incredible scientific advances that were made possible by her immortalized cell line that continues to grow decades later.
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