Thoughts? For People Who Read Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack

VarunaTT

I'm interested in anyone's thoughts about this criticism of the book:  http://itsbrowntown.blogspot.com/2012/08/an-open-letter-to-those-colleges-and.html

I just find it interesting and I'm mulling it over in my head.  It's been awhile since I read the book.  What i seem to remember the most is the science, the ethics question re: the collection of cells and the legal cases surrounding it.  I'm not sure if I agree or disagree w/the criticism at this point.

Thoughts?  Interests?

GBCK

the criticism seem svalid as far as her narrating the 'non-fiction'

And I will say, the 'cartoonish' depiction irritated me when I read it--it felt like the author was trying to hard to make me feel a certain way and did feel almost condescending.

That said, I think outright dismissal of the book is dismissive of the story.

And I'd think tht freshmen should be writing/studying the whole 'writer's triangle' when writing about it (authors view of reality, audience's view of reality, author's intended message)--so that criticizms seems misplaced

VarunaTT

I do remember having a moment about one of the family members where I thought, "Really, that's the only person you could find to talk about this?"

She did bring up the point that it should be studied in a manner to recognize the bias like you were talking about, so I thought that was important.

I can't even remember having a common reading in college like that, so I don't know how it's usually taught throughout the campus or how it's used.  We were just required to go to some opening assembly (Convocation?) at the beginning of the year and write on it.  I saw James Carville that way.  This was back in '96 though, so his accent was still really strong and I could barely understand him.

thejucheidea

I haven't read it, but it is on my list of books to read. The HeLa cells have led to a lot of scientific advancements that make my job (cancer research nurse) possible, so I definitely want to read it. But damn, if the African Americans in the book sound like they're part of a minstrel show, it may suck reading it .

GBCK

we had standard curricula for eng 101/rhetorict and great books--some classes did more but there were a handful of classics we all read.

But my college experience was atypical on such things.

We also had 'campus wide' creative alternative things (we had to take 2 in our 4 years) where everyone taking it (at least 1/3 of the students) attended sessions/watced speakers/read certain books/watched certain films/etc for the 2 weeks that this happened...kinda like that I guess.

(I did one on Frank Capra films

PMeg819

Well I have some general criticsms with the book other than this. I think it's sort of stupid to say that because she wasn't there first hand to witness every detail that it can't be nonfiction. Truly, if that's the case the very little is nonfiction unless the writer actually experienced the event. I think the book took her a decade to write as she had to gain access to individuals, etc. In terms of the dialogue as written- eh, I don't find it racist. It is what it is. I'm going to assume she taped her conversations and it's as much as a convienence to write what people say than the paraphrase and correct. I also don't find it racist to use historical materials that call people "colored". It's horrible and in the book gives some context. Henrietta Lacks got the care a poor, black woman in the 50's would get a free institution which is to say- poor care at best. It illustrates that on so many levels we were (and still are) discriminating against individuals. Ahstillwell- are you a CRC? I'm an oncology CRA.

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_thoughts-for-people-who-read-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lack?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:47Discussion:ad69208b-8810-473d-8b57-9a03a8984f28Post:2d8414cd-5e00-4ca5-a3bf-c10bd31de003">Re: Thoughts? For People Who Read Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack</a>:
[QUOTE]Ahstillwell- are you a CRC? I'm an oncology CRA.
Posted by PMeg819[/QUOTE]

Nope, I'm a clinical research nurse. Perhaps we have worked on the same projects without even knowing it.

ETA: So do you do the IRB stuff? Because seriously, I'm so sick of reconsenting patients who have been on trial forever, especially the GSK MEK/BRAF combination therapy because we have like... dozens of patients on that study. I see that something's come from the IRB and I quietly go '....... noooooooooo.......'

zsazsa-stl

I raised an eyebrow at some of the dialogue, but what was the alternative?  Should she have corrected the grammar?  Not corrected the grammar but left out the phonicular (is that a word?) spellings to show their accents?

She probably shouldn't have been so explicit with our opening statements but rather included a disclaimer that some descriptions in the book had been recreated based on the best information. 

And would there be a complaint if Skloot were a cousin?  You can make a cartoon out of your own family but not someone else's and certainly not of someone else's of a different race?  I'm not arguing in favor of making cartoons out of people, just asking the question.

PMeg819

Are you at SCRI? Ive been going there the last few months for a study that I'm working on. Not sure if you are disease specific- I almost exclusively do lung and breast trials.

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_thoughts-for-people-who-read-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lack?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:47Discussion:ad69208b-8810-473d-8b57-9a03a8984f28Post:7875197e-c7fb-44a6-9c15-a58a02e42e06">Re: Thoughts? For People Who Read Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack</a>:
[QUOTE]Are you at SCRI?
Posted by PMeg819[/QUOTE]

Indeed I am!! I do refractory malignancies, solid tumor only, phase I only. I don't do heme... ever.

PMeg819

Interesting. That was where I started in oncology- phase I advanced solid rumors as a study coordinator with Ph2 trials in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. I miss being in the clinic some days.

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_thoughts-for-people-who-read-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lack?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:47Discussion:ad69208b-8810-473d-8b57-9a03a8984f28Post:73644692-821d-41bc-9176-d41150ddadc7">Re: Thoughts? For People Who Read Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack</a>:
[QUOTE]Interesting. That was where I started in oncology- phase I advanced solid rumors as a study coordinator with Ph2 trials in melanoma and renal cell carcinoma. I miss being in the clinic some days.
Posted by PMeg819[/QUOTE]
I love being in the clinic. I don't think I could do the job of a CTS or medical monitor. I like interacting with the patients.

I also don't think I could do phase 2/3. Phase 1 is the only kind of nursing I've done (this was my first job out of nursing school), so I think I've been spoiled on it.

PMeg819

There are times when I dream of quitting and becoming a NP or PA and going back but being a monitor pays really, really well for being a job that really is not hard. Plus I love my air miles and hotel points.

zsazsa-stl

Get a room, you two!  You can use PMeg's points!

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_thoughts-for-people-who-read-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lack?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:47Discussion:ad69208b-8810-473d-8b57-9a03a8984f28Post:5d68c5ae-5463-43da-b6e4-b742b1477abe">Re: Thoughts? For People Who Read Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack</a>:
[QUOTE]There are times when I dream of quitting and becoming a NP or PA and going back but being a monitor pays really, really well for being a job that really is not hard. Plus I love my air miles and hotel points.
Posted by PMeg819[/QUOTE]

I've heard that -- a couple of my CTS friends have discussed being medical monitors because of that exact reason, haha. The nursing staff doesn't get paid insanely well, but whatever, I still love my job. I might be insane.

VarunaTT

POST JACKERS.

thejucheidea

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/special-topic-wedding-boards_wedding-woes_thoughts-for-people-who-read-immortal-life-of-henrietta-lack?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Special Topic Wedding BoardsForum:47Discussion:ad69208b-8810-473d-8b57-9a03a8984f28Post:8715f9b1-6447-4a37-878b-0c0b901a1d3f">Re: Thoughts? For People Who Read Immortal Life of Henrietta Lack</a>:
[QUOTE]POST JACKERS.
Posted by VarunaTT[/QUOTE]

I'M GOOD AT THAT

dharmabunny

I think I'm gonna have to PM ahstillwell and pmeg later....ultimately, getting away from race fury and making way more money from someone else's story than this critic thinks is fair, isn't this the argument for any writer that is writing about something else that's not them? Unless Ms Lacks sits her butt down to pen her own perspective, all info is through the filter of the writers/editors/disciples/etc that get involved.