Tuesday, October 2, 2012
An Evening with David "Sonny" Lacks
This evening I attended the Buckeye Book Community event that consisted of a Q&A with Sonny Lacks and his wife, Shirley. The line to get in was extremely long, and I ended up having to sit in the upper balcony. However, I could still see perfectly fine, and the sound system was phenomenal. The first portion of the evening was a Q&A held by First Year Experience director Ben Savarese. He asked the couple questions such as their opinions towards Johns Hopkins, what they thought of Rebecca Skloot and her book, and whether they believed the family should be compensated. Sonny thought that the hospital should formally apologize for taking Henrietta's cells without her consent, but he said that he understood that that would "open a bunch of doors" that the hospital couldn't open. It was interesting to hear the opinions of the actual people involved, however, since Sonny was only 4 when Henrietta died, he could not give much insight into her life besides what he had been told. The next part of the evening opened the floor for students to ask questions, some of which I though were a little too personal. I understand the interest in the book, and discovering more about the characters, but at the same time, it seemed like students forgot that the people aren't just characters in a fictional book, they are real people, and that was really their lives. For instance, one student asked if it was worth it to lose his mother, since she helped millions of lives. How is someone supposed to answer that in an auditorium filled with strangers? I mean, I understand the interest, I just think that some of the questions prompted answers that should have been private. Anyways, after the Q&A, Sonny and Shirley went to Page hall for a book signing. There were some students there, as well as some members of the general public, however, the line was very short, which is a little disappointing that more students did not wish to meet Sonny one on one. However, the shorter line was of course beneficial for my friend Sarah and I. While waiting in the line, which took only about 10 minutes if that, we met a woman who runs a charity group, and discussed life in Columbus, her work, the degrees that Sarah and I are pursuing, and of course, our opinions of the book. It was a great night, and I am very glad that I went.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I am the Sarah that Michelle attended this event with. It couldn't have gone any better. I was a huge fan of this book even before I learned it was our Buckeye Book Community book. For me to have the chance to see David Lacks and his wife was absolutely phenomenal. Michelle and I headed to Page Hall to see the line for the book signing, and I am extremely glad to say that I stayed. I got the chance to meet David and Shirley Lacks and have them sign my book. It was an awe moment for me, and as all my roommates can confirm, I could not stop smiling the whole night. It was an amazing experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. I cannot wait for Rebecca Skloot to come visit and no matter how long the line, I will get my book signed. All in all, it was a wonderful night.
ReplyDeleteI also attended this event! It was very cool to be able to actually hear someone from the Lacks' family talk in person about their experiences and how it's affected them. It certainly made the book even more real for me and I'm so glad I went! I enjoyed the book for the most part, especially the whole "family" side of the story, and the relationships between all of the characters -- so seeing and listening to the actual people was very neat!
ReplyDeleteI, as well, attended this event and I loved every minute of it! Getting to hear first hand emotions and conversations David had was so surreal. It gave me a much better understanding of how long, really, the family had searched for answers and connected me to the book so much more. I agree that some of the questions the students asked at the end were a little too personal and some on the verge of politics? But the way David and Shirley handled them was phenomenal. Although it was an awful situation David and his family had to go through, his comical replies showed how strong he as a person was and how nothing could break up their close knit family. It was a pleasure to listen to his story and coming away from this event, I've realized how much I shouldn't take spending time with my family for granted.
ReplyDeleteI attended this event as well, and I have the same opinions that everyone else seems to have. It was very interesting to hear Henrietta's story from the mouth of one of her sons. David and his wife were both very articulate and had good points. I agree with Julianna when she says that seeing members of the Lacks family made the story seem much more real. Some of the questions asked made me feel a little bit uncomfortable, but overall I enjoyed the event! I wish that I could have attended the book signing as well, but I had a lot of chemistry homework. It's kind of upsetting to me that Michelle says not many people were there.
ReplyDeleteI thought this event was pretty interesting! I actually did read the whole book by Rebecca Skloot and was able to understand what the guest speakers were talking about. I liked hearing the perspective of characters in the novel itself. They were able to tell us how "real" the events were and their thoughts and feelings about it. They have been through a lot with this book and I appreciated the fact that they were willing to come speak to us.
ReplyDeleteI also attended this event, and I am glad I went and heard David "Sonny" Lacks' take on the whole thing. Rebecca Skloot inched her way into his and his family's lives to tell his mothers's story, which of course had good and bad repercussions. It was intriguing to hear how he and his family were affected, but also the good that having answers has done them. The only dampeners on the evening were awkward questions and the rain!
ReplyDeleteI was there as well, however where Carly, Faith, and I were sitting, it was difficult to hear them at times. I definitely enjoyed the event, however, and I'm glad that so many people actually went to the talk.
ReplyDeleteI went to this event with Michelle and Sarah and it was really great to hear David "Sonny" Lacks talk about his mother and the experiences he has had with the cells and the book. The only downfall to the evening for myself, is that I did not get to ask a question myself (as I was in the balcony), though I am glad that at least one other student on the floor had the foresight to ask about Elsie Lacks (the family member we know really the least about). In short, I really enjoyed myself at the event.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the Sonny Lacks event, finding it particularly interesting. It was nice to get a perspective of the story and the situation from an actual family member of Henrietta, rather than solely relying on information presented in the book by Rebecca Skloot. This offered a separate point of view as well as more personal insight. Some of the more interesting aspects, I believe, were personal stories that David shared with us about his sister (offering CPR to a hamster), and the discussions about what he felt should have been, and should not have been included in the novel. It was an enjoyable and informative evening.
ReplyDeleteThis session gave a very personal view point of the book, and though I don’t agree completely with everything that was said or shared, it was enlightening to hear David and Shirley’s opinions and more of their life story. The session even went into political discussion, which is very relatable to my life since I am able to vote in this year’s presidential election, of social class and universal healthcare. If universal healthcare was implied, how would this affect the future of medical research? Mr. Lacks was very open to admitting that he had 100,000 dollars worth of medical bills that he was indebted because of a bypass for his heart – and this confession was revealing of his stance on a lot of issues. I did appreciate that the political discussion didn’t get out of hand, and that the main focus of the discussion was on how medical research can produce life changing results, and that it is necessary to evolve society. This book brings up the question about how it should be done.
ReplyDeleteI also attended this even with my room mate Courtney. I found this to be very enlightening and satisfying. I loved how friendly and relaxed the atmosphere was. My favorite part of the even was the questionnaire directed to Sonny Lacks and his wife. The question that stuck with me the most was about Sonny's plans for his body after he dies. He said he hadn't really given that subject much thought. The questioner wanted to know if Sonny was considering donating his body to science to be used like his mother's was used. Sonny responded coyly saying he'd like to be buried fully intact. This gave me a great perspective of the book and the Lack's family. I'm very happy that I chose to attend this event and I'm greatful for the outlook it has provided.
ReplyDeleteI thought this event was very interesting due to the insight it gave into the lives of the Lacks family. It was nice to get the perspective of Sonny and his wife on Henrietta's life and her donation to science. I found it charming how Sonny wasn't too concerned with getting compensated for his mother's cells. It's funny how people who seem to have the least, appreciate the most.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I was unable to attend this event, I did get a chance to meet David Lacks. The morning following this event, there was a small group meeting with Sonny at the Union and I was fortunate enough to be selected to go. We had breakfast and then got to have a discussion with him and his wife. They were both really fun and interesting to talk to. David said he really loves visiting college campuses to meet such great students. He also spoke about how it sounds like the family does not trust doctors in the books, when in reality they simply believes that there needs to be better communication between doctors and specialists when dealing with a single patient. He also thinks that doctors are much better about getting permission for things today versus during his mother's lifetime. It was great to meet Mr.Lacks face-to-face. I am happy I was able to go to such an enjoyable event.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the evening with David "Sonny" Lacks. This event was able to give me a different perspective than just the book "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks". Mr. Lacks opened up the session by talking about just how much her cells have benefitted almost every single person in society, whether it be indirectly or directly. The cells have cured so many diseases and been responsible for saving and giving back life to so many people. I also found it very interesting that Mr. Lacks did not particularly agree with every single thing that was in the book, which made me take a different perspective on the book. The session really helped understand the book by emphasizing the important to realize and recognize many sociological and ethical issues that were present in the medical field at the time and many of the ethical issues of race that were present in the time of Henrietta Lacks. It was so interesting to see Mr. Lacks outlook on these issues that faced his mother at the time she was in the hospital. It definitely gave me something to think about and was so interesting!
ReplyDelete