After David "Sonny" Lacks' Q&A session, I was hoping for a more in-depth look at how Rebecca Skloot, author of
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, actually got through writing the book. Tonight was amazing - we sat in the front row, and Rebecca spoke about growing up being a "problem child" in school because she was so persistent and curious about everything but what teachers wanted her to be curious about. It was encouraging to hear her say that coming to school undecided is not a bad thing (as I am undecided) because our passions can change with one sentence, one influence, just like Mr. Defler piqued her interest in Henrietta. I was very intrigued by her journey from simple curiosity to full-fledged investigation, and how it all tied back to Defler's class and singular mention of a name. Rebecca was well-spoken, and the audience asked great questions, which she answered with tact and depth. Afterward, my friends and I went to the book signing - Sarah especially was excited. All in all, the night was a huge success, and her talk made me understand the motivation behind the book much better.
After David "Sonny" Lacks' Q&A session, I was hoping for a more in-depth look at how Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, actually got through writing the book. Tonight was amazing - we sat in the front row, and Rebecca spoke about growing up being a "problem child" in school because she was so persistent and curious about everything but what teachers wanted her to be curious about. It was encouraging to hear her say that coming to school undecided is not a bad thing (as I am undecided) because our passions can change with one sentence, one influence, just like Mr. Defler piqued her interest in Henrietta. I was very intrigued by her journey from simple curiosity to full-fledged investigation, and how it all tied back to Defler's class and singular mention of a name. Rebecca was well-spoken, and the audience asked great questions, which she answered with tact and depth. Afterward, my friends and I went to the book signing - Sarah especially was excited. All in all, the night was a huge success, and her talk made me understand the motivation behind the book much better.
I'm so jealous that you got your book signed! I went to the lecture as well (I was just happy to have a better seat than at the Sonny Lacks event) and I was going to go have her sign something but I couldn't find the place! haha And I agree with what you said about Rebecca's talk. She is very good at public speaking and adapting to her audience.
ReplyDeleteI also went to this and sat right up in the very front row. I honestly didn't know what to expect from the talk but I'm very very glad I went! She was a phenomenal speaker and I absolutely loved hearing about the book and it's story from her own personal perspective as a writer, and her time with Deborah and the family. I got my book signed as well! Overall it was a really great talk, and I appreciated her advice to undergrad students. It really helped me put this year into perspective!
ReplyDeleteThis was so fun! I thought it was going to be alittle boring, I wasn't sure how it was going to go. But Rebecca Skloot was actually such a down to earth person. I loved how she made it really clear that she wasn't some out of this world woman, but just some college student that stumbled upon her passion in life. It was really inspiring to hear someone as successful as her tell us that it's okay to not be sure of what you want to do in life, and it's okay if your life goes in a different direction than planned. I really enjoyed this lecture and I'm so glad I went!
ReplyDeleteRebecca Skloot's talk was really interesting to listen to. Hearing about the struggle from her personally really made the book feel more real to me. I truly enjoyed this event.
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