Rebecca Skloot
Encyclopedia
Rebecca L. Skloot (ˈskluːt) is a freelance science writer who specializes in science and medicine. Her first book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
(2010), was one of the best-selling new books of the year, staying on the New York Times Bestseller List for over 32 weeks and optioned to be made into a movie by Oprah Winfrey
.
. She received a BS in biological sciences and an MFA in creative nonfiction
. She is a former vice president of the National Book Critics Circle
. She is faculty member at the yearly Mid-Atlantic Summer Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference and has taught creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh
and the University of Memphis
. She is also a writing mentor with the Creative Nonfiction
mentoring program.
Skloot has published over 200 featured stories and essays. Her work has appeared in The New York Times
, The New York Times Magazine
, O: The Oprah Magazine, Discover
, and New York magazine
. Skloot is also a contributing editor at Popular Science
and has worked as a correspondent for NPR
's Radiolab and PBS's NOVA scienceNOW
.
Her first book, the New York Times Bestselling The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
(2010), is about Henrietta Lacks
and the immortal cell line (known as HeLa
) that came from her cancer cells in 1951. On November 10, 2010 the book was awarded the Wellcome Trust Book Prize
, awarded annually to an outstanding work of fiction or non-fiction on the theme of health and medicine. It also was awarded a Salon Book Award, and selected as one The New York Times Notable Books of the Year.
Select articles
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a non-fiction book by American author Rebecca Skloot. It is about Henrietta Lacks and the immortal cell line, known as HeLa, that came from her cervical cancer cells in 1951. The book is notable for its accessible science writing and dealing with ethical...
(2010), was one of the best-selling new books of the year, staying on the New York Times Bestseller List for over 32 weeks and optioned to be made into a movie by Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...
.
Biography
Rebecca is the daughter of poet, novelist and essayist Floyd SklootFloyd Skloot
Floyd Skloot is an American poet, novelist, and memoirist who has often written about the search for meaning through personal loss and the struggle for coherence in a fragmented world...
. She received a BS in biological sciences and an MFA in creative nonfiction
Creative nonfiction
Creative nonfiction is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contrasts with other nonfiction, such as technical writing or journalism, which is also rooted in accurate fact, but is not primarily written in service...
. She is a former vice president of the National Book Critics Circle
National Book Critics Circle
The National Book Critics Circle is an American tax-exempt organization for active book reviewers. Its flagship is the National Book Critics Circle Award....
. She is faculty member at the yearly Mid-Atlantic Summer Creative Nonfiction Writers Conference and has taught creative writing at the University of Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
and the University of Memphis
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis is an American public research university located in the Normal Station neighborhood of Memphis, Tennessee and is the flagship public research university of the Tennessee Board of Regents system....
. She is also a writing mentor with the Creative Nonfiction
Creative Nonfiction (magazine)
Creative Nonfiction is a literary magazine based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. The journal was founded by Lee Gutkind in 1993 making it the first literary magazine to publish, exclusively and on a regular basis, high quality nonfiction prose...
mentoring program.
Skloot has published over 200 featured stories and essays. Her work has appeared in The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
, O: The Oprah Magazine, Discover
Discover (magazine)
Discover is an American science magazine that publishes articles about science for a general audience. The monthly magazine was launched in October 1980 by Time Inc. It was sold to Family Media, the owners of Health, in 1987. Walt Disney Company bought the magazine when Family Media went out of...
, and New York magazine
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
. Skloot is also a contributing editor at Popular Science
Popular Science
Popular Science is an American monthly magazine founded in 1872 carrying articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. Popular Science has won over 58 awards, including the ASME awards for its journalistic excellence in both 2003 and 2004...
and has worked as a correspondent for NPR
NPR
NPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
's Radiolab and PBS's NOVA scienceNOW
NOVA scienceNOW
NOVA scienceNOW is a newsmagazine version of the long running and venerable PBS science program Nova. Premiering on January 25, 2005, the series was originally hosted by Robert Krulwich, who described it as an experiment in coverage of "breaking science, science that's right out of the lab, science...
.
Her first book, the New York Times Bestselling The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a non-fiction book by American author Rebecca Skloot. It is about Henrietta Lacks and the immortal cell line, known as HeLa, that came from her cervical cancer cells in 1951. The book is notable for its accessible science writing and dealing with ethical...
(2010), is about Henrietta Lacks
Henrietta Lacks
Henrietta Lacks was an African-American woman who was the unwitting source of cells from her cancerous tumor, which were cultured by George Otto Gey to create an immortal cell line for medical research...
and the immortal cell line (known as HeLa
HeLa
A HeLa cell is a cell type in an immortal cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line was derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951 from Henrietta Lacks, a patient who eventually died of her cancer on October 4, 1951...
) that came from her cancer cells in 1951. On November 10, 2010 the book was awarded the Wellcome Trust Book Prize
Wellcome Trust Book Prize
Wellcome Trust Book Prize is an annual British literary award sponsored by Wellcome Trust. In keeping with the vision and goals of Wellcome Trust, the Book Prize honors "the best of medicine in literature", including fiction and non-fiction. The winner receives £25,000.The current prize for...
, awarded annually to an outstanding work of fiction or non-fiction on the theme of health and medicine. It also was awarded a Salon Book Award, and selected as one The New York Times Notable Books of the Year.
Awards
- 2010: Wellcome Trust Book PrizeWellcome Trust Book PrizeWellcome Trust Book Prize is an annual British literary award sponsored by Wellcome Trust. In keeping with the vision and goals of Wellcome Trust, the Book Prize honors "the best of medicine in literature", including fiction and non-fiction. The winner receives £25,000.The current prize for...
, winner, The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksThe Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a non-fiction book by American author Rebecca Skloot. It is about Henrietta Lacks and the immortal cell line, known as HeLa, that came from her cervical cancer cells in 1951. The book is notable for its accessible science writing and dealing with ethical... - 2010: Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize, winner, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- 2005: Best American Food Writing, selection, "Two Americas, Two Restaurants, One Town"
- 2005: Best Personal Essay of the Year by the American Society of Journalists and AuthorsAmerican Society of Journalists and AuthorsThe American Society of Journalists and Authors was founded in 1948 as the Society of Magazine Writers, and is an organization of independent nonfiction writers in the United States...
, winner, "When Pets Attack" - 2005: The Best American EssaysThe Best American EssaysThe Best American Essays is a yearly anthology of magazine articles published in the United States. It was started in 1986 and is now part of The Best American Series published by Houghton Mifflin...
, selection, "Putting the Gene Back in Genealogy" - 2005: The Best American Travel WritingThe Best American Travel WritingThe Best American Travel Writing is a yearly anthology of travel literature published in United States magazines. It was started in 2000 as part of The Best American Series published by Houghton Mifflin...
, selection, "Two Americas, Two Restaurants, One Town"
Memberships
- American Society of Journalists and AuthorsAmerican Society of Journalists and AuthorsThe American Society of Journalists and Authors was founded in 1948 as the Society of Magazine Writers, and is an organization of independent nonfiction writers in the United States...
- National Association of Science WritersNational Association of Science WritersThe National Association of Science Writers was created in 1934 by a dozen science journalists and reporters in New York City. The aim of the organization was to improve the craft of science journalism and to promote good science reportage....
- National Book Critics CircleNational Book Critics CircleThe National Book Critics Circle is an American tax-exempt organization for active book reviewers. Its flagship is the National Book Critics Circle Award....
Publications
Books- The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksThe Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a non-fiction book by American author Rebecca Skloot. It is about Henrietta Lacks and the immortal cell line, known as HeLa, that came from her cervical cancer cells in 1951. The book is notable for its accessible science writing and dealing with ethical...
(Crown/Random House, 2010)
Select articles
- Henrietta's Dance. Johns Hopkins Magazine. April 2000.
- An Obsession With Culture. Pitt Magazine. March 2001.
- Cells That Save Lives Are a Mother's Legacy. The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. November 17, 2001. - The Other Baby Experiment. The New York Times. February 22, 2003.
- Fixing Nemo. The New York Times. May 2, 2004.
- When Pets Attack. New YorkNew York (magazine)New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
magazine. October 11, 2004. - Taking the Least of You. The New York Times MagazineThe New York Times MagazineThe New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
. April 16, 2006. - Creature Comforts. The New York Times Magazine. December 31, 2008.