Rebecca Skloot
Rebecca Skloot | |
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Rebecca Skloot at the 2010 Texas Book Festival.
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Occupation | Science writer |
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Rebecca L. Skloot /ˈskluːt/ (born 19 Sep 1972, Springfield, Illinois) is a freelance science writer who specializes in science and medicine.[1] Her first book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (2010), was one of the best-selling new books of 2010, staying on the New York Times Bestseller List for over 2 years, eventually reaching #1 [2] and optioned to be made into a movie by Oprah Winfrey.[3]
Biography
Rebecca is the daughter of poet, novelist, and essayist Floyd Skloot[1] and Betsy McCarthy, a professional knitter and pattern book author. Skloot said "in the Pacific Northwest, [her] roots [are] half New York Jew and half Midwestern Protestant."[4] She got her high school diploma from Metropolitan Learning Center in Portland, Oregon.[5] After attending Portland Community College and becoming a Veterinary Technician, she received a BS in biological sciences from Colorado State University, and an MFA in creative nonfiction[1] from the University of Pittsburgh. She is a former vice president of the National Book Critics Circle[6] She has taught creative writing and science journalism at the University of Pittsburgh, New York University, and the University of Memphis.[7] She lives in Chicago, Illinois, with her long-time boyfriend, David Prete, an actor, author, and theater director.[8]
Skloot has published over 200 featured stories and essays.[1] Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, O: The Oprah Magazine, Discover, and New York magazine.[6] Skloot is also a contributing editor at Popular Science and has worked as a correspondent for NPR's Radiolab and PBS's NOVA scienceNOW.[1]
Her first book, the #1 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.[1] It was named a New York Times notable book, and selected as a best book of the year by more than 60 publications. It is being made into an HBO film produced by Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball.[9]
Her second book, exploring the science and ethics of human-animal relationships, is under contract with Crown Publishing Group.[10]
Skloot is an atheist.[11]
Awards
- 2011: National Academies of Science Best Book Award, winner, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- 2011: Audie Award for Best Nonfiction Audiobook, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- 2010: American Association for the Advancement of Science, Best Young Adult Book Award, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- 2010: Wellcome Trust Book Prize, winner, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- 2010: Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize, winner, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- 2010: Medical Journalists Association Book Award, General Nonfiction, winner, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- 2010: Chicago Tribune and Chicago Public Library 21st Century Award, winner
- 2010: Good Reads Choice Award, Best Debut Author and Best Nonfiction Book of the Year, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- 2010: Ambassador Book Award, winner, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
- 2010: Audie Award for Best Nonfiction Audiobook, 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 Authors, winner, "When Pets Attack"
- 2005: The Best American Essays, selection, "Putting the Gene Back in Genealogy"
- 2005: The Best American Travel Writing, selection, "Two Americas, Two Restaurants, One Town"
Memberships
- American Society of Journalists and Authors
- National Association of Science Writers
- National Book Critics Circle
Publications
Books
- "The Best American Science Writing" (Houghton Mifflin, 2011), co edited with "Floyd Skloot"
- The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (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 Times. 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 York magazine. October 11, 2004.
- Taking the Least of You. The New York Times Magazine. April 16, 2006.
- Creature Comforts. The New York Times Magazine. December 31, 2008.
- Some called her Miss Menten by Rebecca Skloot in Pittmed (University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine magazine), October 2000.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Jessica Teisch, "Floyd Skloot & Rebecca Skloot", in Bookmarks magazine, May/June 2010.
- ↑ "..eventually reaching #1" -- see [1] list for this stat, more recent stats are available. Last accessed January 2011.
- ↑ "Oprah and Alan Ball to Make Film of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks for HBO", May 12, 2010.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ [2] Portland Public Schools
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ David Prete official website
- ↑ Oprah and Alan Ball to Make Film of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, May 12, 2010
- ↑ New Skloot Book Announcement October 13, 2011
- ↑ In 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,' writer Rebecca Skloot shows us science's unsuspecting benefactor
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- 1972 births
- Living people
- University of Pittsburgh alumni
- American science writers
- American atheists
- American bloggers
- American women writers
- Colorado State University alumni
- University of Pittsburgh faculty
- New York University faculty
- University of Memphis faculty
- Women bloggers
- Women science writers
- Portland Community College alumni