Rebecca L. Skloot (born September 19, 1972) is an American

science writer Science journalism conveys reporting about science to the public. The field typically involves interactions between scientists, journalists, and the public. Origins Modern science journalism dates back to ''Digdarshan'' (means showing the di ...

who specializes in science and medicine.Jessica Teisch, "Floyd Skloot & Rebecca Skloot", in '' Bookmarks'', May/June 2010. 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 6 years and eventually reaching #1. It was adapted into a movie by George C. Wolfe, which premiered on

HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...

on April 22, 2017, and starred

Rose Byrne Mary Rose Byrne (born 24 July 1979) is an Australian actress. She made her screen debut in the film ''Dallas Doll'' (1994), and continued to act in Australian film and television throughout the 1990s. She obtained her first leading film role i ...

as Skloot, and Oprah Winfrey as Lacks's daughter Deborah.

Early life and education

Rebecca was born in

Springfield, Illinois Springfield is the capital of the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat and largest city of Sangamon County. The city's population was 114,394 at the 2020 census, which makes it the state's seventh most-populous city, the second largest o ...

. She is the daughter of poet, novelist, and essayist

Floyd Skloot Floyd Skloot (born July 6, 1947) is an American poet, novelist, and memoirist. Some of his work concerns his experience with neurological damage caused by a virus contracted in 1988. His book ''In the Shadow of Memory'' gained favorable critica ...

and Betsy McCarthy, a professional knitter and pattern book author. Skloot said "in the

Pacific Northwest The Pacific Northwest (sometimes Cascadia, or simply abbreviated as PNW) is a geographic region in western North America bounded by its coastal waters of the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains to the east. Though ...

, erroots rehalf New York

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

and half Midwestern

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

." She received her high school diploma from Metropolitan Learning Center in

Portland, Oregon Portland (, ) is a port city in the Pacific Northwest and the largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon. Situated at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers, Portland is the county seat of Multnomah County, the most populous co ...

. After attending

Portland Community College Portland Community College (PCC) is a public community college in Portland, Oregon. It is the largest post-secondary institution in the state and serves residents in the five-county area of Multnomah, Washington, Yamhill, Clackamas, and Colu ...

and becoming a

Veterinary Technician Paraveterinary worker is the professional of veterinary science that performs procedures autonomously or semi autonomously, as part of a veterinary assistance system. The job role varies throughout the world, and common titles include veterinary n ...

, she received a BS in biological sciences from

Colorado State University Colorado State University (Colorado State or CSU) is a public land-grant research university in Fort Collins, Colorado. It is the flagship university of the Colorado State University System. Colorado State University is classified among "R1: ...

, and an MFA in

creative nonfiction Creative nonfiction (also known as literary nonfiction or narrative nonfiction or literary journalism or verfabula) is a genre of writing that uses literary styles and techniques to create factually accurate narratives. Creative nonfiction contra ...

from the

University of Pittsburgh The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the universit ...

. She is a former vice president of the

National Book Critics Circle The National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) is an American nonprofit organization ( 501(c)(3)) with more than 700 members. It is the professional association of American book review editors and critics, known primarily for the National Book Critics C ...

Career

She has taught creative writing and science journalism at the

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

, and the

University of Memphis } The University of Memphis (UofM) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 22,000 students. The university maintains the Herff College of Engineering ...

. Skloot has published over 200 featured stories and essays. Her work has appeared in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', ''

The New York Times Magazine ''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine Supplement (publishing), supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted man ...

'', '' O: The Oprah Magazine'', ''

Discover Discover may refer to: Art, entertainment, and media * ''Discover'' (album), a Cactus Jack album * ''Discover'' (magazine), an American science magazine Businesses and brands * DISCover, the ''Digital Interactive Systems Corporation'' * D ...

'', and ''New York'' magazine. Skloot is also a contributing editor at ''

Popular Science ''Popular Science'' (also known as ''PopSci'') is an American digital magazine carrying popular science content, which refers to articles for the general reader on science and technology subjects. ''Popular Science'' has won over 58 awards, incl ...

'' and has worked as a correspondent for

NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...

's ''

Radiolab ''Radiolab'' is a radio program produced by WNYC, a public radio station in New York City, and broadcast on public radio stations in the United States. The show is nationally syndicated and is available as a podcast. Live shows were first off ...

'' and

PBS The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...

's '' NOVA scienceNOW''. Her first book, the #1 ''New York Times'' bestselling '' The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'' (2010), is about

Henrietta Lacks Henrietta Lacks (born Loretta Pleasant; August 1, 1920 – October 4, 1951) Note: Some sources report her birthday as August 2, 1920, vs. August 1, 1920. was an African-American woman whose cancer cells are the source of the HeLa cell line ...

and the

immortal Immortality is the ability to live forever, or eternal life. Immortal or Immortality may also refer to: Film * ''The Immortals'' (1995 film), an American crime film * ''Immortality'', an alternate title for the 1998 British film '' The Wisdom of ...

cell line An immortalised cell line is a population of cells from a multicellular organism which would normally not proliferate indefinitely but, due to mutation, have evaded normal cellular senescence and instead can keep undergoing division. The cell ...

(known as

HeLa HeLa (; also Hela or hela) is an immortalized cell line used in scientific research. It is the oldest and most commonly used human cell line. The line is derived from cervical cancer cells taken on February 8, 1951, named after Henrietta La ...

) that came from her cancer cells in 1951. It was named a ''New York Times'' notable book, and selected as a best book of the year by more than 60 publications. It was made into an HBO film produced by Oprah Winfrey and Alan Ball with

portraying Skloot. In reviewing the book, Karen Long quotes Skloot and describes the long process to find a publisher: "The Lackses challenged everything I thought I knew about faith, science, journalism and race," Skloot writes in her prologue. Stubbornly, she put a decade into telling this story, learning as much from the family as she was able to dig up herself. The book went through three publishing houses and four editors." Skloot and Henrietta's daughter Deborah formed a link in the writing of this book, which Deborah sees as her mother's hand guiding them. Her second book, exploring the science and ethics of human–animal relationships, was put under contract with

Crown Publishing Group The Crown Publishing Group is a subsidiary of Penguin Random House that publishes across several fiction and non-fiction categories. Originally founded in 1933 as a remaindered books wholesaler called Outlet Book Company, the firm expanded into ...

in 2011. Her past work with animals in shelters, as a vet tech, in research facilities, and at an animal morgue prompted her interest in the ethical controversies surrounding animal use for science. She discussed the topics of the book at the Chicago Humanities Festival in 2013. She spoke with researchers at Harvard University about it in 2015.

Awards and honors

Rebecca Skloot talks at the University of Missouri

* 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 The American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) was founded in 1948 as the Society of Magazine Writers, and is the professional association of independent nonfiction writers in the United States. History The organization was established in ...

, winner, "When Pets Attack" * 2005

The Best American Essays ''The Best American Essays'' is a yearly anthology of magazine articles published in the United States.Robert Atwan (ed.), Adam Gopnick (guest ed.). ''The Best American Essays 2008'', Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2008. It was started in 1986 and is ...

, selection, "Putting the Gene Back in Genealogy" * 2005

The Best American Travel Writing ''The Best American Travel Writing'' was 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. Essays were chosen using the same pro ...

, selection, "Two Americas, Two Restaurants, One Town" * 2010

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

, 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 The Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize is a literary prize created in 1988 by the newspaper ''The Chicago Tribune''. It is awarded yearly in two categories: Fiction and Nonfiction. These prizes are awarded to books that "reinforce and perpetuate the v ...

, winner, ''The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'' * 2010 Medical Journalists' Association Open Book Awards, General Nonfiction, winner, ''The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'' * 2010 ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' and

Chicago Public Library The Chicago Public Library (CPL) is the public library system that serves the City of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. It consists of 81 locations, including a central library, two regional libraries, and branches distributed throughout the ...

21st Century Award, winner * 2010

Audie Award The Audie Awards (, rhymes with "gaudy"; abbreviated from ''audiobook''), or simply the Audies, are awards for achievement in spoken word, particularly audiobook narration and audiodrama performance, published in the United States of America. They ...

for Best Nonfiction Audiobook, ''The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'' * 2011

Ambassador Book Award The Ambassador Book Award (1986–2011) was presented annually by the English-Speaking Union. It recognized important literary and non-fiction works that contributed to the understanding and interpretation of American life and culture. Winners of ...

, winner (Biography), ''The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'' * 2011

National Academies of Science The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the Nati ...

Communication Awards, winner in Best Book category, ''The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'' * 2011

for Best Nonfiction Audiobook, ''The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks''

Memberships

National Association of Science Writers The National Association of Science Writers (NASW) was created in 1934 by a dozen science journalists and reporters in New York City.

Publications

Books * ''

The Best American Science Writing ''The Best American Science Writing'' was a yearly anthology of popular science articles published in the United States, which commenced publication in 2000. The book series was published by Ecco Press (HarperCollins) and concluded after the 2012 i ...

'' (Houghton Mifflin, 2011), co edited with Floyd Skloot * '' The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks'' (Crown/Random House, 2010) Select articles
Excerpt from "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks"
"Oprah Magazine, February 2010

"New York Times" March 23, 2013

"New York Times" Dec 30, 2015

''Johns Hopkins Magazine''. April 2000.

''Pitt Magazine''. March 2001.

''

''. November 17, 2001. * ttps://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/22/opinion/the-other-baby-experiment.html?sec=health&pagewanted=print The Other Baby Experiment ''The New York Times''. February 22, 2003.
Fixing Nemo
''The New York Times''. May 2, 2004.

'' New York'' magazine. October 11, 2004.
Taking the Least of You
''

''. 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

External links

*
The Henrietta Lacks Foundation
*
Ubben Lecture at DePauw University

Review of 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' on Mother Nature Network

Audio Interview

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skloot, Rebecca 1972 births Living people University of Pittsburgh alumni American medical journalists American science writers American bloggers Colorado State University alumni University of Pittsburgh faculty New York University faculty University of Memphis faculty American women bloggers Women science writers Portland Community College alumni Wellcome Book Prize American women non-fiction writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers American people of Jewish descent American women academics 21st-century American women writers