The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Sklootby Judy SteiningerOctober 10, 2012 What if your mother died and you learned years later that her cells were being propagated in labs around the world? You also learn that, because of her cells, an untold number of lives have been saved and important medical accomplishments made. What would you think? The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks reveals a true story far stranger than any science fiction novel. With both tenderness and scientific knowledge, Skloot relates how a young, poor tobacco farmer living during a highly racially charged era achieved immortality through her cells. Interestingly, some of those same cells are in the biomedical labs at MSOE. |
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Presenter
Judith Steininger is a professor emeritus at MSOE. She has also taught at UW-Milwaukee, Boston College and as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kenya, East Africa. She is a free lance writer both locally and nationally. In 2010, she published two essays-one on Willa Cather’s Pulitzer Prize novel One of Oursand another on Jim Harrison’s novella collection The Farmer’s Daughter. She regularly contributes to Milwaukee Public Radio’s “Lake Effect” program. Her bachelor’s degree is in chemistry from the University of Kentucky and master’s in literature from Boston College. Steininger taught the first Great Books discussion, Arrowsmith. The Milwaukee Press Club awarded her cover story “Hot Stuff” the Best Feature Length Magazine Article for 2006 in a statewide competition.Menu
Appetizer - Pita chips and roasted red pepper hummus
Soup/salad - Cape Malay Curried Corn Chowder
Entrée - Ginger Salmon Filet, Baked Lentils and Green Beans, Bell Peppers, Red Onions and Carrots
Dessert - South African Marshmallow Dessert
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