Volume XXXVI, No. 12 | April 11, 2014

Highlights of a Bestseller on Campus

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot was so intriguing that Illinois Central College faculty from various disciplines collaborated to read, write, and start a conversation from the common book concept, an extension of the community’s “Peoria Reads” project. To understand the backstory of a woman’s search for medical care, Skloot, a science writer and journalist, gathered a wealth of information and wrote a book about medical research in the life and times of Henrietta Lacks. Her findings and the dilemmas inherent in the recovery of Lacks’ cells, called HeLa cells, are written in the narrative form with heavy emphasis on dialogue, scene-setting, and slice-of-life details.

Under the auspices of the English Department’s program, “Between the Lines,” which shares literary topics with the community, the Skloot book corresponded with the program’s mission statement: “to serve our community by applying a scholarly lens to culturally relevant literary topics.” To this end, the book was used across the curriculum for further exploration at various levels.

Across the Curriculum

In a women’s studies class, the topics of bioethics and human research were used to start a conversation about the roles of women as wife, mother, daughter, and caregiver. Science, ethics, class, and race were included in the lists of discussion topics.

In a journalism class, the book was used to illustrate immersion journalism, investigative journalism, science reporting, and the new journalism form of storytelling. Students were asked to research how technology helped Rebecca Skloot keep current with her project over 10 years and how she was able to capture the essence of her cast of characters. Using the tools available to journalists today (e.g., PowerPoint, Twitter, Facebook, the web), students illustrated how Skloot’s task of information gathering could have been easier.

In film studies, students watched The Way of All Flesh, a 2010 BBC documentary that follows scientists and the HeLa cells?the cells that created the first immortal human cell line.

In nursing classes, the book initiated discussion about the Patient Bill of Rights and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. The students were also introduced to computerized records and privacy issues related to health care. In many of the classes, a controversial topic often discussed was patients’ rights to their tissues after a procedure.

Students in mythology and creative writing classes were encouraged to attend events in the community related to the book.

Librarian Amy Glass, who represented the college on the “Peoria Reads” committee, indicated that the library purchased 100 copies to distribute to college students. “Within a week, we had given away all of them,” Glass said.

In Conclusion
The community reads project was a success, with over 100 people attending the Between the Lines session. “The audience was much more diverse at this event than normal,” said Professor Jennifer Hopp, who coordinated the session. “Our typical attendance consists of mostly English, Humanities, and Language Studies students who are usually students of faculty members who support the program by announcing it or attaching an assignment to the presentation. This one had wider participation.”

Catharine Schaidle, English and Language Studies
Edwina Jordan, English and Language Studies

For further information, contact the authors at Illinois Central College, 1 College Drive, East Peoria, IL 61635. Emails: CS024A@icc.edu and Ejordan@icc.edu