I read the HeLa book, and I found most fascinating the dynamics between the author and the family. It was a nice change from the "white person swoops in and saves the black people" narrative.

I already knew about that cancer treatment because I am pretty sure that Anais Nin had the same treatment, and at one point I actually read all of her diaries.

ETA: every time I think about HeLa I get earwormed with Hey Ya!

Is HaNa is first two initials of first and last name, ita?

I cannot recommend Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks highly enough. It's just so well done and so fascinating. I read it from the library on my Nook and then I bought a hardcopy of the paperback. I am thinking of getting a class set and having my seniors read it as a their book from my class.

The assumption being that people with terminal cancer want to spend more of their remaining time getting daily colonics?

I don't know. I am skeptical about cleanses to begin with. I get the point, but I kinda think it's bunk. Essentially at We Care, you do a juice fast for 4 days with daily colonics and then you break your fast with a dehydrated rice cracker and some lemon. My yoga teacher's friend basically felt like that cracker was the best thing she's ever eaten. And she left having seen the light on how great cleanses are so now she wants to be a raw food vegan. Sigh.

Sophia, this is kind of tangential, but an acquaintance of mine who works in a costume shop at my former place of employment has a blog you might find interesting: [link] Lots of detailed info on the rigs she makes, and hats, and safety, and reducing the water needed for dying, and all kinds of things. She teaches MFA students, among other things.

I found most fascinating the dynamics between the author and the family. It was a nice change from the "white person swoops in and saves the black people" narrative.

Absolutely. And the deep suspicion the family had about Skloot herself. And the insane duration of the relationship. So much of it is riveting.

Also, David, thank you for the nice comment on my "mastery". I have been feeling more and more that what I have to learn now has more to do with sharing what I know and how I do that than learning new skills, although there are certainly skills that I lack. But as a broad-based costume person, I know at least a little bit about how to do a lot of things. And if I just keep doing those things and don't share them, I am doing my students a disservice.

Sophia, this is kind of tangential, but an acquaintance of mine who works in a costume shop at my former place of employment has a blog you might find interesting: [link] Lots of detailed info on the rigs she makes, and hats, and safety, and reducing the water needed for dying, and all kinds of things. She teaches MFA students, among other things.

Thank you! I will check it out! It looks really nteresting.

Is HaNa is first two initials of first and last name, ita?

Yup. His login ID is first name and two initials of his last name, so it's not much of a stretch.

I think I have a chocolate addiction.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is fantastic. My favorite part of the book was Skloot's relationship with the family. I also highly recommend The Emperor of All Maladies for a fascinating history of cancer treatment.

And the storm damage continues. Got woken up at 11:30 by a cute dude banging on my door informing me I'm about to lose power. Now I can't sleep as they cut the tree down from my line and keeping hearing thumps from the street that sound like they're right outside my door as the tree hits ground piece by piece.

I also highly recommend The Emperor of All Maladies for a fascinating history of cancer treatment.

This is on my TBR list. I keep picking it up at the store. I should just put it on reserve at the library. I love nonfiction!