WSW
Member since Jul 11, 2009
Recent Comments
Re: “Rebecca Skloot: Here; There; Everywhere”
By the way, to hear Skloot's comments on the race angle, check this out: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.p…
Re: “Rebecca Skloot: Here; There; Everywhere”
Have you read the book? I have, and don't really see the claim that you're saying it makes. I do think there's a bigger question that Skloot addresses, one that lots of people are interested in, and that is the question of tissue ownership, in general, not just Lacks's. There are interesting ethical, maybe moral, issues of informed consent that I think do need to be addressed, not just by scientists, but by the legal community. To say that this story is only about race is just silly. Further, "their attitude" is definitely not unheard of.
Regardless, in the end, this is a fascinating story. HeLa cells are fascinating, and would be even if they were from a white male from the other side of the Hopkins complex.
Re: “Heard: A Midtown Junkyard?”
I love it! Broad would be awesome!!!!
Re: “Writers Series This Fall? Not So Much”
I suppose it may not be common to do contracts, but I think there is a sort of tacit agreement that any books sold will come through the bookstore, does that make sense? On campus, any books sold would have to go through the University bookstore.
Regardless, I think the RCWS will rise again. It's so true that it's an asset to our community, and certainly to the students. Just in the past couple of years we've had Pulitzer prize winners, National Book Award winners, poets, journalists, novelists, nonfictionists . . . a really great collection.
Re: “Writers Series This Fall? Not So Much”
That may be true, Jeff, but generally, writers coming through town on tour are committed to whatever bookstore is bringing them in, often there is a contractual obligation to only appear in one spot. Also, amazingly, The University charges for the use of almost all the rooms on campus where one might host a reading, and, then dining services charges for setting up a water station, or whatever. So, just because we might be able to successfully ask artists to give of their time for free (something that is very common, and frequently annoying, as if an artist's time is not worth much), that doesn't really mitigate the expense of having an event. If you've ever been to a reading in Patterson 456 (the multi-purpose aka Free room), you'll know that it's not exactly inspiring (to the artist or the audience).
Anyone want to hold a bake sale for RCWS?!
Re: “Writers Series This Fall? Not So Much”
You're so right that it is a sad state of affairs. Unfortunately money just doesn't seem to flow quite as easily into the halls of Patterson as it does a few blocks to the north. Still, we do have a few writers coming through town this fall, at least one under the moniker of RCWS. Robert Root will be reading on October 1st in Mitchell Hall at 7pm.
Robert Root is co-author of The Fourth Genre: Contemporary Writers of/on Creative Nonfiction and author of E. B. White: The Emergence of an Essayist, Wordsmithery, and Working at Writing: Columnists and Critics Composing. His essays have been published in The North Dakota Quarterly, The Dunes Review, The Rockhurst Review, and elsewhere. He teaches nonfiction, editing, and composition at Central Michigan University.
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Re: “Fullilove Withdraws Non-Discrimination Ordinance & Resolution”
I'm so sorry, y'all. That's a big old bummer. I'm glad, though, that you are going to wait until you can get a fair hearing instead of pushing ahead when it's clear that there are too many forces working against equality.