Okay for Now

I was blown away by Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt which I finished last night. I couldn't put it down once I got into it.

Schmidt lives over on McCords Avenue in the house Kim and Cindy Arnold lived in for a short time. I would like to meet him. He was signing books at Costco yesterday and I was right in there at Schueler's. I could have stopped.

I read on-line that this book should get a Newbery Award and I agree. It will be eligible for next year's awards and the contenders come out next January.

Can't wait to talk to you about the book.

The Road

I started The Road this afternoon. It was a windy, cold and rainy day which is just perfect because the story is very gray. You can almost feel the ash that covers everything in the story.

I'm enjoying McCarthy's use of words and how he makes words that you have to think about. Words that I don't think are real words but you know exactly what he means. Some examples are on page 3 "rimstone pool".

Some lines have really stood out to me. On page 11 "If only my heart were stone." I think he means that the trials and hard times of life really hurt us and it would be easier if we didn't have feelings.

I'm on page 100 now and I'll get back to my reading.

Hi Bren, I just got back from the book store. I picked a book called "The Road" by Cormac McCarthy. It has been made into a movie and won a pulitzer. I hope you like it. My only fear is that it is a little dark. I don't think it is going to have a good ending and I like books with good endings. I think we will be glad we read this book. The author gets good reviews on his literary value - hope I said that right. Let me know what you think. k

I finished the book and am on my way to the book store. It sounded at the end of the book like some of the in-bred and syphillis was working out of the blood line. How did the black culture hit you throughout the book?

I am loving the Book too - GREAT PICK

Hi Br, It is a good book. I am learning a lot of things. I was especially surprized to learn how uninformed that family was about very important things. I never really believed black people were at any disadvantage socially, but I am rethinking that. I was into the book late last night, and thought "I better not finish this book now or Br won't want to do the book club with me". So, being you finished, I am going to finish it this afternoon. It sounds like a great afternoon. I have picked my drivers for todays race and a good book - what a day! If the book store is open here in the Soo, I will run down and take a look for our next book :). We can officially start a new book tomorrow. K

Finished!

I know I said that I was going slow but it was raining hard all day today and the story was so good, I couldn't put it down. I just have the Afterword to read. What a story.

I read in the GR Press article that I linked to in my previous post that the author was in GR in late March. I would like to have heard her.

HeLa at the VanAndel Institute

Hey Kate, I just found this article about the HeLa cells at the VanAndel Institute. Pretty cool.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2011/03/immortal_henrietta_lacks_is_ev.html

This is what a researcher from the Institute said:

"He says HeLa cells are among their most valuable tools."

Microbiological Associates

I'm just reading on page 100-101 about the multi-millions that Microbiological Associates made selling HeLa cells. My question is why didn't they share some of those multi-millions with the Lacks family.

I googled Samuel Reader and found an obituary for Monroe Vincent who is mentioned on page 100 as the business partner of Samuel Reader. Read it here: obit

John Hopkins Statement

I just read a statement by John Hopkins regarding the legality of their taking of Henrietta Lack's cancer cells. This raises questions for me about the morality of this process. What do you think? Does John Hopkins have some guilt in taking advantage of a poor black woman?

John Hopkins link

I am checking to make sure this works.

Science Teachers

I've talked to a couple of Science teachers about HeLa cells and they had never heard of them. Both are going to read this book now.

Harriette Lacks

Great Book! I am amazed at the ignorance of Harriette's family regarding her sickness, death and HeLa!