Nonfiction Writers Being Human

The first site that appears following a Google search of Rebecca Skloot is Rebecca Skloot.com. The site is geared towards being interactive; besides a standard bio and book reviews, the sidebar options encourage engagement that goes beyond blandly cruising her website. Additional PDFs are available for book club and academic situations; "bonus" photos not included in the book of the Lacks family and Skloot are easily browsed, as well as archival scientific photos. Video footage of interviews and other productions, such as a BBC documentary pertinent to Skloot's work, is also available. "The HeLa Forum" attempts to unite the perspectives of all participants, asking for input and opinion from reading groups, general readers, and the scientific community. Lastly, a prominent link will redirect interested readers to The Henrietta Lacks Foundation, expanding involvement and aid inspired by her work into real-time.

All of these components make Skloot seem very accessible as an author; the level of feedback encouragement is apparent at every turn. And, I would agree with a character in the book, that Skloot does exude a warm, humanistic aura in the many photos and videos of her on the site, signing books and answering questions. The last few tidbits of her bio page entry solidifies her as a real person; I won't soon forget that she is an avid knitter (as is her mother) and, best of all, she attracts and keeps stray animals.

Comparing Skloot to Tracy Kidder, author of Strength in What Remains, both authors have a humanistic bent, promoting the nonprofit organizations they have formed or helped to form on their websites. This initiative seems slightly stronger with Kidder; while some videos, a movie trailer, and one measly interview with the author are offered, they are more obscure within the structure of the website, tracykidder.com. Links to health organizations Partners in Health and Village Health Works are found under several headings. All of Kidder's books are neatly iconized under the heading "Books" with short reviews, but few additional links or multimedia feeds accompanying them. Unlike Skloot, Kidder's bio reads as a checklist form of accomplishments, mainly academic, and is cold and distant in comparison to the level of interaction and compassion found in his actual works. Lastly, Kidder seems oddly distant again in terms of reaching out to his readership when, upon clicking on the "Appearances" tab, we are only told to check back later for updates, and left with disappointing blank space.