November 19 — Masha Gessen on Blood Matters … From Inherited Illness to Designer Babies, How the World and I Found Ourselves in the Future of the Gene
What would you do if genetic testing revealed that you were predisposed to breast cancer? As journalist Masha Gessen struggled with this question, she explored the landscape of this brave new world, speaking with others like her and with experts including medical researchers, historians, and religious thinkers.
When: Wednesday, November 19, 7 pm
Where: Arthur M. Glick JCC, 6701 Hoover Road, Indianapolis, IN 46260
Part of the 10th Anniversary Year Ann Katz Festival of Books. Co-sponsored by the Alan & Linda Cohen Center for Jewish Learning and Living at Congregation Beth-El Zedeck
In 2004 genetic testing revealed that Masha Gessen had a mutation that predisposed her to ovarian and breast cancer. The discovery initiated Gessen into a club of sorts: the small (but exponentially expanding) group of people in possession of a new and different way of knowing themselves through what is inscribed in the strands of their DNA. As she wrestled with a wrenching personal decision—what to do with such knowledge—Gessen explored the landscape of this brave new world, speaking with others like her and with experts including medical researchers, historians, and religious thinkers.
Why does Provocate think you should attend this event?
Long one of the top journalists covering Russia, Gessen’s combination of reporting skills and personal connection make this one of the most widely discussed recent books about our biotechnological present and possible futures.
If you think this sounds interesting, be sure to check out …
The November 9 discussion “Imagining Our Medical Future: The Ethics of Predictive Genetic Testing and the Search for Personalized Drugs.”
Know before you go:
You can read Gessen’s series of articles in Slate that became the core of her book.
