Laura Hillenbrand (Seabiscuit) makes top 10 of the decade

[_Kim_]

Monday, December 14, 2009
Horserace Insider

Deck the Halls With the Passing Decade

LOS ANGELES, December 15, 2009--We may have to call it the No Name Decade, because to date neither the wordsmiths nor the historians have been able to pigeonhole 2000-2009. The previous decades were easy--the Nineties, the Eighties and so on, but the 10 years just past have escaped hard definition. Slate took a hearty swing, but 2000-2009 came in low and outside, and all the online magazine could manage was "the Aughts," which is like hitting a foul popup to the catcher. Shamelessly bouncing off Slate, the New York Times floated "the Aughties," which doesn't roll off the tongue, either. On its cover, New York magazine resorted to "the 00's." We've got to keep trying, we've got a few days left in 2009. Whatever they might eventually be labeled, the years 2000-2009 will be most remembered for the following by horse racing, which as usual was going through the best and worst of times:

10. Seabiscuit, in print and on the screen. Laura Hillenbrand overcame chronic fatigue syndrome to write a 2001 bestseller, then two years later the film about the legendary horse would earn seven Oscar nominations, including one for best picture. The movie didn't make jockey-turned-actor Gary Stevens a star, but following Spencer Tracy's advice ("know your lines and don't bump into the furniture") he had a nice turn as George Woolf. The movie didn't save racing, but that was a silly idea to begin with, and at least it must have been the impetus for future films about Ruffian, Secretariat and Julie Krone.

 

[MEKoan]

OMG! I am awash in goosebumps!!!

That's fantastic!

Woohoo!

 

[V99]

Excellent.

the 00 should be called the naughties.

 

[_Kim_]

Excellent.

the 00 should be called the naughties.

Good one V99

 

[leelaplay]

Excellent.

the 00 should be called the naughties.

so good V99!

I think you ought to send your idea to Slate and the nyTImes before someone else tries to claim it!

islandfinn

 

[Robin]

I often wonder how she's been doing. She's was so graciously out-of-the-closet about CFS and how it affected her. I recall my in-law's father mentioning that he had heard her speaking on NPR and finally understood what I've been going through. That's like getting a Christmas present!

She was supposed to write another book but apparently her health has declined. I hope she's OK.

For anyone that missed it, here is the article she wrote about her health. It was published in The New Yorker.

 

[MEG]

Loved her article in the New Yorker magazine. I believe she has been very quiet for some time now. However, my brain fogged mind remembers that her new book is supposed to come out in 2010...but take that as rumor because I can't remember where I heard it. (UUGGGHH) I hope she is doing OK...she was oh so ill...and may still be. OH many of us are ,UGH again

 

[Robin]

However, my brain fogged mind remembers that her new book is supposed to come out in 2010...but take that as rumor because I can't remember where I heard it. (UUGGGHH) I hope she is doing OK...she was oh so ill...and may still be. OH many of us are ,UGH again

OK, I just found a brief interview with her on NPR.org about XMRV

Her symptoms, including pain and vertigo, have been so severe that she's only left her house twice in the last two years.

Poor Laura! She seems to have periods of semi-remission and then very bad relapse. I hope she's able to work on her book.

 

[gracenote]

Hillenbrand in The New Yorker, October 15

The New Yorker has an interview with Laura Hillenbrand from October 15 about XMRV.

The C.F.S. community is all abuzz. Ive never seen people this excited. And it is for good reason. As for myself, I am guardedly optimistic. Ive been around this block before. The findings are very preliminary and they do need to be replicated.

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blog...llenbrand.html

 

[MEG]

So sad that she is so ill. She mentions fevers, chills and sweats and pain...OMG do I understand and empathize with her.

I am sure if she were stronger we would hear more from her.

 

[Marylib]

Laura

She posted recently on the CAA facebook site ... I think that was where I saw it ...Heh, heh....little memory problem...teflon brain.