Tasmanian Devil via Wikipedia
Like many, I look forward every year to the publication of the Best American volumes; my favorite is the short fiction one, but over the years, I’ve picked up volumes in each category and always found something worthwhile, something beautifully written. So when I saw The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2009
I flipped first to “The Itch,” an essay by renowned doctor and writer Atul Gawande, and was engrossed almost immediately. However, by the end, I was second-guessing my decision to read it over lunch. I think a turning point must have been the description of the woman who itched through her scalp into her skull until brain fluid was leaking out. Ahem.
Next, I tried “Contagious Cancer,” a piece by David Quammen about Tasmanian devils and what scientists have learned about cancer by observing them. At least, I think that’s what it’s about; I haven’t yet made it past the page where a scientist mentioned tumors on a Tasmanian devil’s face that were “crumbly, like feta cheese” when excised. Did I mention I was eating pizza at the time?
So in the future, while I look forward to finishing the other essays, I won’t be doing it while eating. Or looking at food, or being anywhere near it.
Shudder.
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- Has an infectious cancer doomed Tasmanian devils to extinction? (scientificamerican.com)
Jackie Is Reading..... 
In some sort of weird twist of fate, I, too, recently read “The Itch,” although it was on the New Yorker website and I forget how I even found it. Fascinating and well-written, but truly disturbing. I could see that woman’s experience being adapted into a David Cronenberg film, since body horror is one of his main themes. And if you like David Quammen’s writing style, I would highly recommend Monster of God: The Man-Eating Predator in the Jungles of History and the Mind.
Oh, that would be such a creepy film–phantom itching for all the filmgoers, for sure! Thanks for the book tip, I’ll add it to my list.
I had a similar experience reading Steven Johnson’s The Ghost Map, about the 1854 cholera epidemic in London. Really interesting book, but I found it impossible to read about cholera while eating! And this meant it took me much longer to get through the book; I’d never realized before how much I associate meals with reading during them, especially in the summer, when that’s my lunchtime routine.
Yes–my mother used to hound me (rightfully) about not reading at the table during dinner, and I always swore that when I was an adult, I would eat and read whenever I wanted. I try not to do it during dinner, but all other meals are fair game.