tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199038920161794698.post4461125408793596422..comments2024-03-17T03:19:46.208-04:00Comments on Color Online: A Letter For Oprah Winfrey (updated)Color Onlinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15062017327837729986noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199038920161794698.post-14685745250152396822010-09-24T15:20:55.144-04:002010-09-24T15:20:55.144-04:00Excellent points, Doret!Excellent points, Doret!Tarie Sabidohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04105469967850020791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199038920161794698.post-74399840734390291922010-09-22T06:33:42.679-04:002010-09-22T06:33:42.679-04:00Now I'm usually the first to defend Oprah. I l...Now I'm usually the first to defend Oprah. I love her!!!!!!!!!!!!!! However I was also disappointed about her latest pick. Franzen was very rude the last time she picked his book so why choose him again. He was also getting lots of buzz before Oprah picked him, so he didn't really need her nod. It would have been great if she had chose an under the radar author. On her premiere show she said she asked his permision before announcing his book.Do you think she was just trying to get some closure or something? Anyway, I won't be reading the book. I will stick to those who need a shout-out.Jeanninehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16091328966209234319noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199038920161794698.post-8632342495420032252010-09-20T21:51:25.355-04:002010-09-20T21:51:25.355-04:00Tere- It was 2004 The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck...Tere- It was 2004 The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck. I just updated the letter.Dorethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08676911030014718403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199038920161794698.post-82933849324274160242010-09-20T15:14:26.177-04:002010-09-20T15:14:26.177-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Tere Kirklandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13562750950130316280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199038920161794698.post-3554184714547574052010-09-20T15:13:17.445-04:002010-09-20T15:13:17.445-04:00(I think in 2004 she chose at least one book by a ...(I think in 2004 she chose at least one book by a woman. Of course, it was written when my grandmother was a little girl...)<br /><br />Sorry, Oprah, but some contemporary fiction would have been nice, too. And maybe a book by a Latino author who isn't already the most prize-winning author in Latin America.<br /><br />What about exposing your audience to something they may not have otherwise been exposed to? Which, in many cases would be a book by a woman of color, since these books often receive much less publicity and attention than they deserve.<br /><br />You could have used the book club to bring more attention to these overlooked authors and their wonderful books. Maybe that seems like an agenda, but there are certainly worse agendas a powerful woman could have than to introduce her vast audience to books that may resonate more with them and the struggles of their daily lives than Franzen's.<br /><br />With influence like yours, you could have changed the way the country looks at books by black writers OTHER THAN Toni Morrison (who is doubtless a great writer, but who doesn't need the press). You could have shown publishers that white people WILL buy a book with a black person on the cover, written by a black author. You could have turned the entire industry on its head and left a legacy behind you that people would remember long after the memories of Tom Cruise jumping on your couch are gone. <br /><br />Instead you chose not one but TWO Faulkner books in 2005, just like my high school A.P. English class did a dozen years ago. Very cutting edge.<br /><br />What about all the contemporary authors whose books came out that year? Like Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go? Memoirs like Walls' The Glass Castle, or Didion's Year of Magical Thinking?<br /><br />No, the only contemporary novels that get chosen are the ones that already have a ton of buzz. But I bet you wish you would have waited a little longer to choose A Million Little Pieces.<br /><br />Perkins' Wench would be a great choice for a final book club selection. I do love Allende, and her latest, but don't think she needs the publicity as badly. <br /><br />Great post, Doret.Tere Kirklandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13562750950130316280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199038920161794698.post-33050959341823603682010-09-20T04:37:39.048-04:002010-09-20T04:37:39.048-04:00Lu - I was very surprised 2002 was the last time O...Lu - I was very surprised 2002 was the last time Oprah picked a female author but I doubled checked the book list more than a few times. <br /><br />Amy -I agree. Say You're One of Them is a good selection for anyone who reguarly reads books by African authors. But not so much if a reader is stepping out of there comfort zone. <br /><br />Jenny - Thanks, Wench is so good <br /><br />Donura - 1993 and the years following where great for African American authors and we do have McMillan to thank for that. <br /><br />Mardel - I think it would be hard to choose as well. No matter what Oprah does someone is going to be unhappy. <br /><br />But eight years since the last female author should not go unnoticed. <br /><br />Please keep the comments coming.Dorethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08676911030014718403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199038920161794698.post-19174278084785071562010-09-20T04:02:33.390-04:002010-09-20T04:02:33.390-04:00Oprah has so much pull and is such a huge influenc...Oprah has so much pull and is such a huge influence on many people's lives. Just one mention on her show or magazine is enough to catapult someone's book or name into stardom...or at least would give them so much publicity. I would love to see her recommend books written by women, AND books by a bigger variety of races. She has done a lot for people. But I kind feel like she misses some opportunites sometimes. On the other hand....It must be hard to choose when you have that much influence over people.Mardelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00063358136590143066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199038920161794698.post-70535100613248467792010-09-19T21:48:02.309-04:002010-09-19T21:48:02.309-04:00Thanks so much Doret for saying what so many of us...Thanks so much Doret for saying what so many of us feel. I feel particularly strong about the fact that women of color get so little recognition. I actually started a book club back in 1993 because my nieces and their friends were waiting for the next Terry McMillan book to come out before they would pick up a book to read. I showed them the women on whose shoulders Terry stood to get recognition. We had wonderful exposure over the years to women of color and women from many countries. Zora, Toni, Isabelle Allende, Buki Emecheta, J. California Cooper, and the list goes on and on. Let's hope she hears you.Donurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08322249242946776394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199038920161794698.post-38225521206006708532010-09-19T21:11:16.870-04:002010-09-19T21:11:16.870-04:00Great post!
And I'm glad to hear you recommen...Great post!<br /><br />And I'm glad to hear you recommend Wench... I have that on my nook WL!Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14128837662718618636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199038920161794698.post-41430392185036539102010-09-19T20:16:26.339-04:002010-09-19T20:16:26.339-04:00Yes, such a great point. The other thing that both...Yes, such a great point. The other thing that bothers me about Oprah's picks is that she actually chose an author of color with Uwem Akpan's short story collection... but out of all the wonderful and amazingly talented authors on the continent and even within Nigeria, she picked the one book that is COMPLETELY negative and that shows only misery and suffering. Way to reinforce the stereotypes for so many people who might read this as it was her selection, but wouldn't normally go outside their comfort zone. Sigh.Amyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18102250492155489672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-199038920161794698.post-32953464217050444892010-09-19T18:56:47.379-04:002010-09-19T18:56:47.379-04:00Wow, a lot of this surprised me. I'm glad you...Wow, a lot of this surprised me. I'm glad you're writing this letter, Doret. It obviously needs to be said. I can't believe that Oprah hasn't picked a female author since 2002. What a shame :(. I have to admit, on some level I'm excited to see Franzen's reactions to Oprah picking his book, but other than that, I agree with everything you have said in this letter. Well done.Leslie @ This is the Refrainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18027804132268043518noreply@blogger.com