Helen S. Garson

Oprah Winfrey

A Biography

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

This biography examines the life of a person raised in poverty and a single mother at 14, who is now one of the richest and most influential people in the world-Oprah Winfrey. Oprah's life is a bonafide rags-to-riches story that is much more compelling because of her empathy, sense of humor, and ability to communicate and connect with people. Beyond the estimated 30 million American viewers who tune into her television show each week, there are devoted fans in 140 countries where Oprah's show is broadcast. Her life and businesses continue to expand, now encompassing a radio channel, two magazines, and the forthcoming OWN: The Oprah Winfrey Network television channel. This book documents the different aspects of Oprah's life, incorporating the details of her public, private, and philanthropic personas. The seven chapters of Oprah Winfrey: A Biography, Second Edition span the time period from her childhood in rural Mississippi to her present-day status as a global superstar and philanthropist.

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Produktdetails

• Verlag: Greenwood
• Seitenzahl: 240
• Erscheinungstermin: 26. Mai 2011
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 240mm x 161mm x 18mm
• Gewicht: 529g
• ISBN-13: 9780313358326
• ISBN-10: 031335832X
• Artikelnr.: 32153411

Autorenporträt

Helen S. Garson, PhD, is professor emeritus of the English and American Department at George Mason University, Fairfax, VA.

Inhaltsangabe

Oprah Gail Winfrey has been a world-famous television star for more than 25 years
so well known that people refer to her as Oprah
with the assurance of no misunderstanding. Her programs are shown in many parts of Europe
Asia
and Africa
although her career began in the United States
her country of birth. She has been both an actress and producer almost as many years as her television program has run. Adding to her fame and fortune
16 years after reaching the pinnacle of television stardom
in conjunction with the Hearst Company
she launched O
The Oprah Magazine in 2000. Even though she closed The Oprah Winfrey Show at the end of 2010
publication of the magazine continued. Born January 29
1954
the illegitimate child of mother Vernita Lee and father Vernon Winfrey
in the small town of Kosciusko
Mississippi
until she reached the age of six she lived on the farm of grandparents Hattie Mae and Earless Lee. Vernita
who never married
had settled in Milwaukee
Wisconsin
where she gave birth to another daughter
Patricia
and later to a son
Jeffrey. Although the reasons are unclear
Vernita decided to have Oprah move to Wisconsin to live with her and the other children. It was an arrangement fraught with problems from poverty to indifferent supervision that led to Oprah becoming an angry
hostile
promiscuous teen
completely out of control and subjected to the sexual advances of relatives and her mother's male visitors. In 1968
a pregnant teenage Oprah was sent to live with her father
Vernon
and his wife
Velma
in Nashville
Tennessee. Shortly after the birth and death of her baby boy
Oprah's world changed completely. The Winfreys had no children together
so Oprah became the focus of their home life. It was a religious
organized existence in which Oprah was expected to follow strict rules
earn the highest grades
attend church regularly
and set the example of a model student. She joined a number of clubs in East Nashville High School
including both a drama club and forensics club; was admitted to the honor society and student council; and served as a representative at a White House conference. All of these activities obviously were forerunners of her later successes in radio and television. Oprah was developing the personality that brought her the vote for the most popular girl in her senior class. During her last years in high school
an active Oprah won a number of awards and contests. Upon graduation
she went to Tennessee State University. She had been awarded a scholarship and she accepted it
despite the fact that she would have preferred a school with a more mixed student body. She remained at Tennessee State until her senior year but left before graduation; several years later-after she had become famous-the university awarded her a degree. Her decision to work rather than stay in college came when she was offered a job as a reporter and co-anchor for an evening news program in Baltimore. During her time in Baltimore
she met Gayle King
who became and remains her closest friend. After two years working on the evening news show
Oprah was transferred to a morning program
People Are Talking. After several years with that show
she accepted an offer to host the Chicago program AM Chicago. Chicago became her home
a city where she found her niche. There she met two men who have been very influential in her life: Stedman Graham
her longtime significant other
and Quincy Jones
who recognized her potential and gave her a leading role in his movie The Color Purple
bringing her an Academy Award nomination and starting her on the path to national and international recognition. Not long after that triumph
in 1986
Oprah's television program was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show
making her the first African American woman to have a nationally syndicated program. She also formed her own company that later became Harpo Productions
a company that still belongs to her
and bought an elegant penthouse condominium on Chicago's lakefront. Following her success in The Color Purple
she played a role in a movie based on another famous novel
Native Son
and a year after that had a cameo role in the movie Throw Momma from the Train. Moviemaking of various kinds became a part of her work
something she continues to this day. Through the years
she has continued to appear in and produce films
including Waiting to Exhale
a work based on a very popular novel. By 1988
having gained ownership and control of Harpo
Oprah became the first black woman to own both a studio and production company. With increased income
she was able to buy a farm and other homes. Even as she continued to expand her interests in various types of films
series
and documentaries
she initiated the National Child Protection Act
which President Clinton signed in 1993. In 1996
she made news by running in the 25-mile Marine Marathon. Additionally
she helped her chef in the writing of In the Kitchen with Rosie
as well as doing a small part of Bob Greene's exercise book
Make the Connection. Another chef
Art Smith
gained fame and fortune through his association with Oprah
appearing on her show
writing a cookbook
participating in charities
and opening restaurants in prime locations
including one in Washington
DC
during the period when thencandidate Barack Obama was running for president. Because of his connection to Oprah
when Smith and his partner were married in 2010
the event was covered by multiple newspapers. Over two decades
Oprah was given one award after another for her many achievements
including the prestigious Peabody Award. Another great success came with the introduction on her show of what became the most famous book club in the United States. There were
however
some roadblocks in her career along the way
one of which was a suit brought by the Independent Cattlemen's Association of Texas
which claimed that on her show she had been disparaging beef products
production
and distribution. It was necessary for Oprah to move her daily show to Texas for a short time while fighting the case. While there
she met Dr. Phil McGraw
who became one of her advisers and joined her television program after the cattlemen lost the case. McGraw became a star when Oprah sponsored a new show for him
and he continues with his own program. Oprah has proved to have another skill-that of star maker
with her support of chef Rachel Ray's program as well as the exceedingly popular medical guru Dr. Oz. After joining the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2005
where he remained for five years
Mehmet Oz became host of his own immediately successful show. Briefly
Oprah had a foray in politics
something she has always avoided in the past. The nomination of a black presidential candidate in 2007 brought her into the activities of a democratic partisan as she campaigned vigorously for Barack Obama. Every involvement of hers in the election was reported
bringing strong support and equally strong anger among Oprah's fans. With the conclusion of the campaign and election
which brought an ecstatic and tearful Oprah before the public
she appears to have retired from her role in the political arena. Ten years earlier
Oprah had created the Angel Network
a charity that flourished until Oprah decided to bring it to an end in 2010 in order to focus on her future shows as well as other charitable activities. Harpo Productions has continued to produce successful movies
while Oprah
with the support of the Hearst Company
created O
The Oprah Magazine
first publishing it in the United States
then later an international version followed in South Africa. Two years after the first issue of the magazine appeared
Oprah announced the discontinuation of her very popular book club
because
she claimed
there were no more worthwhile current books to read. However
when a strong reaction among her followers and much public criticism ensued
the club was reborn
but
as her daily television show comes to an end
she suggests the club also
again
will be dropped. Oprah's interest in South Africa was fanned by Nelson Mandela
who convinced her of the need for schools in his country. His persuasion led to the construction in the beginning of 2003 of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. In 2005
the academy was opened to much acclaim as well as dire predictions about failure. The road has not been a smooth one
with scandals reported throughout the media. Lawsuits in Africa and in the United States have been brought; questions have been raised about the validity of her efforts to establish schools abroad. But the difficulties appear to be resolved
and the first graduates have been visiting U.S. colleges and universities to make choices of future education. Oprah has emphasized her determination to continue with this type of philanthropy
even as she winds down her 25-year-old television show and makes plans for the coming years of her different role in television.