Dear Oprah Winfrey:
For years you have been one of the best friends that the publishing industry has ever had. You championed literature at a time when so many others in the media were beginning to abandon it, using the power of your show and book club to bring attention to deserving authors. Your recommendations sold millions of books, enriching many in the process. And what have you gotten in return? A series of punches to the head, kicks in the ass, over and over, from a miserable and ungrateful industry that hates your guts.
Sure, I don’t always agree with your choices, and at times I question your vetting process and/or judgment, but I never once failed to appreciate the amazing service you perform on behalf of the business in whose shadows I and so many like me labor–usually anonymously, often rejected, doing the hard and thankless work of writing books that might sell a few hundred copies if we’re lucky. And thankful every day for the ability to do so. Your support of literature has actually made it easier for people like me to keep going, even though we’ve never shared in the wealth or glory.
But this is getting ridiculous.
There was Pretty Boy Franzen, you remember, who humiliated you by not wanting the novel that you helped push into the stratosphere to be sullied by your imprimatur. Then there was the James Frey thing, which in itself wasn’t really so shocking (I could have warned you, honey, but I figured you and your staff would have been smart enough to figure it out by about, oh, the first page or so)—that is, until that creep Nan Talese came on your show and started doubling down on the bullshit (I would have thought she’d have been escorted out of her office by security after that little stunt, but an industry insider told me she got a standing ovation from her staff. Is that true? Either way, she—and James—still have jobs, which should tell you something about our industry.) Hell, didn’t you even catch some shit for Elie Weisel’s book?
Now I understand that there’s been another fake memoir exposed, another fake Holocaust story, and that you fell for that one too. And like before, there are those in the literary world who believe that this is only further proof of what a terrible person you are.
It’s time you faced the truth, Ms. Winfrey: the literary world hates your guts. They always have and always will. Oh, they’ll kiss your ass on camera, they’ll feel the grand rush of power as they scan the back page of the NY Times Book Review to see their books sitting on top of the charts–thanks to you–but privately they mock you, deny you, reject you. Because you’re a black woman? Because you’re “only” a talk show host? I have no idea. Did Joe Franklin get this same kind of grief? Did Phil Donahue?
I really don’t know what the fuck is wrong with these people, to be honest, but let’s be clear: the problem is with them. Why you inspire so much hatred and contempt from the literary world is a mystery to me. Personally I think you’re pretty damn okay. But from my own observations I can tell you first hand that the literary world is filled with really bad people at all levels—there are just as many lazy, scheming, greedy, self-promoting, no-account fuckwads as any hedge fund or street gang.
If it’s any consolation I don’t like them either.
The point is, you deserve better. And you certainly shouldn’t be feeding the hand that bites, over and over. Still, I can’t in good conscience recommend that you cancel your book club, because there just might be that one truly deserving author out there who you can still push into a better life. I’m sure that’s the only reason why you keep it going. It’s hard to stay upbeat and optimistic when you’re surrounded by such cynical, scheming shits like those in the publishing world, but I admire your stamina. And in case you’re interested, there are a lot of great writers right here, at Outsider Writers, who would be a hell of a lot more interesting than some of these fakers and freaks you’re currently promoting. We may be a little rough around the edges but I’d bet you good money that the rawest, most out-there, most wild and untrained voice in our community would be a better, more interesting, more appreciative guest than the creeps you’re dealing with now.
Let’s talk, Oprah. If you really want to uplift the positivicals then maybe it’s time you spent less time on the corporate publishers and bogus authors who trash-talk you at the Sag Harbor mansions they bought with the book proceeds you got for them, and started promoting the unsponsored writing that truly comes from the heart–not simply that which tries to manipulate it.
Sincerely yours,
Tim
[...] My new Naked Opinion is up at Outsider Writers. [...]
Amen.
I have to say this was a fine thing to read at 7.45am whilst eating my first real meal in days. I have to agree with what you have said….she doesn’t get a fair shake. I have read some of her books from her club and she has featured some great books. In fact, I think she featured some Pulitzer Prize winning fiction that started me on the road to reading all of them as a goal. I just finished “One Hundred Years of Solitude” which was part of her book club and it was one of the best books I have ever read. Sometimes she misses and has something for the housewives, but she has to…they make the show go around. I hope she reads this letter, or one of her little office workers finds it during the daily Oprah google (cause you know someone has to be doing that) and checks out some folks under the radar. She might be surprised what she finds.
Yes, it’s her fault they lied about their Buchenwald romance. I mean, wasn’t she there?
I’ve read a couple of books off her list, including ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’. I do wish she’d find some new writers and get away from mainstream publishing companies. There is no grace in publishing anymore. You would think in a time when you can track down someone’s ancestors from the seventeen hundreds, more time would be spent looking into memoirs.
Crys, didn’t Streisand do a song about that? Memoirs? ,;-)
What I think is overlooked here is that Frey and Rosenblat were good writers. They just figured their manuscripts would sell better as non-fiction than as novels.
I don’t condone their shortcut to celebrity, but I understand it.
awesome man, thanks and I agree with you.
I second the Amen. Perhaps I’ll send her staff a copy of my chapbook.
David,
I read Frey’s book and yes, he is a good writer. But being a good writer, he is probably a good reader, and knows the definition of non-fiction. In that Indies Under Fire doc I just watched, there was a best selling author who was told a large publishing company would take his fiction story if he changed it to non-fiction ( or other way around, I can’t remember). He refused. Indie presses and bookstore owners loved the book so much that they pushed it to the best seller’s list all over the country.
I had the same thoughts, Tim. Only I didn’t want to say them out loud, so right on!
And those last se of fakers could’ve done better than ‘We just wanted to make people happy’ or whatever. At least give us something about time travel or werewolves…
Holy shit, that was great! Preech on brotha!