Many fiction writers out there roll their eyes whenever Oprah Winfrey endorses a novel and puts it in her book club. What would you do if Oprah came calling?
I would roll out the red carpet and kiss Oprah on the cheek. I will never forget when Oprah wanted to put her stamp on Franzen’s The Corrections, and he made a big stink about it. What a loser. A writer writes to be read, and if Oprah can encourage folks to read your book, well, the writer should be thankful. Besides, his book wasn’t all that—a real bummer if you ask me. I hear folks all the time griping about how nobody reads anymore, yet when Oprah endorses a novel and gets people to read, folks start hating on her. I think novelists should thank Oprah. She has done more to save the world of fiction in popular culture than anyone.
