The Oprah Winfrey Show: Reflections on an American Legacy,
edited by Deborah Davis (Abrams/Harpo, November 2011)
(web link)

I am honored to have contributed my essay, “The Wisdom of an Open Heart” as part of this remarkable tribute. - Mark

The Oprah Winfrey Show came to an end on May 25, 2011 after 25 years on television. Arguably the most influential television personality of all time, Ms. Winfrey and her show have had an impact on American culture that cannot be overstated. This beautifully illustrated book explores and celebrates the legacy of the show using written contributions from a stellar group of public figures and images from notable photographers. The book features photographs from the Harpo archive, spanning the 25 years the show has been on the air, including the farewell season.

Essays within the book are dedicated to different themes and explore how the show has touched people’s lives and impacted the conversation around those issues. The essays are followed by narrative text, which guides the reader through the history of the show’s involvement with each topic and includes stories about the events, people, and organizations that have acted as touchstones or provided insights along the way. Accompanying the essays and narrative text are images from the show, behind-the-scenes photographs, as well as signature portraits of the contributing celebrities taken by noted photographers. The book allows Oprah Winfrey Show fans to understand the broad cultural impact of the show, while revisiting favorite guests, episodes, and stories.

Contributors include:
Maya Angelou, who writes the foreword
Bono and Nicholas Kristof writing on giving and social action
Ellen DeGeneres, Stanley Crouch, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., writing on equality
Julia Roberts and Diane von Furstenberg writing on culture and style
Toni Morrison and Elie Wiesel writing on books
Maria Shriver and Gloria Steinem writing on women’s issues
Dr. Phil McGraw, Mark Nepo, and Marianne Williamson writing on spirit and personal growth
Bob Greene and Dr. Mehmet Oz writing on health and wellness
John Travolta and Phil Donahue contributing tributes to Ms. Winfrey

The elegant cover features an image of Ms. Winfrey taken by acclaimed fashion photographer Ruven Afanador.