Oprah Winfrey: The Real Story

Mair got lucky: his unauthorized cut-and-paste biography is being published in time to satisfy the massive curiosity aroused by cancellation of the megastar's autobiography. Veteran show-biz chronicler Mair (Inside HBO) does his best to fill the gap, and Oprah's story practically tells itself. Bounced between parents and cities, abused by relatives, Oprah was a rebellious teenager who, as a young woman, found her niche in the new-format TV talk show. Mair follows her conscientiously from Nashville to Baltimore to Chicago, from WJZ-TV to WLS-TV to her own Harpo Productions. She appears with Joan Rivers and agrees on-screen to a dieting contest; filming The Color Purple is a thrilling experience; The Women of Brewster Place is her first independent TV production; and the tall, elegant Stedman Graham comes into her life, unawed, according to Mair, by Oprah's riches and success. The problem with the book is apparent: one can repeat how dynamic and charming Oprah is ad infinitum, but Mair doesn't capture what makes her different. Ardent collectors of Oprah trivia will want to scan this account then compile the questions they hope will be answered in the star's own book-once she comes to terms with being as uninhibited on paper as she is on-screen. Photos not seen by PW. (Nov.)