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Acknowledgments.

ABOOK ABOUT someone as complex and fascinating as Oprah Winfrey could not have a better home than Random House, Inc., and the Crown Publishing Group. The support of Peter Olson, former CEO, and Jenny Frost, former president of Crown, to present a full, comprehensive biography of one of the most powerful public figures of our time gave me the opportunity to write about the American dream with all its rags and riches, ravages and rewards.

Throughout four years of research and reporting I was guided--superbly--by the exacting voice of my editor Peter Gethers and a.s.sisted at every turn by his extraordinary a.s.sistant Christina Malach and the supremely talented editor Claudia Herr. Under the leadership of Markus Dohle, CEO of Random House, Crown's president Maya Mavjee, publisher Tina Constable, and marketing director Philip Patrick, I began to live the dream of all authors: a fabulous publishing experience, which included the wonderful organizational skills of Amy Boorstein, the artistic eye of Mary Choteborsky, the copyediting genius of Jenna Dolan, David Tran's sophisticated cover design, and the silken talents of David Drake, head of publicity, in conjunction with Marina Ein, Jeff Ingram, and Rebecca Kelley of Ein Communications. In addition, I was blessed during the lawyering process with outstanding counsel from Kathy Trager and Matthew Martin.

I'm grateful to all of the Crown Publishing Group, most particularly Robert Siek, production editorial; Linnea Knollmueller, production; Barbara Sturman, design; Amanda D'Acierno, publisher of audio; Jill Flaxman, sales marketing; Linda Kaplan, subrights; and Jacob Bronstein, who introduced me to the twenty-first-century wonders of Twitter and Facebook.

I owe immense thanks to my longtime agent, Wayne S. Kabak, who has held my hand through many books, and to Larry Kirshbaum, who joined us in this publishing venture.

The research for this book began with my a.s.sistant Stephanie K. Eller, who organized 2,932 files on the life of Oprah Winfrey, divided into names, dates, and subjects. In addition, Stephanie pored over the 990 tax returns of Oprah's various foundations to design the financial graphs in Chapter 18. She spent days fact-checking every chapter and compiling the doc.u.mentation for the end notes. Along the way we were a.s.sisted by excellent research and reporting from Liz Rich, Leon Wagener, Carolyn Hardnett Robinson, Monika Blackwell, Alexander Hilhorst, Shilpa Nadhan, Wendy Lyons Sunshine, and Patti Pancoe.

Most of the sources in this book are named with the exception of past and present Harpo employees, who could speak only on condition of absolute confidentiality. I appreciate the trust they put in me.

Journalists, as always, were exceedingly generous, and I'm grateful to all of them, especially Margaret Engel, director of the Alicia Patterson Foundation; her twin Alison Engel, director of University Communications, University of Southern California; Linda Cashdan, who walked me through every chapter on the C & O Ca.n.a.l; and the late John Mashek, who did not live long enough to celebrate what he called "The Continuing Saga of St. Oprah."

In alphabetical order I thank the following for all they did for this book and/or its author: Christopher Addison, Kurt Anderson, Michael Anderson, Jeanette Angell, Alexandra Armstrong, Joe Armstrong, Sheryl Harris Atkinson, Lissa August, Laura Aye, Daniel Bagdade, Barry Baird, William F. Baker, Bob Barnes, Ysaye M. Barnwell, Alexa Bartel, Jewette Battles, Andy Behrman, Phoebe Beasley, Kathy Berlin, Ellen Bennett, Jenna Bett, Rob Birkhead, Alexandra Mayes Birnbaum, Sylvia Watts Blann, Mervin Block, Myrna Blyth, Anne Borchardt, David and Amanda Bowker, Richard Brase, Richard Brenneman, Michael Brooks, Gordon El Greco Brown, Beverly Burke, Bonnie Burlbaw, Deborah Bush, E. Faye Butler, Paul Burrell, Kenneth Burrows, David Bushman, Dale Buss, Luvenia Harrison Butler, Maria Calcagni, William Chaput at the Lotos Club, Trace Chapman, Larry Carpenter, Kathryn Carrick, Peter Cherukuri, Chris Clark, Steve Clark, Winnie Clark, Elizabeth Clauhsen, Patsy Cline, Peter Colasante, Judy Colteryahn, David Patrick Columbia, Mike Conway, Randolph Cook, Krysten Coppoletta, Paul Costello, Margo Cozell, Thomas Craft, Todd Cranford, Lynn Crawford, Candy Miles-Crocker, Nancy Cronk, David Crossland, Page Crossland, Patrick Crowe, Renee Crown, Barbara Dale, Mike Dalton, Peggy Datillo, Gwen Davis, Joseph Davis, Virginia Davis, Spider Dean, Tatiana de Fidler, Charles DeFanti, Steve Dennis, Sally Denton, Paul d.i.c.kson, Grace Diekhaus, Maria di Martini, Diane Dimond, Barbara Dixon, Sen. Robert Dole, Pier Dominguez, Phil Donahue, Todd Doughty, Kathleen Drew, Helen and Richard Dudman, Robert Duffy, Bill East, Daniel Edwards, Bonnie Eldon, Gary Elion, Katharine Carr Esters, Don Everett, Penny Farthing, Nancy Fax, David Fechheimer, Robert Feder, Carol Felsenthal, Kathleen Fennell, Hilda Ford, Badi Foster, Michael Fox, Drew Friedman, Rick Frishman, Tony Frost, Peter Frumkin, Harry G.

Fulmer, Peggy Furth, Keri L. Gaither, Tony and Marsha Gallo, Elaine Ganick, Ray Garcia, Patricia A. Garrett-Oluade, Ann Gerber, Robin Gerber, Mary Ann Gilbert, Mary Gilliat, Mich.e.l.le Gillion, Jean and Tom Gilpin, Mish.e.l.le Gilson, Vivian and Bob Glick, Bonnie Goldstein, Alex Goode, Nina Goodman, Sarah Gorman, Rachel Grady, Diedre Stoelze Graves, Don and Judy Green, Nancy Green, Kevin Grogan, Michael Gross, Patricia Gurne, Barbara L. Hamm, Joy Handler, Joyce Saenz Harris, Judith L. Harris, Stacy Harris, Anna Harrison, Fruzsina Harsanyi, Darlene Hayes, Andrea Haynes, J. C.

Hayward, James Henderson, Suzanne Herz, Stephen Hess, Joyce Daniel Hill, Michael Hill, Dale Lee Hinz, Roger Hitts, Robert Holm, Gary Holt, Jay Houston, Glenn Horowitz, Sandy Horwitt, Margo Howard, Beth Howse, Charlotte Huff, Bobbie Huffmister, Bob Hughes, Janis Ian, Gail Ifshin, Marty Ingels, Mark Itkin, Paula K. Jacobs, Jeremy Jacobs, Beverly Jackson, Tracey Jackson, James Jenkins, Ken Jennings, Fran Johns, Keith Johnson, Peter Johnston, Doug Joiner, Bob Jones, Tim Jones, Erica Jong, Carol Joynt, David Jozwiak, Andre Julian, Blair Kamin, Susan Karns, Beverly Keel, John Keller, Susie Kelly, Karen Kennedy, Kathy Kiely, Dorothy H. Kiser, Rick Kogan, Arnold Koonin, Jesse Kornbluth, Ed Kosowski, Bill Kovach, Alex Kucsynski, Jeanine Kunz, Ris La Coste, Melissa Lakey, Lynne Lamberg, Norma and Roger Langley, Kitty Lansdale, Janine Latus, Diane Laughlin, Bob Leffler, A. J. Lehter, Pat and Randy Lewis, Beatrice Liebenberg, Ellen Lightman, Lisa Lucke, Mike Luckovich, Howard Lyman, Sharon Malone, Mary Jo Manning, Cecily Marcus, Alice Masemer, Darlene Mathis, Jane McClary, Jerry McCoy, Katrina Bell McDonald, David McFadden, M.D., Marvin McIntyre, Pat McNees, Grace McQuade, Kevin McShane, Marianne Means, Sandi Mendelson, Caroline Michel, Zoe Mikva, Frank Miller, Marc E. Miller, Mark Crispan Miller, Richard Mineards, Rachel Mirsky, Dan E. Moldea, Joanna Molloy, John Moran, James McGrath Morris, Susan Morrison, Barbara and David Morowitz, Dan Moore, Paul Moore, Luther T. Munford, Trudie Munson, Alanna Nash, Tracy n.o.ble, Jimmy Norton, Janette Nunez, Jackie Oakes, Patricia O'Brien, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, Mike Olesker, Jerry Oppenheimer, Patty O'Toole, Patty Outlaw, Marc Pachter and the Washington Biography Group, Margaret Pagan, Jack Panczak, Brooks Parker, Bob Parr, Patrice Patton-Price, Topher Payne, Scott Peac.o.c.k, Pamela Peeke, M.D., Alexandra Penney, JoAnn Pinkerton, Diane M. Praet, Suzy Prudden, Paxton Quigley, Sugar Rautbord, Katie Rawls, Sonny Rawls, Bernice Johnson Reagon, Cheryl Reed, Judith Regan, Dr. Frank M. Reid, Bonnie Remsberg, Bev Reppert, Harvey Resnick, M.D., Barry Ribock, Carol Ribock, Allen Rice, Jewell Robinson, Patsy Rogers, Richard Redpants Rogers, Carl Rollyson, Louisa Romano, Paula Rome, Susan Rome, Chris Rose, George Rush, Daniel Ruth, Colleen Ryan, Deborah Caulfield Ryback, Robert Rynasiewicz, Blair Sabol, Jeff Samuels, Conrad Sanford, Bob Sector, Richard W. Schott, Pat Shakow, Adam Shapiro, Amy Shapiro, Ron Shapiro, Claudia Shear, Riki Sheehan, Barbara Sh.e.l.lhorn, Cynthia Connor Shelton, Anne Boone Simanski, Larry Singer, Cameron Smith, Esther Smith, Lisa Smith, Liz Smith, Sharon Hull Smith, Eileen Solomon, Nancy Solinski, Brenda Billips Square, Julie Johnson Staples, Neil Steinberg, Linda Reynolds Stern, Ann Stock, Nancy Stoddart, John B. Straw, Gloria Steinem, Nancy Harvey Steorts, Andrew Stephen, Allen J. Streiker, Kimba Stroud, Michael Sullivan, Richard Swartz, Nan Talese, Deborah Tannen, Maureen Taylor, Rose Thomas, Patricia Thompson, Cynthia Todd, Sue Tolchin, Jeffrey Toobin, Darlene Tracy, Bob Turk, Rocky Twyman, James van Sweden, Ed Victor, Robert Waldron, Alice Walker, Patrick Walsh, Jeanette Walls, Mike Walter, Ellen Warren, Eddie Washington, Janet Wa.s.som, Susan Weaving, Steve Weisman, Gregg A. Wilhelm, Armstrong Williams, Miyuki Williams, Dori Wilson, Vernon Winfrey, Judy Wise, Jeanette Witter, Eileen Wood, Barbara Wright, Irene Wurtzel, Catherine Wyler, Elliot Zinger, Jeremy and Gretchen Zucker, Bill Zwecker.

Thanks, also, to Sheila and Dobli Srinivasan and their pals at PGA West in La Quinta, who provided their warmth during the winter in addition to the California sun: Jim and Connie Alderson; Stephanie Arthur; Jon Caruana; Howard and Monique Culver; George and Geraldine Harmina; Jim and Gail Hawkins; Jim and Barbara Lambert; Bill and Sandi Phillips; Terry and Patricia Pracht; Debra Schw.a.n.ke; Jesse and Ellen Sprecher; David and Lorraine Stearns.

My deepest thanks to my husband, Jonathan Zucker, who continues to make the sun shine.

January 27,.

2010.

About the Author.

KITTY KELLEY is the internationally acclaimed bestselling author of Jackie Jackie Oh!; Elizabeth Taylor: The Last Star; His Way: The Unauthorized Biography of Frank Sinatra; Nancy Reagan: The Unauthorized Biography; The Royals; and and The Family: The The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty. The last four t.i.tles were all #1 on the The last four t.i.tles were all #1 on the New York Times New York Times bestseller list. Kelley has been honored by her peers with such awards as the Outstanding Author Award from the American Society of Journalists and Authors for her "courageous writing on popular culture," the Philip M. Stern Award for her "outstanding service to writers and the writing profession," the Medal of Merit from the Lotos Club in New York City, and the 2005 PEN Oakland Literary Censorship Award. Her articles have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, People, Ladies' Home Journal, McCall's, the the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, and the and the Chicago Chicago Tribune. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her physician husband, Jonathan Zucker. She lives in Washington, D.C., with her physician husband, Jonathan Zucker.

ALSO BY KITTY KELLEY.

Jackie Oh!