Oprah Winfrey: Bookerista Perspectives

As folks probably know, Oprah Winfrey has announced that "Oprah" will cease production in 2011. Bookeristas - one of whom used to work with her, before her fame - weigh in on her phenomenally successful career, influence and legacy:

Stanley Crouch: "Oprah Goes, & Life Goes On: Her Vast Humanity Isn't Leaving Us Soon"

The moderate columnist in New York City opines about Ms. Winfrey: "Her phenomenal generosity has raised the bar of goodwill for every wealthy person in the world. However much she has done that we know about, we can be sure there is much more that we do not know. That she has let no one know is not surprising, because the act itself is more important to her than the publicity it generates. That is hard to imagine from someone who has so much control of the electronic firmament of our moment. From what I have personally known of Oprah Winfrey, she is not indecisive. Rather, she is as insecure as most of those who walk the razor's edge of privilege in a way that guarantees bleeding because they are so susceptible to the inevitable heartbreak that always comes with great empathy. On the other hand, she is as tough as one needs to be in order to protect herself and her empire as well as the things she so fervently believes are important to deepening - or affirming - the possibility of expressing our collective humanity on a profoundly important level. That is why Winfrey has thrown her billionaire weight around any time she came upon troubles that obviously needed her help or the help of her audience or the attention of the millions who help better the soul of our nation."

More: "Trying to do good is always a risk, and when one has the chance of doing good to the degree of magnitude that our All-American Queen of Goodwill can, the hustlers will gather around until one gets through every now and then. Oprah Winfrey's mistakes, lapses of taste, vulnerability to self-help jargon and whatever else are minuscule when compared to the mountain range of goodwill and confidence in human nobility that she has proven true to herself and her audience time after time. At the bottom of it all is a vast humanity that encourages the same degree of engagement in her viewers. Wherever she goes, she will continue to be what has always been the thing she can count on: the bittersweet invincibility of the life of human feeling."

Lloyd Marcus: "Farewell, Oprah: How About A Gift To Black America Before You Go?"

The conservative Republican entertainer in Florida, who worked at the same television station as Ms. Winfrey back in the early 1980s before she became famous, opines: "I admired Oprah because she was a 'paradigm breaker'. According to the WJZ-TV [ABC's Baltimore affiliate] employee rumor grapevine, certain power elites at WJZ-TV were unhappy with the hiring of Oprah. They said she was unattractive and not too bright. I love people who ignore what people say they can or cannot do. Oprah was a heavy set dark-skinned black woman on TV. With the exception of playing a maid, that was unheard of in the '80s. Also, blacks on TV seemed obsessed and pressured to prove to white America they were intelligent and articulate. Oprah was confident enough to simply be herself and people gravitated to her."

Mr. Marcus continues his commentary about the television talk show queen: "Without question, Oprah has done tremendous good, touching the lives of millions in a positive way. And for this I salute her. Because she has such a huge heart and compassion, Oprah tends to take the emotional liberal side of issues. However, though well intentioned, ignoring reality and human nature can be extremely destructive. A common theme on Oprah's show is everyone is a victim of somebody or something. All abusers are not the products of abuse. History proves some people are simply evil and some people are lazy losers. And why in almost 25 years of broadcasting have we not seen one conservative, 'I am not a victim of white America' black guest on the Oprah show? This is a huge disservice to black America. We blacks, I am black, are blessed to be born in the greatest land of opportunity on the planet. And yet, liberal icons are still filling the heads of black youths that they are victims of a sexist, racist and homophobic America. Despite Oprah being close to if not the richest woman in America and America electing it[s] first black president, the branding of Americans as racist is stronger than ever."

More: "So Oprah, my dear friend, I challenge you. You have announced your program will end in 2011. How about doing a wonderful thing for not just for black Americans, but all. In your remaining programs invite black conservatives to appear as guests. May I suggest a few? Chris Gardener, whose life story is topic of the hit movie, 'The Pursuit of Happyness'. Will Smith portrayed Gardener in the movie. Thomas Sowell is a brilliant American economist, social commentator, and author of dozens of books. Walter Williams is a syndicated columnist and Professor of Economics at George Mason University. Oprah these are 'non victim minded' extremely successful blacks America should meet. Who could better introduce these great black American role models than the great, one and only Oprah Winfrey?"