Home//O, Quarterly/Special #3 2022/In This Issue
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022here we go!For most of my adult life, I’ve known that a key to moving closer to self-actualization is being able to sit quietly with my thoughts, to still the noise around me so I can listen more intently to the whispers and instincts that truly guide me. It is out of that stillness that breakthroughs emerge. I’ve had a few aha moments in my time, and often they have helped me access and articulate my dreams and goals, and then to move them forward. And that’s the key. How do we keep refining what our truth and purpose is, and then integrate those learnings into action? For this issue, we wanted to share some expert advice on how to tap into those inner resources—through meditation, intentional connection, and other exercises that…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022MAKEUP1. YOUR PERFECT RED LIPSTICK Clinique Pop Reds Use the virtual try-on tool on Clinique’s website to road test the seven long-wear, shiny siren hues and find one best suited to you. ($20; clinique.com) 2. BLENDABLE POWDER The Good Mineral Lucent Finishing Powder Translucent powders aren’t one-shade-fits-all, so these West African founders created marigold and deep beige options that blend flawlessly. ($30; thegoodmineral.com) 3. LIFTING BROW WAX Maybelline TattooStudio Brow Lift Stick This tinted wax smooths, pushes up, and then holds brow hairs in place all day. ($13; drugstores) 4. SILKY BRONZER Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer Bronzers are often either not glowy enough or showgirl glittery. This one is just right. It also contains hydrating hyaluronic acid and polymers for a smooth finish. ($56; charlottetilbury.com) 5. NOURISHING…2 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022HAIR1. STRENGTHENING SCALP SERUM Better Not Younger Superpower Fortifying Hair & Scalp Serum with Applicator The ergonomic applicator distributes the follicle-stimulating, leave-in serum into your scalp. Massage for two to three minutes to strengthen strands. ($47; better-notyounger.com) 2. COLOR-BOOSTING SHAMPOO & CONDITIONER Madison Reed ColorSolve System With this shampoo and conditioner duo, you can choose a volumizing, bond-building, smoothing, or daily-use formula, then add a shot of tint to boost your color. ($22 each; madison-reed.com) 3. ENHANCING CURL SPRAY Herbal Essences Mango & Aloe Sulfate-Free Curl Refresh Mist A potent mix of water, mango juice, and aloe blend for the perfect curl-enhancing concoction. Spritz it on dry or damp hair, then scrunch to retwirl waves and coils. ($6;
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022ONE - BOWLWONDERSPumpkin with Kale and Cashew Mole Makes 4 servings Ingredients 1 small clove garlic3 Tbsp. olive oil1 medium pumpkin or butternut squash2 Tbsp. hazelnuts, toasted2 Tbsp. pomegranate seedsPecorino (optional) For the mole: 5 ounces cashews, soaked overnight1 ¾ ounces small kale leaves1 clove garlicLarge handful each of coriander and parsleySmall bunch of tarragon4 Tbsp. lime juice4 Tbsp. olive oil3 spring onions, roughly chopped1 Tbsp. cider vinegar 1. Smash garlic clove and mix it with oil. Slice the pumpkin (or squash) into 12 wedges, toss in the garlic oil, and roast at 400°F for 30 to 35 minutes, until soft. 2. While it cooks, make the mole. Blend the cashews, then add the rest of the ingredients with 1 ¼ cup water, saving a few herbs to garnish. You want the…9 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Hillbilly ElegyLEIGH HABER: Appalachia is a key figure in Demon Copperhead. Why did you set the book there? BARBARA KINGSOLVER: I’m Appalachian, through and through. I grew up in Kentucky and live in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. I’m committed to writing honestly and respectfully about this region that is widely ridiculed or just invisible in mainstream American culture. Appalachia is beautiful and culturally rich, but a long history of exploitation has left us with structural poverty, limited opportunities, and educational deficits that outsiders tend to laugh at. In the latest of these tragedies—the opioid epidemic—pharmaceutical companies deliberately targeted us for their poison pill. Seeing the devastating effects here where I live moved me to look for the bigger picture and write about it. LH: How does Demon Copperhead relate to…3 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Heart of DarknessIn June, the January 6 Congressional hearings kicked off with a scorching overview of events seemingly orchestrated by ex-president Trump and his loyalists. The first evening was punctuated by stirring testimony from the committee chair, Democrat Bennie Thompson of Mississippi; Republican vicechair Liz Cheney; and Caroline Edwards, a young Capitol police officer whose heroic duty while severely injured was inspired by her grandfather, a Korean War veteran. On subsequent days, poll workers revealed death threats and other forms of intimidation, as did other officials who were only trying to do their duty and uphold the rule of law. The surge of protesters into the Capitol unleashed hours of carnage, chaos, and terror, forcing the evacuation of Congress on the cusp of certifying the 2020 election results. With The Storm Is…3 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 202216 Books Not to Miss This Fall1 / Raising Lazarus BY BETH MACY The lauded author of the bestselling Dopesick, made into last year’s groundbreaking Hulu series, here moves beyond the villainy of the Sackler family, shifting focus to the clinicians, researchers, and activists on the front lines as they wrangle solutions for those in need. Macy’s reporting is authoritative, her narrative skills peerless, as she illuminates grassroots efforts to wean addicts. 2 / Dead-End Memories BY BANANA YOSHIMOTO The acclaimed Japanese author of Kitchen and Moshi Moshi, among other short-story collections, returns with a stunner (finally being published in the U.S.) featuring five women for whom happiness arrives when “you don’t see it coming.” Cases in point: at a picnic; a couple of contented ghosts who don’t know they’re dead; feeling love when you thought…5 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Kizzmekia CorbettThe research scientist—also an assistant professor of immunology and infectious disease at Harvard—helped create a Covid vaccine and here shares how she’s working to protect us from the next pandemic. In 2020, I led a team that created the Moderna Covid vaccine in 66 days. I never in a million years thought I’d be fortunate enough to use my passion for science toward something so dire. Despite the accomplishment, it’s very hard to bask in what is considered my historical contribution because there’s so much more to be done. When I accepted the job as assistant professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, I recognized the opportunity to build a new lab, hire a diverse team, and contribute to the science of the future. There are still…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Mickalene ThomasHer large-scale, mixed-media works are ensuring that Black women are not only seen but celebrated in the insular world of fine art. Next up: empowering other artists and changing the future of the field. OPRAH DAILY: Your images of beautiful Black women have enriched the art world. How are you helping other artists also make a difference? MICKALENE THOMAS: I created a support system for emerging queer artists [through] different platforms like Pratt>Forward, a mentorship program that provides practical business strategies for artists’ careers. I also cofounded Deux Femmes Noire to help artists pursue their creative endeavors, whether it’s for an exhibition or a special project. Both [programs] will create very intelligent, strong artists who have a great sense of both the creative and business sides of their practice. OD:…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Lauren RidloffShe broke ground as Marvel’s first deaf superhero in Eternals, but Hollywood has more work to do. The actor has some ideas. On Hollywood’s misperceptions about deaf culture… “When I join a production, oftentimes the mindset is, ‘This woman is deaf. Let’s give her what she needs and what she wants because it’s her issue, it’s her challenge.’ But I’ve been deaf all my life, so it’s not a challenge. The only time my deafness becomes a challenge is when I’m around people who do not know any better. Their ignorance is a challenge, not my deafness. If they shifted that mindset to ‘What do we need to work together?’ I believe that would take a lot of the burden off deaf actors, who are constantly thinking, Wait, am I…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Cori BushWith less than two years in office, the Missouri Congresswoman is changing the status quo of who gets heard on Capitol Hill. Bush shares the issues she’s focused on so that you—and everyone—can work together toward change. On being the first Black woman from Missouri and the first Black Lives Matter activist elected to Congress… “When I was running for office, I made the decision to be very vulnerable and vocal about my journey to get here, helping people understand that you don’t have to come from a particular background to be in politics. You don’t have to be wealthy or come from a special family…to get into this work and be successful. I’ve…gone through domestic violence and sexual assault and lived out of my car, [and worked] as a…2 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022How to Spark aBreakthroughTHE O QUIZ FILL IN THE BEHAVIOR This tool is a potent method for inviting new ways of seeing into your life, says Martha Beck. Be sure to fill out Form 1 before you move on to Form 2. FORM NO.1 SUPERSTUCK Fill in the blanks below as honestly as you can. Don’t hold back. Plan to trash this form later so you can write without feeling like anyone is judging. To start, think of the most stuck person you know. Ready? Begin. 1. This person is getting in their own way by being so 2. This person could really break through if they would only 3. This person is actually just afraid of 4. If this person knew what was good for them, they would 5. Meanwhile, I also…2 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Creating a Stimulating Experience1. Engage your senses. The next time you’re feeling stymied, find a way to smell, taste, or touch something out of the ordinary. (Sure, it sounds crazy, but I once filled a desk drawer with sand so I could stick my feet in it and think of Cancún.) Your senses get caught up in this other experience, sparking all kinds of creative energy. 2. Build something. I’m always buying little model kits of famous landmarks—the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben—because concentrating on putting them together gives me pinpoint focus and clears out a lot of mental cobwebs. 3. Read outside the box. Go buy three magazines you’d never normally pick up. They can be about photography, home decor, woodworking—anything outside your usual realm. Leaf through them and discover what other people…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Your Best Life Starter Pack1Treat Yourself (and Fido, Too) You don’t have to wait for the holidays to pick up a few of Oprah’s favorite things. Head to shop.oprahdaily.com for a curated selection of picks from the O of O herself (like this pack from Bindle that includes a collapsible water bowl for your pet and a 24-ounce double-walled water bottle for you), meaningful books, and branded Oprah Daily merch. (Bindle Puppy Pack, $70; shop.oprahdaily.com) 2“The Life You Want” Planner Let Oprah be your guide to making living well a daily practice. Part weekly planner, part intention journal, this powerful tool—bound in a stunning linen with two ribbons to mark your spots—will help you strengthen the 12 focus areas that Oprah believes are essential to creating a joy-filled, purpose-driven life. Topics you’ll dive into…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022FACE1. SKIN-PERFECTING FACE TOOL TheraFace Pro by Therabody This device has optional attachments—like a red (for wrinkles) and a blue (for acne) LED light, a microcurrent ring, a cleansing ring, a cold metal ring to reduce puffiness, and a warm one that offers a muscle-softening effect. ($399; therabody.com) 2. COOLING DEPUFFING DEVICE Stacked Skincare Cryo Ice Roller Less messy than ice cubes, this stainless steel egg-sized barrel helps flush puffy areas. It’s also perfect for soothing irritated skin. ($75; stackedskincare.com) 3. GENTLE EXFOLIANT Peach & Lily Power co*cktail Lactic Acid Repair Serum This exfoliating milk gives your face a smoother finish thanks to 10 percent lactic acid. Then, ginseng, red algae, probiotics, and ceramides swoop in to protect and hydrate. ($49; peachandlily.com) 4. VITAMIN C BOOSTER Mary Kay Clinical Solutions…3 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Waiting to Exhale… Inhale…ExhaleIn her early 20s, Jasmine Marie was feeling emotionally and physically burned out. “I had recently graduated from a top business school and was working in a very stressful corporate career in global beauty,” recalls Marie. “The culture there, and in the industry in general, was highly stressful. I was going to the doctor all the time, developing mysterious rashes, and my nervous system was out of whack.” Then, one day at the church in Harlem where she volunteered, Marie happened upon a breath work class. Spending that hour just inhaling and exhaling was a powerful tonic. “When I left that day, I felt less claustrophobic,” she says. “My body felt so relieved.” Marie began making breath work a regular practice. “That first experience opened a door that opened a…5 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022THE BOOKS THAT WOWED USBlow me away. That’s what we want from each and every book we pick up. And these authors’ works did just that. Their latest offerings rose above the noise, shook us up, and evinced wonder, marvel, even mind-bending perspective shifts. We invite our fellow book nerds to unite around our awe of such authors as Joyce Carol Oates, Ian McEwan, Kate Atkinson, Barbara Kingsolver, Mohsin Hamid, George Saunders, Elizabeth Strout, and so many others who have noteworthy new works to absorb and delight us this season. Among the standout newcomers: Jonathan Escoffery’s highly anticipated Miami-based debut story collection, If I Survive You, and Laura Warrell’s sensuous ode to bad-boy musicians and the women who love them, Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm. If writers are your rock stars, let the music begin!…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Supernova RisingKate Atkinson’s career is a trajectory unto itself. Her debut novel, Behind the Scenes at the Museum, was a sensation, winning the Whitbread Prize and launching an author whose genius for marrying commercial concepts with literary panache was—and is—second to none. Her Jackson Brodie series probes, with wit and élan, the foibles of a curmudgeonly Edinburgh detective as he goes about his job. (Sometimes a crime trope isn’t just a crime trope.) Her innovations with form and structure set her apart. She’s perhaps best known for her panoramic, beautifully crafted sagas, Life After Life and A God in Ruins. Both novels unfold around one Buckinghamshire family, in particular Ursula and her younger brother, Teddy. Life After Life hammers linear storytelling into a transcendent narrative, utterly original, as Ursula is born…2 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022The Call of the WildI need to see,” says Max, peering over the side of the boat. The water rustles. Sun burns down on Baja, on the lagoon, on his little hooded head. We are nine passengers, including Ralph, the grandfatherly guide. Francisco, our Mexican driver, is steering the outboard motor at the back. “Yes, you need to see,” I say, putting my arms around Max’s waist and hoisting him up to the side. He is tall for a two-year-old, heavy, and bulky in the orange life jacket. We peer over the edge, watch the crinkled water rising and falling away. There’s a cold wind and a light fog. The sky is stuffed full of cotton-wool balls. Twenty yards away is another boat, packed like an egg box. We are watching a rock covered…2 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Rising to the ChallengeWhen I heard rumblings that the show I star in, All Rise, would be moving from CBS to OWN, I began having conversations about becoming an executive producer—and I am so happy to say that this dream became a reality. I wake up to emails, and I go to bed to emails. During the day, I’m watching auditions, hopping on Zoom and conference calls in between scenes, squeezing in interviews for publicity, doing costume fittings, and sometimes filming two episodes in a day. I am busy, but it’s the happiest I have ever been. Very few people can say that they star in and executive produce a television show. As a Black woman, it is not lost on me how uniquely special it is to be able to do both…4 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Jessica WatkinsAstronaut and geologist Jessica Watkins joined Oprah Daily’s editor at large, Gayle King, in a live conversation from outer space! Watkins, the first Black woman to serve on the International Space Station, opened up about her work and her hopes for humankind. GAYLE KING: I was reading that you’ve dreamed about this your entire life. What was it that fascinated you about being an astronaut to begin with? JESSICA WATKINS: My story is a testament to the importance of mentorship and role models. When I was younger and in elementary school, I went to an enrichment after-school program at [a school named after astronaut] Judy Resnik. I remember coming home in the car with my parents… and learning about her life and what she was able to accomplish. I think…2 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Ego NwodimThe Saturday Night Live star is breaking down stereotypes and forging her own path. OPRAH DAILY: You initially thought you’d become a doctor. How did you end up in comedy? EGO NWODIM: I was raised by my Nigerian single mom, and we’ve heard the stories, like “Your Nigerian parents want you to be a doctor.” I knew I wanted to be an actor. I knew the specialties that existed within the medical field, but I had no idea about the specialties and the path one could take with entertainment as an actor. So even when I said I wanted to be an actor, I was like, “That means drama. I’m going to go learn to do drama.” And that’s what I understood acting to be at the time, despite enjoying…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Jay Ell AlexanderThe CEO of Black Girls RUN! is helping women transform their lives by making distance running an essential component of their self-care practice. I started running in my 20s after I hit my heaviest weight and was dealing with high blood pressure. Running helped me reset my health—and reset my purpose in life. I joined Black Girls RUN! as a run ambassador a few months after. Then I became its PR consultant, and in 2018, I became its owner. Black Girls RUN! is more than a running club—it’s a movement that empowers and encourages women to see themselves in spaces they may not have imagined themselves in before. We help members who may not have the money to offset the costs of running for everything from their first 5K to…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022IN THE ZONEOPRAH: Can I just say how thrilled I am to talk to you today? You’re one of those people I’ve been watching from the sidelines for years. Every time I see you in any reporting situation, I think about what Maya Angelou said to me the very first time she met me. I’d begged her to let me interview her. I said: “Just give me five minutes. Please, ma’am, just give me five minutes.” The interview happened. Four minutes and 58 seconds into our conversation, Maya looked at me and said: “Who are you, girl?” like I was really something. That’s how I feel when I watch you: Who is this woman? So who are you, girl? CLARISSA WARD: I’m speechless, honestly, and it’s really hard to make me speechless.…8 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022It’s All About What You Do After a Light Bulb MomentTry something for me. Close one eye, then spend a minute looking around. Scope out the room, admire the view, scrutinize objects near and far. Now open the closed eye. Boom! Right? You can see pretty well with one eye, but the stereoscopic image you get with both is richer, deeper, and more beautiful. Guess what? Life works in a remarkably similar way. You can live years, even decades, with an obstructed view of the world—believing things that are false to be true, holding fast to things that don’t really matter—until the day your point of view is so thoroughly rattled that you finally see what’s what. That experience is often referred to as a breakthrough. It’s a shift in your understanding of the world, because the lens through which…3 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022NO TWO BREAKTHROUGHS LOOK ALIKEEven if you don’t think it matters, it does. JUNE AMBROSE, CELEBRITY STYLIST People don’t necessarily see fashion as life changing. But my biggest breakthrough was recognizing that it could, in fact, have an impact. In the ’90s—still the earlier days of hip-hop—I worked with Jay Z, Puffy, Missy Elliott, and Busta Rhymes. Some of these artists came from broken environments, but they told aspirational stories with their music. I realized that fashion is also about storytelling, and my job was about more than playing dress-up: It was about helping a community find its identity, one artist at a time. Experimentation is the mother of innovation. ZOË KEATING, CELLIST My college had an electronic music studio full of 1960s analyzers, and I spent hours there; I’d record my cello on…3 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Hello, My Name Is… The Next Chapter of Your Life!In 2019 I set out to meet 1,000 people in a year. I was driving home from teaching my last class of the spring semester when the idea drifted in with the pollen. I gave it absolutely no critical examination, but it felt right. I like meeting people. (Most of the time.) I’m a journalist: Hand me a notebook, give me an assignment, and I can meet anyone. Now I had an assignment for all occasions. I could do this! As I rounded the curve toward home, I did some quick math—quick for me—and realized I needed to meet about 20 people a week, roughly three people a day. Unless you’re in sales, 20 people a week is a crowd. Some weeks, when I’m trying to meet a deadline, I…14 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Denim DownloadWhatever style you choose, comfort is key. As for the wash, a darker shade will always be a bit more polished, and lighter options are great for casual looks.—ADAM…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022BODY1. ABSORBENT BODY LOTION Olay Nourishing & Hydrating Body Lotion with Hyaluronic Acid This nongreasy lotion is packed with hydrating hyaluronic acid and soaks in fast. ($10; drugstores) 2. LINE-FIGHTING NECK CREAM SkinBetter Science Techno Neck Perfecting Cream To target the horizontal “necklace” lines we develop from looking down at our screens, this dermatologist-tested cream has a peptide complex that helps to soften them over time. ($140; skinbetter.com) 3. HYDRATING BODY SCRUB Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Resurfacing Body Scrub The below-the-neck version of this iconic exfoliator buffs with pumice, peels with fruit enzymes, and hydrates with honey. ($56; katesomerville.com) 4. SWIPE-ON BODY SUNSCREEN EltaMD UV Stick Frankly, there’s nothing more convenient than a sunscreen in stick form. This broad-spectrum mineral SPF 50+ is easy to glide on, sweat-resistant, and safe for…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Kick Up Your KegelsAnd they can lead to things like a leaky bladder and painful sex—ugh. Not up to speed on the pelvic floor? It’s a hammock-shaped grouping of muscles that support your bladder, uterus, and bowel. Things that can weaken these muscles are pregnancy, repetitive motions (such as doing the same workout over and over), and age. Thankfully, you can strengthen the area with Kegel exercises, which seem simple. Just pretend you’re sitting on a blueberry and slowly try to lift it up inside you; hold for five seconds, then release—repeat this process 10 to 20 times. But many women do Kegels incorrectly, which can make pelvic floor issues worse. To solve this problem, there are a variety of new products on the market to help you get it right, including these…2 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022This Boy’s LifeA writer’s writer par excellence, Ian McEwan has long been lauded for his fearless imagination and exquisitely calibrated sentences. He mines current affairs—the here and now, the rear-view mirror, and the just-over-the-horizon—steering readers through crises from the Blitz to 9/11 to the war in Iraq. His most famous work, Atonement (which was made into a feature film starring Keira Knightley and Saoirse Ronan), plays tricks with readers’ expectations. As with Carol Shields’s The Stone Diaries or Ali Smith’s seasonal quartet series, quotidian lives reflect the sweep and drama of history. McEwan has never shied away from explosive topics. His characters grapple with unexpected and often murky ethical choices. He dives into moral quandaries at a moment when most authors play it safe, risking “cancellation” from Twitter mobs, willing to boldly…2 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022A Love SupremeLEIGH HABER: Your protagonist, jazz musician Circus Palmer, is a Casanova for the ages. Was he inspired by anyone you know? LAURA WARRELL: I dated a rapper as romantically slippery as Circus. I found myself hooked on him, though he had no intention of getting hooked on me. I wanted to explore that attraction. I made Circus a jazz trumpeter with an awareness around his rascally behavior. I’ve had lots of musicians in my life, so there was lots of material to draw from! LH: I’m a jazz lover, and, wow, was it fun to imagine Circus’s trumpet sounds as I read. Did you always love jazz? LW: If I had it to do over, I’d listen to my mother and practice piano so I could become a pro. I…3 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022She Keeps Getting BetterAn article about literary maestro Joyce Carol Oates begs to begin with her renowned productivity. Between her first novel, published at age 26, and her newest, Babysitter, published 58 years later, Oates has written 60 novels—an average of two per year. The books’ subjects, structures, métiers vary. But they all push, slyly or overtly or both, hot cultural buttons: class, gender, race, Chappaquiddick, sexual assault, Marilyn Monroe, abortion, infidelity, cancer, suicide. What’s most astonishing about her oeuvre, though, isn’t volume. It’s craft. Turn to page one of any JCO novel and be carried away by its imaginative story arc, its right-on-time social critique, its distinctive protagonists. And, oh, the writing. Take Babysitter’s first chapter, “She Asks Herself Why,” reproduced here in its entirety. Because he’d touched her. Just her wrist.…3 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022FUTURERISINGA Note on Representation from Lee Daniels I was 12 years old when I first saw Lady Sings the Blues. Diana Ross. Billy Dee Williams. Black folks looking fabulous. You could smell the fried chicken jumping off the screen. Just as formative, but in such a different way, was the film Claudine. Diahann Carroll’s Claudine was my mother. Beautiful, elegant, without makeup—or Billie Holiday’s money—but rich in spirit, and also a single mother raising six brats in the inner city. It was probably the first time my mom felt seen by Hollywood. I knew in that moment that if I ever made a film, it would have to be as honest and truthful as Claudine. As a budding filmmaker, I dreamed of a cinematic world where complex Black characters like…2 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Tracy K. SmithThe former U.S. poet laureate and current Harvard professor believes poetry is a salve during distressing times. OPRAH DAILY: Why do you think poetry can empower us at this moment in time? TRACY K. SMITH: There’s this remarkable flourishing of voices and modes in Black poets’ work, much of which lately has to do with looking back again at history to find a new set of tools or emblems or possibilities. Our daily lives, just as a matter of being in a community that has been historically marginalized, doubted, and challenged, have caused us to dig down into what we know we hold and what we know we’re capable of and what we know we bring to life, here, in America. OD: As poet laureate from 2017 to 2019, you…2 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Terrell Jermaine StarrIn his dispatch from the front in Ukraine, the Detroit native explains how showing emotion while reporting is opening the world’s eyes to the impact of war. A little after 4:30 a.m. on February 24, I woke to the sounds of explosions in the not-too-far distance from my friend’s flat on the southeast side of Kyiv. Our worst fears had come true: The Russians were invading. My friends and family back home in the States pleaded with me to flee while I still could. Being a Black American journalist who has written very critically about Russia…Putin’s military occupation would not be kind to me—nor has it been to many Ukrainians suffering from the Kremlin’s genocide. I decided to stay. Not only to report on what was happening but to continue…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022Kwame AlexanderIn helping his readers redefine their place in the world, the children’s author is nurturing the next generation of leaders. OPRAH DAILY: When you are creating, how do you envision your characters, and why do you make the choices you make? KWAME ALEXANDER: One of my jobs as a writer is to show the full humanity of Black people in that we laugh, love, learn, and joke just like everybody else. I’m doing that to remind Black people of that, so we don’t get caught up in all the stereotypes and the limited imaginations of other people. I try to write books that are mirrors and windows, books that show us and remind us who we are, and books that allow other people to fully see us as human beings.…1 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022TO HAVE AChildIn the early hours of the 21st day after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Taisiia Zyma gripped the edges of her hospital bed in Lviv, her pink gel nails digging into her palms. She is blond and blue-eyed, and her dark, tattooed eyebrows were knit together in concentration and pain. With a black T-shirt and colorful blankets bunched around her, black plastic covering the windows behind her to hide the hospital’s lights, she heaved her way through her final moments of labor. Five nurses and a doctor encouraged her, told her to breathe, to keep pushing another person’s child into the world. More than 300 miles away, in Kyiv, the capital of her country, Russian troops were attacking harder and more ruthlessly each day. They hit a civilian apartment block…26 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022They Don’t Always Mean Something NewRecently, a friend asked me if I’d ever been to Israel. Before I could even open my mouth, she added slyly, “Oh, that’s right. You can’t get on a plane.” I think she was trying to be funny. There was a time when I would have died a thousand deaths: She knows my dirty secret; she’s making fun of me; she thinks I’m pathetic; I am, in fact, pathetic. This time, however, I stopped the tape in my head and played a new one. It said, Everyone has a screw loose somewhere, and having a thing about planes happens to be mine. You have no idea how hard I’ve worked to get here. I’ve been a fearful flier since grade school. Once I grew up, I could white-knuckle a flight,…3 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022FEMALE FOUNDERS:LEADING WITH PURPOSEHere’s a jaw-dropping stat: Female-owned businesses generate $1.8 trillion in revenue a year—and that number is only going to continue to grow. Last year, the number of businesses owned by women increased by nearly 30 percent—proving that, more than ever, female entrepreneurs are a force to be reckoned with. But despite these massive numbers, many women still face uphill battles when it comes to running their businesses. For example, just over 2 percent of all venture capital goes to female entrepreneurs. And the pandemic brought on more challenges. A significant number of female founders are in the hospitality or retail business, which both took a hit over the past few years. Nonetheless, entrepreneurship is something a large number of women aspire to. One survey of nearly 10,000 people found that…13 min
O, Quarterly|Special #3 2022one last thingWhen I sat down with CNN war correspondent Clarissa Ward to discuss her revealing and inspirational memoir, On All Fronts, I confess I had a fangirl moment. As I told her during our interview, I’ve been watching her with astonishment and admiration for years as she lands in hot zones around the world, getting people on the ground to tell her their stories. How does she do it? I’ve wondered many times. In situations most of us would flee from, she hunkers down with those who are facing trauma and heartbreak, who are in life-or-death mode, and somehow manages to open her arms—and her heart—to them, giving them comfort by ensuring their stories are heard. In order to move through life as the best versions of ourselves, striving for wisdom…1 min
