THE PASSION OF AN OPRAH FAN THAT WANTS MY BOOK ON HER SHOW!

THE PASSION OF AN OPRAH FAN THAT WANTS MY BOOK ON HER SHOW

James R. Fisher, Jr., Ph.D.
© January 2006

Reference: A person in my hometown of Clinton, Iowa wrote Oprah and thought that my book IN THE SHADOW OF THE COURTHOUSE: MEMOIR OF THE 1940s WRITTEN AS A NOVEL (2003) would be a good subject for her program. She is saddened and disheartened because she has not heard from Oprah, claiming, “I didn’t send her an email, but wrote her a personal letter.” Oprah might get 50,000 such letters a week. This was my reply.

The purpose of a novel is to help the heart of man know itself.

Henry James (1843 – 1916)
American Novelist


You are truly a dear friend. Thank you for writing to Oprah about my book.

No, I never heard from her, but I agree with you. She must get tons of such letters. Thank you for the effort.

The book has done better than I thought it would. I wish more Iowans, though, other than Clinton, Iowans would read it.

One of the things that I learned in my attempt to get the word out that there is very much a territorial imperative at play with Iowa readers, that is, the old saw, of NIH, "not invented here."

Clinton is a unique place which has produced perhaps more creative people per capita than most other Iowa cities, but Davenport, Des Moines, Iowa City, Dubuque, et al., would seem to command more respect. That is my take on it.

To wit, The Davenport Democrat never bothered to answer my queries; nor did the Des Monies Register, or The Daily Iowan (Iowa City), when I asked that the book be reviewed, offering to send a copy.

On the other hand, NPR radio in Rock Island did put a program on about the book, which I appreciated: as did KROS in Clinton. But strangely, that was the limit.

Nobody in Iowa City would take up the charge, not even my University of Iowa Alumni Magazine. They review many books, and I wrote them several times and asked why they didn't review mine, but never received a reply. They did mention the book in the alumni section.

However, the University of Iowa Collection ordered a copy, as did Iowa State University for their collection, but beyond that, "nada."

The book business is brutal, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone unless they can handle rejection, disappointment, and discouragement as part of the profession.

This is not because book people are unfeeling people. It is because it is terribly competitive, profits margins are very narrow, and publishers have to offer big contracts to celebrity authors and their children, leaving little room to review much less edit manuscripts they do accept. Quality control is not great in the book business as typos stare out at the careful reader.

That said the City of Clinton was gigantically supportive of IN THE SHADOW OF THE COURTHOUSE, as was The Clinton Herald, Guzzardo's, and as were many, many Clinton individuals and the Don Farr Network.

Clintonians took the time to spread the word, as you did, as did many Clintonians spread across the United States.

People write to me and say that every member of their family has read the book, and that it goes from household to household.

Others apologize for buying it as a "used book" on line for a fraction of the cost of a new book. THAT IS OKAY! It was written to be read, not to make money.

I've even had people write and tell me they have read and reread it several times, getting something new out it each time they do. That is what a book is supposed to be, about touching lives.

Someone posted a review on amazon.com stating that it was a "me" book. Of course, it was a "me book." It was a memoir written as a novel, and what is a memoir but about the person who wrote the book?

Yet a memoir's hidden message is that the book IS NOT ALL ABOUT THE AUTHOR, but a way of introducing the reader to him or herself; to identify with the book in terms of his or her own life.

Having said all that, I would encourage anyone that is a writer to keep on writing and never to be discouraged.

You are a successful writer if you are writing about the things that you know, love and understand, and desire to share.

A very dear friend of mine in Clinton says I need a good editor, and I do. I write quickly and passionately, and then move on, and often it shows. Editing is an important part of writing, but it has never interested me too much. I think people get the general drift of what I am saying.

Besides, I have so much to say, and the clock is ticking.

Thank you again for writing to Oprah. I am so happy that you did it, and now we all move on. Always be well,

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