O, The Oprah Magazine articles from August 2002

O, The Oprah Magazine archives from August 2002

Letters.
August 1, 2002... We Hear You! Readers weigh in on hearts, hair, humor, women's beauty at any age, the cure for lateness, and more.... "Oprah Talks to Chris Rock" [June] made me burst out laughing. He is so talented and makes us smile and keep laughing even...

Every body wins. (Here We Go).(body image)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
August 1, 2002... I DON'T KNOW A SINGLE WOMAN WHO has ever been completely satisfied with her body Over the years, I've talked to girls as young as 5 or 6 who have already absorbed the pervasive message of our culture--that you'll be more successful, more...

We declare August body-appreciation month. (Calendar).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... WE'RE BARELY OUT OF DIAPERS when the messages begin. Some gently nudge us to protect our assets: "Don't frown, dear," "Sit up straight." Others, loud as drumbeats, say we've already lost the battle: "You're too fat/skinnly/short/tall." Every...

Here's looking at you. (Live Your Best Life).(connection between health body and healthy mind)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... I took a long, hot shower and then stood studying myself naked in the mirror.... I wasn't thinking that I looked awful and wanted to look like someone else.... I just remembered that sometimes you start with the outside and you get it right....

Couples combat: the great American pastime.
August 1, 2002... Fighting with someone you love can rip you apart - or pull you closer together than ever. PHILLIP C. McGRAW, PHD, explains the rules of the ring. IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT THERE are only two things you can count on for sure: death and taxes....

"Refusing to take control of her money is a sign she feels powerless": if you let other people make your financial decisions, you're giving up on your net worth--and your self-worth is at risk, too.(answers to questions about various situations)
August 1, 2002... Q My sister is married and has a very well paying job. I have strong suspicions that her husband is being unfaithful. I know that she has her suspicions, too, but she wants to stay with him no matter what. He has taken charge of investing a...

A new leash on life: chafing at what life "ought" to be is a waste of energy Martha Beck tries out a new therapy aimed at acceptance as the route to happiness.
August 1, 2002... I AM SITTING IN AN EMPTY HOTEL room, but I am not alone. From my left ear marches a steady string of tiny people, even smaller than lilliputians, each one carrying a placard on which a few words are written. I watch them march forward, turn,...

A declaration of independence: she'd lived her entire childhood by the rules. Then one day Bharati Mukherjee slid into the driver's seat. (Aha! Moment).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... AS bookish CHILD IN CALCUTTA, I used to thrill 'to the adventures of bad girls whose pursuit of happiness swept them outside the bounds of social decency Tess of the d'Urbervilles, Emma Bovary, Anna Karenina lived large in my imagination. The...

On your toes: for Miss Pepper, ballet is more than girls in tights. It's a discipline, an identity, and a means of transforming a New York neighborhood. (Use Your Life).(Liza Springer runs El Grito Dance Studio in New York's South Bronx and other dance studios)
August 1, 2002... FOUR LOUD, PRECISE HAND CLAPS slice through the shrieks and giggles of the little girls in leotards who, until that moment, had been hurtling their bodies fearlessly through space; skidding on their backsides along the shiny floor of the El...

The miracle worker: Beautiful Child touchingly recounts one teacher's efforts to tend to the young, the restless, the cast aside. (Reading Room).
August 1, 2002... BEAUTIFUL CHILD IS WHAT 7-YEAR-old Venus Fox's retarded older sister, Wanda calls her h n she brings the little girl to Torey Hayden's class for children with special needs. It's not exactly the most accurate discriptionm of the unwashed,...

This boy's life. (Reading Room).('My Sky Blue Trades')
August 1, 2002... Sven Birkerts's My Sky Blue Trades (Viking)-the title is a nod to Dylan Thomas's "Fern Hill"--is a witty coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the sensational sixties. Birkerts's family dramas are modest: He is excruciatingly...

The divine shock of the ordinary. (Readers Room).('William Eggleston')
August 1, 2002... William Eggleston's colordrenched portrait (left) of a decked-out grandmother and hew sweety uncomfortable grandson captures the divine shock of the ordinary that is Eggleston's signature as a preeminent American regionalst photographer From...

The perils of Betsy: from disaster to recovery, Betsy Carter lays out a life of luck, plusk, and duck! In her funny, charming memoir.('Nothing to Fall Back On: The Life and Times of a Perpetual Optimist')(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... IF YOU EVER MEET BETSY CARTER, you might want to duck for cover--and then give her a big hug. Carter, former editor in chief of New York Woman, the much admired eighties magazine, and now author of Nothing to Fall Back On: The Life and Times of...

Aftershock: a natural disaster creates tremors in the lives of the men and women in Haruki Murakami's exquisite After the Quake. (Reading Room).
August 1, 2002... Though the nave I had its birth in Japan in the 11th century--with Lady Murasaki's Tale of Genji--modern Japanese literature is more strongly influenced by American fiction than ours is by it. Haruki Murakami's latest stories, After the Quake...

Women unite! Mah-jongg, friendship, and fun. (Reading Room).('Girls' Night Out')
August 1, 2002... LONGTIME PALS TAMARA KREININ and Barbara Camens call their Girl' Night Out (Crown) a celebration of women's groups across America, ranging from Rosh Chodesh in Philadelphia, whose members e their candlelit gatherings by invoking their...

Biblio: from our shelf to yours. (Reading Room).(four new books)
August 1, 2002... * "It's true; Tsugumi really was an unpleasant young woman." So begins Banana Yoshimoto's Goodbye Tsugumi (Grove), about a conflicted relationship between cousins that plays itself out in a small Japanese coastal town. Tsugumi, an invalid, is...

Meetings with remarkable minds: for writer Ellen Gilchrist, the best books awaken the soul, disturb the sleep, and inspire thrilling dreams. (Books that Made a Difference).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... GREAT AND STARTLING BOOKS have taught and changed me, have made me wish for nobility and dream of changing the world. They have solaced me when I was young and in love, made me laugh at myself for needing solace, and helped me grow old without...

Take me to you doctor: your MDs should welcome your input. Prepare for your next checkup with these checklist. (O To Go).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN BLOOD PRESSURE Ask what it is and what it should be. & FAMILY HISTORY Discuss when you should test for diseases that have affected family members. BLOOD TESTS Starting between ages 35 and 40 you should have...

The princes of tides: she missed the ocean, the West, and, at 49, her youth. So what was she waiting for? The perfect wave? Robin Oz foams home. (Travel).(middle-aged woman learns to surf)
August 1, 2002... A WOMAN WHO TIRES SURFING FOR the first time at age 49 should expect wisecracks like the one delivered by my neighbor Stuart: "I didn't know you could surf in Depends." My seven day surfing safari in Mexico started on a snowy winter...

A slice of summer: Bigmom gave Abigail Thomas a lasting taste for salt air, rockers, porches, and feathery sponge cake. (Dish Fufillment).(Brief Article)(Recipe)
August 1, 2002... MY GRANDMOTHER LIVED IN A BIG house on a ghost of a road at the end of which lay the Atlantic Ocean. Her house had once been an inn, was reputed to be haunted, and she bought it for $11,000 in the late forties after my grandfather died. Once a...

The o list.(items for the home, clothing, other products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... "A few things I think are great." --OPRAH Launch Pad "These were a gift from my pal Robin McGraw. The small one is just right for Jotting notes, the big one for jotting dreams." (Alligator-embossed leather notepads with interchangeable...

The power of positive dressing. stop bad-mouthing your body and step into clothes that show off strong arms or nice calves or a gloriously expectant belly. Eight women lead the charge. (Fashion).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Member of the New York Liberty pro basketball team and low student, 23. LOVES: Her back "I use it a lot in the game--I play center--but it also gives me confidence off the court. It's a safe place to expose. I think a bare back looks...

The colors of paradise: these tropical-punch colors look like they could knock you out--but in fact, they wash over you like a warm breeze. (Beauty Girls Toys).(cosmetics)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... IF YOU'RE ANYTHING LIKE US, THE LAST time you saw parrot-green eye shadow up close was on your Aunt Bea, who favored jungle colors and wore lots of dangling jewelry. An interesting look, but probably not what you're going for. So you may be...

A laser for lunch: they promise to zap away lines, scars, and birthmarks in the time it used to take to get a manicure. But is that a good idea? Christine Fellingham beams in on a new phenomenon. (Beauty).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... WHEN IT COMES TO BEAUTY CLAIMS, I'M THE consummate skeptic. I've seen so many cellulite cures, makeup miracles, and youth elixirs fly off the shelves and flop that I've completely lost the urge to rush out and try the next new thing. But I have...

"We focus on our daughters' bodies more than their minds". (Family).(teaching daughters good body image)
August 1, 2002... How do you teach your daughter to feel good about all of herself? Psychologist (and body-image expert) Rita Freedman must have done something right. She and her daughter talk candidly to Lise Funderburg about diets, bare midriffs, and surviving...

Be aware, be very aware: Oprah's own story. (Health).(menopause and heart palpitations)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Icy hands. Achy joints. A racing heart. Oprah thought she was going to die. But thanks to a smart trainer and the right book at the right time, the first symptoms of her changing body became a wake-up call to take better care of herself. What...

It's my perimenopause (and I'll cry if I want to): Hormone levels dive. Anxiety soars. Your eggs start whining, and you feel like you're going through puberty all over again. Nina Martin reports on what to expect when you're (not) expecting menopause.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... A PHYSICAL CHANGE AS PROFOUND AS menopause doesn't strike suddenly Think of the premenopausal years - "perimenopause"-as the antipuberty a period of adjustment as your body winds down its reproductive machinery Many symptoms of perimenopause...

The fat lady sings: fat people are supposed to fight fat. Natalie Kusz has been fighting since she was 9. Here, shockingly, she explains why she's breaking all the rules, thumbing her nose at the beauty culture...and giving up. (Minding Your Body).
August 1, 2002... NOT MUCH IS DELIGHTFUL--I'M THE first to admit it--about being fat: The joints ache and the lungs wheeze in mere anticipation of a staircase; any temperature above zero calls for extreme nudity and intravenous ice water; clothes-shopping...

Losing it: we all know that taking off weight is hard, really hard, and keeping it off is even tougher. Michelle Stacey finds out why it's such a struggle--and the strategic moves that make a difference. (Minding Your Body).
August 1, 2002... ON JANUARY 1, 1998, EDITORS OF THE prestigious New Englad and journal of Medicine presented what was either a gift or a curse to the medically informed public: They came out and admitted that losing weight was so difficult as to be well-nigh...

Oprah's garden party. (Food).(party planning)
August 1, 2002... SLIP INTO A GORGEOUS HAT. SIP A GLASS OF LAVENDER LEMONADE, STOP AND SMELL THE ROSES (THEY'RE EVERY WHERE). LISTEN TO THE MUSIC. HAVE SOME LUSCIOUS STRAWBERRIES AND A CAKE OF YOUR OWN. OPRAH THROWS AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER, MARY MCNAMARA MINGELS....

The bold and beautiful: the point of clothes is to wear them your way--not as a matched set but as an inspired mix that feels right. Watch as eight creative women put it all together--their way.
August 1, 2002... Naomi Campbell I mix it all up--designer with vintage, says this model who likes "everything from chiffon bias-cut dresses to pantsuits." She has "a huge collection a antique clothes," as well as a fondness for Azzedine Alaia and Dolce &...

The body.(body acceptance and appreciation of various body parts by 13 writers)
August 1, 2002... We all have one, of course-this amazing thing that chops vegetables, ambles to the post office, composes witty e-mails, swats a tennis ball, and performs sun salutations at dawn. But have you ever stopped to admire the parts that make up the...

The last time she saw Paris.(war photographer remembers past)
August 1, 2002... In her twenties, she was an intrepid war photographer. Now Deborah Copaken Kogan's memoir, Shutterbabe, is being made into a movie by Sex and the City's Darren Star. So she went to France to walk him through her snappy past.... The glass...

The O beauty giveaway: love free stuff? Who doesn't? Sign up for these dazzling beauty products to help you though the end of summer. (Practical Matters).
August 1, 2002... WE'RE GIVING AWAY SOME of this seasons newest products to more than 34,000 readers and we've arranged for 11 women's charities and nonprofits to get them, too. Beginning August 1, 2002, at noon EST, free moisturizer, makeup, hair spray, and...

Beauty style: 4 ways to go. (Beauty).(Naomi Campbell and others)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Here's how Naomi Campbell and three other beauties with exceptional flair (see "The Bold and the Beautiful," page 152) put their best face forward. NAOMI CAMPBELL HER BEAUTY STYLE: Easy but exotic. HOW SHE GETS IT: 1-Iman Makeup...

What's fresh for fall? (Fashion).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... Leather (lots of it), patterns (mixed with abandon), metallic shoes (for the office) -- all at democratic prices. (Inspired by "The Bold and the Beautiful," page 152.) THE JACKET SOFTENS UP Bell sleeves, subtle ruffles: Suede lets down...

The Star report: he wants to turn Deb Kogan into a Leica-wielding movie heroine. Writer-producer-director Darren Star explains why he and the Shutterbabe click.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... FOR REASONS BEST KEPT between me and my therapist, I'm drawn to create strong female characters. From Brenda Walsh on 90210 to Amanda Woodward on Meirose Place to Carrie Bradshaw on Sex and the City, these ladies have managed to be both...

"This is the body you've been given--love what you've got". (What I know for Sure).(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... I STILL HAVE THE CHECK I WROTE TO MY FIRST DIET doctor--Baltimore, 1977. I was 23 years old, 148 pounds, a size 8, and I thought I was fat. The doctor put me on a 1,200-calorie regimen, and in less than two weeks I had lost ten pounds (there's...

Avon invites you to kiss and commit for the breast cancer cause.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2002... ALL IT TAKES IS $1 DONATION TO PLANT YOUR PUCKER ON THE AVON KISSING WALL, a traveling exhibit showcasing support for the fight against breast cancer. All proceeds benefit the Avon Breast Cancer Crusade. The Kissing Wall is part of the Avon...

Oxygen: one idea can change your life. (Advertisement).
August 1, 2002... OXYGEN HELPS WOMEN START THEIR OWN BUSINESSES. Enter Oxygen's Build Your Own Business program at www.oxygen.com/buildit to win $10,000, computer equipment and mentoring. (See the ad in this issue.) Oxygen supports women entrepreneurs and those...

GNC: proudly supports healthy babies. (Advertisement).
August 1, 2002... GENERAL NUTRITION CENTERS, THE LEADER IN NUTRITION FOR OVER 65 YEARS is teaming up with the March of Dimes [R} to launch its "Me & My Baby" program. The program encourages women of childbearing age to take 400 micrograms of folic acid daily...