O, The Oprah Magazine articles from August 2005

O, The Oprah Magazine archives from August 2005

We hear you! Readers welcome (and challenge) O's take on the male ego, cheer the amazing Wangari Maathai, defend doctors and sardines, and much more....(letters)(Letter to the Editor)
August 1, 2005... When I picked up my wife's June O, I immediately searched for the "96 useful and endearing insights..." into men's egos that you touted on the cover. Everything you wrote about us was spot-on. Barbara and I have been together for five years;...

Eating: O the joy!(here we go)
August 1, 2005... This month we thought we'd forget about low-carb this, steamed that, and focus instead on the pure, unadulterated joy of eating. We asked one brave journalist. Jancee Dunn, to go off the fake stuff--nothing "lite"--for a solid month. (See if...

What's going on: noteworthy events & happenings.(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... Bausch & Lomb Ocuvite[R] Lutein Bausch & Lomb Ocuvite[R] Lutein is a daily vitamin supplement specially formulated to help protect your vision. It provides the complete nutritional support eyes need to stay healthy. Visit bausch.com...

Eat well!(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... august "I taste in my natural appetite the bond of live things every where." --LUCILLE CLIFTON [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED]

9 things weight loss winners know (that you don't): it's not chocolates or potato chips that sabotage diets (try fear, old attitudes, tempting environments). Phillip C. McGraw, PhD, shows what works.(SPECIAL)
August 1, 2005... IN 30 YEARS OF WORKING WITH weight loss patients, I've seen a lot of people achieve physical transformations they never thought they were capable of. They'd all tried different approaches, had individual challenges, and were ultimately guided...

Suze Orman: "fear is the biggest internal obstacle to wealth, and the only way to conquer it is through action"; Can a struggling single mom break free of parental support?... Should a woman help her bankrupt husband start a business?... Is land the least risky investment?(financial freedom)
August 1, 2005... Q I'm a single mom, and I've raised my 5-year-old son since birth. I receive minimal child support from my ex, but my parents have always helped with my bills and rent. For many years, I was addicted to drugs and alcohol, unable to manage my...

Live your best life.
August 1, 2005... Content not available due to copyright restrictions.

The dead wives club: murder and madness stir up two edge-of-your-seat chillers.(Movies)(Constant Gardener; Asylum)(Movie Review)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... This month's antidote to Hollywood's adolescent-boy-friendly summer tradition comes in the form of a pair of great, independent female characters in a pair of inspired independent films. In THE CONSTANT GARDENER, Rachel Weisz plays Tessa...

Vital statistics.(NUGGET)
August 1, 2005... "Number of recent newspaper articles that claim that 30 is the new 20: 97 articles; 40 is the new 20: 38; 40 is the new 30: 208; 50 is the new 30: 105; 50 is the new 40: 142; 60 is the new 40: 53." --FROM PAUL GROBMAN'S VITAL STATISTICS...

Gospel according to BeBe.(Music)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Oprah's favorite brunch recipe: Assemble 50 celebrated African-American women on a sweeping lawn in Santa Barbara, mix in a few hundred of their admirers and friends, and just when it seems the good vibes can't get any better, cue gospel great...

On the fringes.(Theater)(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... The fringe festival phenomenon was born in Scotland more than 50 years ago, when a group of gate-crashing performers entertained crowds on the outskirts of the Edinburgh International Festival. There are more than 25 contemporary spin-offs in...

What's playing in Meshell Ndegeocello's ear? English electronica. Wistful Southern California folk. Churchy R & B. And a new rap artist.(Music)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... These days, Meshell Ndegeocello is letting her fingers do the talking. The virtuoso bassist is best known for lending her voice to a 1994 cover of Van Morrison's "Wild Night," with John Mellencamp, and her own sassy, charming pop hit "If That's...

Bee-witched!(Treat)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... MAYBE PAOLO PESCIA'S honey tastes so heavenly because his bees are so happy. In April and May, the privileged insects forage vast tracts of heather trees on a bluff overlooking the Mediterranean. The rest of the year, Pescia, a passionate...

The bad and the beautiful.(Art)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... WHO KNOWS WHAT THE OLD masters would have made of Robert Mapplethorpe, the art-world bad boy whose erotically charged photographs stirred the wrath of congressional conservatives in the 1980s. According to the curators at the Guggenheim Museum...

The translucent revolution: how people just like you are waking up and changing the world.(NUGGET)(Brief Article)(Excerpt)
August 1, 2005... "We constantly resist not only our grief, but also our wild passion and sexuality, our anger, even our exuberance and joy, repressing their free expression. Big feelings overwhelm us. They can easily upset the fragile equilibrium of our...

Who really killed our mother?(TV)(Movie Review)(Brief Article)(Television Program Review)
August 1, 2005... She knew it was dangerous, but the TV images of the turmoil down south were too terrible to ignore. So one day in 1965, Viola Liuzzo, a white 39-year-old mother of five, boldly set out from her home in Detroit to join Dr. King's voting rights...

Something to think about.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Eating well is the best revenge against the inner voice that tells you deprivation is the only way to lose weight and stay healthy. This month let your sybaritic side out to play. Engage in some nourishing introspection with these five...

The O list.
August 1, 2005... "A few things I think are just great."--OPRAH Brownie Points "A little bit cakey, a little bit fudgey, a lot velvety--there's nothing like a deep, dark, classic chocolate brownie. These also come spiced with cinnamon and chilies or...

First look at fall: sometimes a great notion not only looks terrific but makes life easier--like high-capacity bags that put our gear in one place, or racy little flats that allow us to sprint around all day (and sparkle at night).(KEY PIECE)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... THIS COULD BE THE START OF SOMETHING BIG We carry so much on our shoulders--high-tech gadgets, gym clothes, the weight of the world--that most of us resort to the small-purse-inside-a-big-tote routine. Now we don't have to. One generously...

Look what we found! A blush for everyone, an exhilarating shimmer oil, and more. Here's what O's beauty editors-Valerie Monroe and Jolene Edgar--fell in love with this month.(beauty)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... You might think we're crazy about these playful little Bourjois blushes ($13.50 each) because they're so adorable. You wouldn't be wrong, but there's much more to love about them than their looks. For example: their 18 shades in pinks, browns,...

Ask Val: how to get a good haircut ... Do collagen creams work?... Wash your face with oil? O's beauty director, Valerie Monroe, gets to the bottom line.(beauty)
August 1, 2005... Q: I'm desperate for a new hairstyle. How can I be sure to get one I won't hate? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A: Can I tell you a little inside story? A world-renowned hairstylist--the kind who services socialites and princesses (and...

Good to the last ... hey!(O to go)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... You're at a restaurant, delighting in the company, the wine, the fact that you didn't have to cook the meal in front of you. All of a sudden, a busboy grabs your plate while your companion is still eating. Or perhaps you're catching up with an...

Monsoon wedding, ole! Cumin, meet coconut. Chili, say hola to chutney. The fiery tastes of Latin America rub up against the spices of India to create an international sensation. Jennifer Murray finds nirvana between two worlds.(great food)
August 1, 2005... AMERICA ISN'T CALLED THE MELTING POT for nothing: The idea of a glorious ragout of rich, distinctive cultures--and flavors--is what fuels our country's passion for fusion-style cooking. And now, smack in the middle of the heartland, two women...

Cooking connection: it's the season to get together over food!(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... During the busy summer months, you need simple and delicious ways to feed--and enrich--your loved ones. To do this, you'll need to stay ahead of the season's celebrations and learn to prepare simple but satisfying meals giving you more time to...

The unbreakables: we're purists about food--we'd prefer a taste of real butter to a pat of pretend. For summer meals outside, though, these fabulous fakes rule. From cool, sculptural platters to crystalline flutes, everything here is plastic or paper--but makes for very real style.(comfort zone)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Chic, shapely plates and bowls could have a great social life. Although these dishes look like handmade ceramics thrown by potters in a remote French village, they're ridiculously inexpensive synthetics. Try them for a buffet or sit-down...

Menopause remedies put to the test.(body wise)
August 1, 2005... Chinese herbs. Mini motorized fans. Standing in front of an open freezer. Now that most women are being advised not to rely on HRT, they're trying just about everything else to ease severe menopausal symptoms, including over-the-counter...

One nation, overmedicated: have we handed drug companies the power to define diseases? It's time to take back our health.(body wise)
August 1, 2005... IN A PROVOCATIVE NEW BOOK, Selling Sickness: How the World's Biggest Pharmaceutical Companies Are Turning Us All into Patients, our nation's growing reliance on "lifestyle" medications is put in the spotlight. Ray Moynihan, an award-winning...

The zodiac diet: from the blood type diet to the personality type diet, so many programs now advocate weight loss regimens for your specific, well, type, we half expected to see the astro diet. The zodiac, after all, is the world's oldest classification system. Just for fun, we asked our favorite amateur astrologer, contributing editor Peter Smith, what the stars might say about the future of your shape.(body wise)
August 1, 2005... ARIES (March 21-April 19) [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Headstrong and passionate, you are terrific at kicking off a diet, not so great at sustaining one. Best bet: a short-term, intense regimen that grips your attention... at least until...

The way to eat: the dangers of overcooking ... a bone to pick with calcium ... and good eating, as easy as 1-2-3. David L. Katz, MD, fields your nutritional questions.(body wise)
August 1, 2005... Q Is there a reason, other than taste, to avoid overcooking food? I've heard that temperatures above 118 degrees kill off enzymes we need. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] --CINDY BOWLES, ATASCADERO, CALIFORNIA Most enzymes are proteins,...

Women on the edge.(mind wise)
August 1, 2005... She's the friend who calls you frantically at 3 A.M. with her latest romantic crisis... the roommate you once found pulling out her own eyelashes... the stranger having a complete meltdown in the checkout line. What's her problem? It's called...

Bold is beautiful.(reading room)(American Women)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Spurred to action by a friend's death from breast cancer in 1997, musician and photographer Bryan Adams began training his camera on strong, stylish women who make their presence felt in the world. Adams's latest book of celebrity portraits,...

Apartment complexes: a richly satisfying novel takes on domestic bliss (and unrest), Manhattan-style.(reading room)(Love, Work, Children)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... CHERYL MENDELSON HAS practiced law and taught philosophy, two fields she draws upon in her sturdy novels of upper-middle-class life in New York City. Two years after her Morningside Heights comes Love, Work, Children (Random House), set in the...

Drop me off on 125th Street: Zora. Billie. Gospel. Soul food. Beautiful brownstones. A new anthology wails an elegant anthem to Harlem, now and then.(reading room)(Beloved Harlem)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... These days, when New Yorkers talk about Harlem, it's most often to marvel at its skyrocketing real estate market. But Beloved Harlem (Broadway), a terrific new anthology of fiction, essays, and drama, offers a welcome and necessary reminder...

Life, the fiesta: Pablo Neruda's dark rhymes and joyful rhythms come alive in a new biography.(reading room)(Pablo Neruda: A Passion for Life)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... SURELY NO POET HAS EVER BEEN AS BELOVED BY HIS OWN PEOPLE AS THE Chilean Nobel Prize winner Pablo Neruda. On a recent visit to Santiago, I stayed at the Hotel Pablo Neruda, dined in the excellent Pablo Neruda Cafe, and even worked out at the...

The rules.(reading room)(Brief Article)(Excerpt)
August 1, 2005... "To love justice, to long for the right, to love mercy, to pity the suffering, to assist the weak, to forget wrongs and remember benefits--to love the truth, to be sincere, to utter honest words, to love liberty, to wage relentless war against...

It was a love match.(reading room)(Chris Ofili: Afromuses 1995-2005)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... Chris Ofili, the wildly innovative British artist, and Harlem's dynamic Studio Museum. Gorgeously reproduced in Chris Ofili: Afromuses 1995-2005, these vivid watercolors celebrate the museum's recent exhibition of Ofili's 181 archetypal...

Pose, snap & run! Create a unique party that sends friends on a wild photo scavenger hunt!(Brief Article)(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... Here's the idea: race around town looking for a friendly fireman, a spotted dog or a famous landmark. Find it, pose with teammates, snap and run to the next thing on your list. But hurry, the clock's ticking! Instead of the usual graduation,...

Angels and devils: ... swindlers and scholars romp through these wildly imagined tales.(reading room)(Prophet of Zongo Street)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... WELCOME TO ZONGO STREET, a lively, half-modern, half-mythological neighborhood in Ghana that lived in Mohammed Naseehu Ali's memory and imagination before he brought it vibrantly to life on the page. In the ten stories that make up The Prophet...

Change diapers and dance: an opinionated newborn rescues three addled adults in a frisky first novel.(reading room)(Little Beauties)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... There are no accidents in Kim Addonizio's witty and graceful first novel, Little Beauties (Simon & Schuster). Destiny is everything in this tale of three offbeat characters and the newborn who brings them all together. In the opening chapters,...

Biblio: recommendations from our shelf to yours.(reading room)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... If your definition of "pleasure craft" is skillful, imaginative writing, here are five books to put the wind in your sails.... Humpty Dumpty was a good egg, but also a philanderer and a corporate crook, according to the first in a new series of...

Books that made a difference to Liev Schreiber: a confederacy of misfits, a wise man, and the Bard illuminate everything for the actor-director.(reading room)(Everything is Illuminated; Confederacy of Dunces;Way to Freedom; Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories; Our Man in Havana)(Book Review)
August 1, 2005... MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME TO READ at a young age. She was a cabdriver who left the house at 6 in the morning. She didn't like the public school system and didn't want me to go to school at first. I spent a tremendous amount of time by myself, looking...

Who's on top? Who's smarter, prettier, richer? Who's got a better backhand, a flatter stomach, a faster-track job? If you can't stop comparing yourself to others, you've got a case of what Asian philosophers call monkey mind, and honey, it will only drive you bananas. Martha Beck directs you to a more evolved (saner, happier) plane.(advice, etc.)
August 1, 2005... MARIE IS DOING ALICE'S hair when along comes Tanya, a mutual acquaintance. Tanya has the perfect life: great body, well-behaved children, primo social status. Watching her walk by, Alice admires her beauty, then relaxes into the pleasant...

Well, shut my mouth! Honesty: good. Hurting people: bad. That's why before she tells you how you really look in that green dress, Amy Bloom asks herself three crucial questions.(advice, etc.)
August 1, 2005... I AM OPPOSED TO LYING. I AM. I am opposed to lying on one's resume, lying to beat the opposition, lying to conceal one's wrongdoing. I'm opposed to journalists making things up because they are too venal or too lazy to discover the truth. I am...

Serious dark circles?[TM].(NEW PRODUCT UPDATE)
August 1, 2005... "The first product specifically developed for serious dark circles... not the kind that pop up in the morning and are gone by breakfast, but the kind of serious dark circles that stay around forever... making you look old, tired and...

Stolen moments: the intruder took her pearls, her rings, her earrings, and her past. What he couldn't swipe was her realization that all that glitters is not gold. Barbara O'Dair explores what was lost and what was found.(family)
August 1, 2005... I RECEIVED THE CALL ON MY CELL PHONE DURING my lunch hour as I was browsing through a bookstore. "I'm at your house with the police," my babysitter said shakily. "When I got here with the girls, the front door was open and your dresser drawers...

The Legends who lunch: a weekend of glory at Promised Land.
August 1, 2005... THE SETTING: Oprah's place in California. THE HONORED GUESTS: Cicely Tyson, Maya Angelou, Diahann Carroll, Coretta Scott King, Leontyne Price, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, and the other legendary women Oprah wanted to thank for building "a Bridge...

The joy of eating.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Answer this: When was the last time you sat down to a meal and enjoyed every bite--without thinking of it as (a) calories ("Why don't I just apply this directly to my hips?"), (b) medicine ("Eat your antioxidants, dear"), or (c) an...

Food: there's nothing like the real thing, baby!
August 1, 2005... To keep her weight down, JANCEE DUNN lived on a round-the-clock snackfest of chiplike things, frozen "treats," and other foods not found in nature. What would happen, we wondered, if instead of mountains of fake food, she tried reasonable...

Overeating: the spiritual cure; Her cravings, in retrospect, were out of control--there wasn't enough pasta in the world to satisfy her. An anonymous, self-described food junkie learns to take it one dish at a time.
August 1, 2005... I DO NOT HIDE CANDY BARS UNDER the couch. I do not prowl dark country roads in search of all-night diners or steal cookies from my kid's lunchbox. Still, after years of denying that I suffered from compulsive eating habits, I joined Overeaters...

Lunch with a very proper stranger: Lisa Kogan gets a lesson in how to eat like a lady at the fabulous Four Seasons restaurant. Now you can take her anywhere.
August 1, 2005... BEHOLD, THE POWER LUNCH--THAT perfectly synergistic blend of money and clout that allows a select few to meet over iced tea and ahi tuna and literally change the course of history while the rest of us are waiting in line for a kid in a lovely...

Please don't drink the finger bowl: it's the 21st century. Now can we put lipstick on at the table? Justine Van Der Leun gets an etiquette update.
August 1, 2005... Origami 101: Place the napkin in your lap shortly after you sit down. If you excuse yourself during the meal, leave your napkin--folded or unfolded--on your chair and push your chair in. When you've finished your meal, fold your napkin and put...

These women are convinced they need to lose ten pounds. What do you think? Ten women of assorted shapes, sizes, and ages. One thing they have in common: Each believes--truly, deeply, and possibly madly--that if she were only ten pounds lighter, her clothes would fit, she'd feel fine in a bathing suit, and she'd go out into the world happy and confident.
August 1, 2005... THIS SPRING O MAGAZINE posted a question on oprah.com: "Do just ten pounds stand between you and happiness?" We were inundated with e-mails answering a resounding and agonized "Yes." Not that we were surprised. Women famously think they're...

Summerize! A head-to-toe guide.
August 1, 2005... We've always associated the glorious, intoxicatingly warm and languorous days of summer with getting gorgeous. That's when we can let down our hair (or casually pin it up, exposing a glimpse of neck or shoulder and maybe, too, exuding a light,...

Thriller suits; Fitted skirts, chic jackets, proper pocketbooks: the heroines of Hitchcock's classic pulse-racers (think Grace Kelly, Tippi Hedren) look incredibly together even when they're seriously imperiled, thanks to some really beautiful suits. Try them as the stress mounts at work.(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... Suspense & Sensibility Live dangerously, dress decorously. Ladylike styling on this mohair topper (Moschino Cheap and Chic, $1,465)--A-line shape, three-quarter sleeves, Peter Pan collar--recalls the fifties, era of respectable Republican...

Breathing space.
August 1, 2005... Stand atop this sorrel-covered bluff at Pigeon Point and feel the California sun warm your skin as you look out over the glittering waves of the Pacific. PHOTOGRAPH BY TIM FITZHARRIS / MINDEN PICTURES

A phenomenal woman: she was just 26, and blind, when she rode into Tibet (on horseback, no less!) to found a school where blind children could learn to read Braille, speak three languages, take care of themselves, teach each other, and put a joyous new spin on the idea of the blind leading the blind. Rosemary Mahoney listens and learns from--and tries to keep pace with--the spectacular Sabriye Tenberken.
August 1, 2005... SABRIYE TENBERKEN has, among many other things, notably long legs. She walks fast and with authority. Accustomed to walking arm-in-arm with companions, she's hooked her elbow in mine. Linked in this way, I find that for every step she takes...

The un-suits: you call these suits? Yes--of an incredibly modern, witty, mix-it-up sort. They're inspired by "Thriller Suits" (page 212) and aren't too pricey.(Fashion)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... A shapely take on Dad's cardigan (Club Monaco, $79)--very fifties sitcom--tops a soft blouse (Dana Buchman, $250), narrow skirt (Ted Baker London, $175), proper slingbacks (Isaac by Isaac Mizrahi, $238). The brocade purse (Maxx, $165) also has...

Take me along: from a manicure kit that passes airport inspection to a makeup remover you toss as you go, 16 ways to look great and travel very, very light.(Beauty)(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... AT LAST, A WEEK AWAY! Charlie Green, world-traveling makeup artist for Victoria's Secret Beauty, recommends organizing your gear into categories (tools, skin, makeup, hair) so you can find what you need quickly. (The clear, zip-top pouches in...

Dig in anywhere: a bite-size guide to the delicious mysteries--what is that? How do I eat it?--of the global table.(Food)
August 1, 2005... Vietnamese The fragrant, light food of Vietnam is often referred to as the nouvelle cuisine of Asian cooking. Dishes use very little added fat and are accompanied by lettuce leaves, slivers of pickled vegetables, and fresh herbs such as...

Shop guide (all prices are approximate).(Product/Service Evaluation)
August 1, 2005... COVER/HERE WE GO P.33 Calvin Klein blazer, $275; 888-222-1213. DKNY camisole, $75, Bloomingdale's. Piazza Sempione pants, $300, Saks Fifth Avenue. Verdura earrings; 212-758-3388. Gioia necklace; 212-223-3146. Vacheron Constantin watch;...

Live your best life tour: a day with friends, an afternoon with Oprah, an experience 15,000 women will never forget.(Advertisement)
August 1, 2005... "Oprah's coming to town!" That was what women in Denver, Washington D.C. and Dallas were screaming for weeks. Tickets sold out within minutes. Attendees came from near and far, all of them eager to start living their best life. ...

"I won't waste a meal by eating food that doesn't fully satisfy me".(what I know for sure)
August 1, 2005... CREATING THE LEGENDS "BRIDGE to Now" celebration will forever be one of the great highlights of my life (see "The Legends Who Lunch," page 174). Planning every detail and anticipating the joy to be shared during that weekend made me...