O, The Oprah Magazine articles from September 2004

O, The Oprah Magazine archives from September 2004

We hear you! Ah! Readers take a much-needed breather with our restoration issue, applaud Comedy Cures and Aisha Tyler, and marvel at one phone call's domino effect.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
September 1, 2004... So much of your July issue {Restore Yourself} applied to me. As a caregiver for three relatives for the past nine years, I expended all my energy worrying about others. Relaxation and sleep were luxuries, and food was my comfort. When my aunt...

A better breakfast starts with silk.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... HERE'S WHY: According to the FDA, 25 grams of soy protein a day as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol may reduce the risk of heart disease. And it takes only four servings of Silk a day to give your heart this...

Shop! In the name of love.(Here We Go)
September 1, 2004... I'm a black-belt shopper, always have been. While I'm not quite the bargainer my friend Gayle is--she's the kind of woman who'll drive ten miles to save a nickel on a bottle of Tide--I still get a little thrill whenever I see these two words:...

The subject is shopping wisely: for the September calendar, lift this page.(Calendar)
September 1, 2004... September [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "If there were dreams to sell, What would you buy?" --Thomas Lovell Beddoes [TABLE OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED] "A dress is never just a dress...." --Mason Cooley ...

Mothers: the 5 questions you need to ask yourself; Parenting is the knottiest, most time-consuming, patience-sapping job ever invented. Are you carrying out your 24/7 duties confidently, peacefully, and guiltlessly? Phillip C. McGraw, PhD, offers a few steps to success from his new book, Family First.(Tell It Like It Is)
September 1, 2004... IT'S OFTEN SAID OF AMERICA THAT we're a selfish society. I say we are a selfless society, meaning we've lost ourselves in the hectic pace of day-to-day life. In 60 percent of American families, both parents work. A recent study found that being...

Suze Orman: "don't take the easy route of playing the victim": unfair treatment at work ... a debt-ridden daughter ... and strategies for a couple divided.(Financial Freedom)(Interview)
September 1, 2004... Q Last April, when I was in my eighth month of pregnancy, my doctor ordered bed rest. I was working full-time as supervisor in a nonprofit agency with ten employees. I was told that another person would be put into my position temporarily, and...

Live your best life.
September 1, 2004... Caretake this moment. Immerse yourself in its particulars. Respond to this person, this challenge, this deed. Quit the evasions. Stop giving yourself needless trouble. It is time to really live; to fully inhabit the situation ...

Three movies that make us happy blockbuster season is over.(Movies)(Movie Review)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... For those of us who prefer our eye candy with a little wit, a touch of narrative--some character, for God's sake!--a trip to the movies is better in September. We patiently wait out the heat of August and its comic book heroes, disaster...

Burn, baby, burn.(Tech)(iTunes )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Having a theme song is fine and good, but we're for perpetual background music--the disco mix for cleaning, the rainy-day folk compilation, the Barry White assortment for, well, you know. And now that programs like Apple's ridiculously...

See you in September.(Television)
September 1, 2004... We're happy to report that the new fall TV lineup consists of more than Mark "Mr. Reality" Burnett productions and their inferior spawn. Unfortunately, the screwball conceits, stereotypical characters, and cliched plotlines of seasons past are...

What's playing in Lila Downs's ear? The Latina singer likes cool jazz, hot rhythms, and a touch of Strauss.(Music)
September 1, 2004... Mexican-American vocalist Lila Downs sang her way into the public consciousness in 2002 with a small part in the film Frida. Performing in the background during Salma Hayek and Ashley Judd's sexy tango, she all but upstaged the famous actresses...

Middle children earn less ... and other annoying stats from sociologist Dalton Conley.(Random Expert)
September 1, 2004... ANYONE WHO'S EVER staggered out of a holiday gathering where the smell of turkey barely masks the scent of recrimination knows this to be true: Families can be tough. Now there's statistical proof. In The Pecking Order: Which Siblings Succeed...

Sarah Jones's Aha! Moment: Limos! Celebs! Parties! Not! The actress-playwright's art lay elsewhere (thank you, Meryl Streep).(LYBL)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... As a playwright and performer trying to make it without losing my integrity. I've had plenty of experience with disappointment. My small-venue, one-person shows--in which I played characters of both sexes and various ages and races--won me...

You've got meal!(Treats)(e-mail newsletter)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Aviva Goldfarb had one of those ideas--incredibly obvious, yet nobody had thought of it--that immediately make the pieces of your brain fit together with a neat click. A wife, mother, self-published cookbook author, and organizational ace,...

Stud muffins.(LYBL)
September 1, 2004... We love a good muffin, and we've always been happy with the usual types--corn, bran, lemon poppy seed, chocolate chip. But two muffin studs, Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, have just come out with The Ultimate Muffin Book (William Morrow),...

Worth the trip: Cincinnati.(Travel)(Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Art)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... THE BILBAO EFFECT--a phenomenon in which sexy buildings and important art arrive in a city, bringing along urban renewal and tourists--has reached the heartland. Cincinnati sprang to life with last year's christening of the dazzling Lois &...

Dump the pumps.(Suggestion Box)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Dear beauty product companies: Can you stop with the pumps, already? First it was just big tubs of body lotion that were converted. Now our favorite facial moisturizers, hair conditioners, and shaving creams have all "gone pump." Where once we...

Something to think about.(shopping)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... We live in a culture that encourages us to shop. But how savvy a consumer are you? Find a quiet moment and consider the following. 1 What we buy and how much we spend are influenced by how we feel. Think of a day you shopped when you were...

When's your ship coming in? There's only one way to find out what's keeping you from getting what you really want, says.(Free Therapy)
September 1, 2004... IT'S NEW YEAR'S EVE, 1988. I'M TRAVELING alone off the coast of Belize. After spending the day snorkeling, I've come down with a terrible infection. Racked with chills, barely coherent, I stumble across town to rouse the lone nurse from her...

Always apologize, always explain: if the words I'm sorry ever stick in your throat, maybe you don't realize how good you're going to feel afterward--oh, yeah, and the other person, too. Martha Beck puts you on the road to contrition.
September 1, 2004... I WAS A MERE CHILD WHEN THE classic teargusher Love Story hit theaters in 1970, but I wept along with the adult audience as the dying Ali MacGraw told the darling Ryan O'Neal, "Love means never having to say you're sorry." Two years later, I...

To squeal or not to squeal.(The Advice Squad)(parenting skills)
September 1, 2004... Q You're making a quick stop at the Quikstop for a Diet Coke when you spy a good friend's 15-year-old daughter drinking beer in the parking lot with her buddies. Question: Do you rat her out? Radio's Satellite Sisters give you five ways to look...

Men are from mars. period: men and women are exactly the same--except that men think differently, act differently, hear differently, and, most of all, talk differently. W. Bruce Cameron explains the bizarre wiring of the male mind. You'll laugh, you'll cry....(Couples)
September 1, 2004... MEN PROCESS INFORMATION DIFFERENTLY from women. Take, for example, those advertisements for automobile parts. They'll show a beautiful blonde in a bikini holding a muffler and grinning as if standing around clutching car parts is a much better...

Clip, clip, hooray! To kick off the shopping season, we've wrangled some good deals--and a couple of freebies--just for O readers. Check the back of these coupons for details, then go out there (or online) and shop up a storm!(O to Go)
September 1, 2004... 20% discount 15% discount Use promotional code Use the promotional at Pier 1 at Michael OPRAH at code 3000 to claim Imports C. Fina michaelcfina.com or by your discount on any ...

The O list.
September 1, 2004... "A few things I think are just great."--OPRAH Running Hot and Cold "Fill these great-looking thermoses with iced mint tea for a picnic or hot chicken gumbo for a sick friend." ($22 each, Uncommon Goods; 888-365-0056;...

Wardrobe rescue: if you hate your clothes--too last year, too colorless, too same-old-thing--here's help from fashion fix-it man Mark Gill. This Chicago-based designer and image consultant zaps bad old shopping habits and builds great new wardrobes.(Style Fashion)
September 1, 2004... Q I'm 45 and stuck in a black-clothes rut. I'd like to liven things up. What's appropriate? A Mark swears you can look terrific in color at any age; it's a matter of strategy. Although loud mixes might not be right for you (leave that to...

Queer Eye for a great buy.(Comfort Zone)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... THOM FILICIA--the decorating whiz who can turn a live-in Dumpster into a sleek, jazzy bachelor pad before you can say Queer Eye for the Straight Guy--is a firm believer in the power of accessorizing. When we asked him to find, for not too much...

Wait! It was here a minute ago: can't find your passport? The warranty for your camera? The receipt for those too-small jimmy choos? Let Julie Morgenstern help you get over your fear of filing.(Getting Organized)
September 1, 2004... GETTING YOUR HOUSEHOLD FILES IN order can take a full day (or weekend), but the payoff is huge: You'll be able to find anything and feel like an organizing master. Unless you already have a system that's at least 75 percent effective, I...

The savvy shopper: whether you're in the market for a credit card, a doctor, a piece of art, a car that won't drive you into bankruptcy, or phone service that won't drive you crazy, it pays to shop very, very carefully. O's experts steer you right.(Tactics)
September 1, 2004... Shop for Cell Phone Service Choose a lousy plan because you're blinded by an offer for a sleek new phone, and you'll find yourself in a financial sinkhole. Instead go to online comparison sites such as myrateplan.com or letstalk.com to...

Look what we found! A pretty smart way to pencil in face time, a fresh new take on yellow, a pure, soothing shampoo ... here's what O's beauty editors, Valerie Monroe and Jolene Edgar, fell in love with this month.(Girls' Toys)
September 1, 2004... Yes to Yellow Has the whole world gone bananas? we wondered, eyeing the makeup in vivid shades of canary, buttercup, and sunshine that had crossed our transom. Could we actually wear it? Intrepid Jolene painted Creative Nail Design Enamel...

Ask Val: questions about shampooing? You've come to the right place. O's beauty director, Valerie Monroe, gives you the straight story.(Beauty)
September 1, 2004... I've heard that the way you wash your hair really affects how it looks when it's dried and styled. Is this true? And if it is, how can I give myself the best shampoo? [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Thank you, my curious friend! I've been...

The beauty makers: think of Estee Lauder and Elizabeth Arden turning their kitchen stove formulas into vast, glittering beauty empires. They've inspired dozens of women--and some, like the four here, have achieved inspiring successes of their own. How'd they do it? O's beauty editors find out.(Beauty Report)(Company Profile)
September 1, 2004... Rosie Herman, 41 Founded One Minute Manicure in 1998 On how she got her start: I'm a manicurist--I met my husband when he came in for a manicure. Six years ago, we had beautiful twin girls. After a few months at home caring for them, I...

The food of the gods: there's more to Greek cuisine than grape leaves and moussaka. Try a sweetly pungent beet-and-cheese salad, and let the feasting begin!(Great Food)
September 1, 2004... JIM BOTSACOS IS GREEK-ITALIAN-American through and through. Since his grandparents' generation, Greeks and Italians have commingled repeatedly in his family--at the altar and at the table. So what were meals like growing up? Huge, for starters....

Fowl play.(Body Wise)(arsenic laced chicken)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... It's getting harder and harder to be a carnivore. First there was mad-cow-infected beef, then PCB-laden salmon, and now... arsenic-laced chicken. Researchers at the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the USDA analyzed thousands of samples...

5 ways to wake up the body.(Body Wise)
September 1, 2004... One way to remember where your tibia is: Wait for a feisty kid to aim his Reebok at your shins. Another way is to try a new kind of exercise style that is stealing its way into the fitness world. These five workouts--now in New York City, Los...

Shop: the best place to shop around? The comfort of your own home. To receive more information from these O advertisers, fill in and return the coupon below.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... BOSCIA Aggressive, effective anti-aging treatments without negative side effects? boscia's preservative-free, botanically based skincare promises "Beauty Without Compromise." Many celebrities and their make-up artists are already...

The way to eat: boning up on calcium (sardines, anyone?) ... what vegetables give you that fruits can't ... and the inflammatory truth about trans fats.(Body Wise)
September 1, 2004... What are good sources of calcium, and which ones-including supplements--are most readily absorbed by the body? --KRISTEN CALVERLEY, NEW YORK CITY The best source of calcium is bone, and the best source of bone is sardines, which...

Sex and the 6-year-old girl: low-riders. Belly-button-baring halters. High heels. Fake nails. Why are today's parents permitting their little girls to dress like glitzy streetwalkers? Amy Bloom kicks off a small culture war.(Opinion)
September 1, 2004... I DON'T EXPECT 6-YEAR-OLD GIRLS TO CLAMOR for the Madeleine Albright World Diplomacy Pouch and Travel Kit. I don't expect 10-year-old girls to express disdain for Britney/Christina/Shakira and screaming enthusiasm for the Regina Carter jazz...

Gored! A funny smash of a debut novel by a political scion.(Reading Room)(Brief Article)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... CAN A WOMAN WHO REPEATEDLY WEARS MISMATCHED SHOES BE A savvy politico? Would the sort of person who accidentally mass e-mails her colleagues a racy message titled "Whipped Cream" also be the sort who can persuade a major presidential candidate...

"Do you want to explain that?" In a splendid new book, NPR's ace interviewer Terry Gross collects her most provocative conversations.(Reading Room)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... If you're like me, you mostly get to hear NPR's Terry Gross in bits and pieces caught on the car radio while traveling from somewhere you wish you had left earlier to somewhere you're already late getting to. This is unfortunate, and not just...

Biblio: recommendations from our shelf to yours.(Reading Room)(Bibliography)
September 1, 2004... * Even a reader who resists Joyce Carol Oates's gothic sensibilities can marvel at her latest novel, The Falls (Ecco). After Ariah's first husband leaps into oblivion on their wedding night at Niagara Falls, the humiliated "Widow-Bride" marries...

Affairs to remember: a royal mistress, monastery murders, Edwardian intrigues, and the most soul-catching poetry ever make novelist Sarah Dunant's best-books list.(Books That Made a Difference)(Bibliography)
September 1, 2004... Books and writers: not so much a love affair as an addiction. In my case, it hit around puberty with my weekly bagful from the local library. It was a form of early rebellion, really--the flashlight under the covers, Thomas Hardy nuzzling up to...

Clarins.(Special Advertising Section)
September 1, 2004... New Eye Revive Beauty Flash Refresh, tighten and brighten eyes in a wink! This one-of-a-kind emergency eye care relieves puffiness, dark circles and fine lines due to stress, strain, allergies and fatigue. Available at fine department...

Sephora.(Special Advertising Section)
September 1, 2004... Sephora Great Pumpkin Mask Get glowing with this spice-filled face and body mask that's a purifying blend of pumpkin, firming nutmeg, cleansing ginger, blood orange, Italian lemon and cinnamon, softened with caramel and warm vanilla. Visit...

L'occitane En Provence.(Special Advertising Section)
September 1, 2004... New Verbena Harvest Candle Reminiscent of freshly squeezed lemons, the scent of verbena energizes the senses. Light a Verbena Harvest Candle in your home to release this refreshing fragrance. Visit usa.loccitane.com for boutique locations....

Estee Lauder.(Special Advertising Section)
September 1, 2004... Pure Color Lip-Tint & EyeLiner Be seduced by succulent new Pure Color LipTint and smoldering new liquid Pure Color EyeLiner. Shop online and choose a free deluxe sample, yours while supplies last with any purchase from www.esteelauder.com....

Guerlain.(Special Advertising Section)
September 1, 2004... SuperAquaserum Want a tall drink of water for your skin? Guerlain's SuperAquaserum is the solution as it continuously moisturizes and revitalizes your skin resulting in a smoother, softer, younger looking complexion. Visit your local...

Beauticontrol.(Special Advertising Section)
September 1, 2004... Affordable At-Home Microderm[R] Abrasion! Forget expensive microdermabrasion. Get glowing results at home with BeautiControl Microderm Abrasion at a fraction of the cost! Call 1-800-BEAUTI-1 for a consultant near you or visit...

Ann Taylor.(Special Advertising Section)
September 1, 2004... Ann Taylor is celebrating an Anniversary... with a collection brimming with jackets, jackets and more great jackets. Pants that fit to perfection. Billowy blouses. Snug knits. And all the croco, fur and retro bijoux this season demands....

Van Eli.(Special Advertising Section)
September 1, 2004... Retro Classics Edgy, up to the minute designs in neutral hues are new autumn favorites. For a store near you, visit www.VanEliShoes.com. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Newman's Own.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... Take your salads too seriously? Lighten Up[TM] For great taste sensations, choose one of our five Lighten Up[TM] salad dressings, bringing your choices in Newman's Own to 16 delicious dressings. Go to www.newmansown.com for great salad...

Sally Beauty.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... Give the Gift of Beauty Sally Beauty Supply carries more than 5,000 professional quality items in stores nationwide to help polish your nails, tone your skin and style your hair between salon visits. For a location near you, visit...

Curves.(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... You deserve 30 minutes of your own time. That's our belief at Curves, where our 30-minute, full-body workout has helped over 3 million women change their bodies. And their lives. Visit www.curvesinternational.com for a location near you....

Enter to Win!(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... You and a guest can win a tropical vacation to Maui! Turn the page for details and entry form. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

It's time to go Back To You with O, The Oprah Magazine!(Special Advertising Section)(Advertisement)
September 1, 2004... OFFICIAL RULES: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN A PAYMENT OR PURCHASE OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCE OF WINNING. Limit one entry per person. You must be at least 25 years old and a legal resident of the U.S. Void where...

Hell's angels: without their guts, persistence, pain, rage, and, above all, love, there would be no 9/11 commission, no Megan's Law, no Amber Alert, no Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Francine Prose on "ordinary" women who became extraordinary when they turned helplessness into heroism.(Use Your Life)(political activists)
September 1, 2004... THE FOUR WOMEN SITTING AT MY table--passing cartons of Chinese takeout, cracking jokes, interrupting and finishing one another's sentences--could be any group of lively, attractive friends, come into the city from the suburbs to catch a...

Ah, fall.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
September 1, 2004... Ah, fall. That time of year when a woman's fancy turns to shopping. So many temptations, so many opportunities for disaster. What's the smartest strategy for buying clothes, a plane ticket, a lipstick? Where do you go for the real bargains? Can...

Oprah talks to Alicia Keys.(The O Interview)(Interview)
September 1, 2004... THE CLASSICALLY TRAINED FIVE-TIME GRAMMY-WINNING SENSATION-STILL ONLY 23!--OPENS UP HEART AND SOUL (AND DIARY ENTRIES) ABOUT HER LEAP FROM HELL'S KITCHEN TO SUPERSTARDOM; THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY OF DIVADOM; AND HOW SHE HANDLES THE...

8 fall splurges (& some unbelievable steals): O my! O buy! Come browse with actress Laura Linney as she tries on the season's strongest style ideas-from little dresses to big plaids, from soft shirts to fadproof suits. Followed by two pages of money-saving deals on the same great trends.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... 1 Plaids are big. They always seem to show up around this time of year--maybe it's that brisk-weather, back-to-school association. The cut is pure, classic trench. The pattern is a departure from tradition: bolder in scale and done in wonderful...

The real deals: same fall trends--adorable, and now affordable.
September 1, 2004... 1 Plaid Coats Look for a sleek fit, a tie belt, a snappy pattern. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 Menswear Try a little tenderness with your tailored pinstripes. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 3 Small Bags Size is everything....

Buying beauty.(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... As you take in the abundance of this fall's new makeup, we're sure that, like us, you will be struck by two things: On the one hand, the luscious colors and textures, rich and varied, that make you want to try (and buy) almost everything you...

Shopping for all the right reasons.(Attention Shoppers!)
September 1, 2004... She shops! She scores! What's more blissful than finding exactly what you want at, oh, say, slightly below wholesale? Then again, what's more stressful than pouncing on a bargain--or springing for a big-name, big-ticket item--only to...

Shop like a pro: shopping. Say it loud and there's music playing. Say it soft and it's almost like praying. Challenging, creative, transcendent--shopping. Here, some high-caliber style and retailing experts let Lise Funderburg in on their closely guarded secrets. You'll never walk into a store the same way again.
September 1, 2004... The biggest mistake that any woman can make is to talk herself into an outfit that isn't flattering to her frame. There are only two kinds of clothes in the universe: flattering clothes for you, not flattering clothes for you. When I was a...

Midnight mogul: by day, she's a mild-mannered O staffer. By night--thanks to a talent for persuasive patter and the tech support of a 12-year-old cousin--she's raking it in on eBay. Material girl Justine van der Leun on how to get in the game.
September 1, 2004... TWO YEARS AGO, I plummeted into a dangerous addiction to luxury handbags that nearly drove me into debt and out of my mind. I don't know exactly what brought on the maelstrom of fiscally ridiculous purchasing, but I repeatedly blew my whole...

The mouse that scored: a $30 flight to Paris. A week in a Tuscan farmhouse for $170, $650 boots for $150. Cyber-shopper Michelle Burford says you can't beat the Net for bargains. Click along to link up with your own great deals.
September 1, 2004... I've had sticker shock since the day I rolled into Manhattan. Where I'm from, Nine West is a splurge and Coach is what you fly on United. Six years of social conditioning later, I've graduated from Payless patron to savvy e-haggler--you show me...

What price style? A recovering label snob tells all: a big-name huntress (Prada! Gucci! Louis Vuitton!) discovers that good looks don't have to cost a fortune ... and a secure ego can survive without status symbols. Katherine B. Weissman makes the case for fashion democracy.
September 1, 2004... I'M WHAT YOU'D CALL A RECOVERING label snob. Although I love shopping--cruising the aisles is curiously soothing to me, a cross between meditation and anticipation--the closest I come to "it" bags or "in" shoes is watching Sex and the City...

Think fig: yippee--it's fig season! We love figs in appetizers (grilled with rosemary and goat cheese), salads (with arugula and shallot vinaigrette), entrees (in a sauce with dill on cold poached salmon*), and desserts (in maple-flavored rice pudding). But pretty please, don't forget the snack (port-glazed figs with walnuts and Stilton).
September 1, 2004... From early summer through midfall, life gets a lift from a fruit with unmatched texture (grainy yet creamy) and a sweetness all its own. Figs are very high in dietary fiber and overall mineral content. And no peeling or pitting is required....

Breathing space.(Brief Article)(Illustration)
September 1, 2004... Take a long, quiet hike through the lush landscape of Kyoto, Japan. Stop and admire the emerald hues all around you as a cool mist from this mountain stream falls gently on your skin. PHOTOGRAPH BY U FUKUSHIMA/PANSTOCK

She's come undone: did he slap her around? No. Threaten her? No. Leave any scars or bruises? Not that you could see. Then what reduced this bright, upbeat, outgoing woman to a wife cowering at her husband's anger, blaming herself for his outbursts, too shattered to crawl out from under? Aimee Lee Ball reports on a subtle but devastating form of abuse.
September 1, 2004... Threaten her? No. Leave any scars or bruises? Not that you could see. to a wife cowering at her husband's anger, blaming herself for his outbursts, on a subtle but devastating form of abuse. Jo Ann Viola Salazar was pretty much of a wonk as...

Fall shoe kickoff.(Fashion)
September 1, 2004... Velvet flats. Classic pumps. Lots of mock croc and scads of color. For O's autumn update, lift this page. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED] [TABLE OMITTED]

The right shoe: can flats flatter a skirt? To hose or not to hose? Which styles make legs look thinner? Answers in O's foot-wise guide.(Fashion)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2004... Looking Sleek * Feet will seem smaller if you avoid light colors, clunky soles (no thicker than 1/8 inch). * Think twice about T- or ankle-straps--they interrupt the leg line and make calves look bulky. * Patterned stockings are...

Confessions of a shoplifter: one out of II Americans does it--and that includes the rich and famous. What drives someone to waltz out of a store with stuff she hasn't paid for? A repentant shoplifter explains it all to Judith Newman.(Healing)
September 1, 2004... WALK INTO BETSY SAMSON'S* AIRY SPANISH-style home in Los Angeles, and the first thing you notice is its spareness. Crayon drawings line the walls, evidence of her two young children, but otherwise the place is minimalist--which is startling...

Green dreams.(Reading Room)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... Peaceful coexistence begins in a garden. In Plants in Garden History: An Illustrated History of Plants and Their Influences on Garden Styles--from Ancient Egypt to the Present Day (Pavilion) master horticulturist Penelope Hobhouse points out...

Professor of desire: T.C. Boyle imagines Dr. Kinsey in a covertly erotic novel.(Reading Room)(Book Review)(Brief Review)
September 1, 2004... Sex is tricky for John Milk, a shy Indiana University undergraduate when he first goes to work as a research assistant for Professor Alfred Kinsey ("Prok" to his intimates), who is doing a groundbreaking study of human sexual behavior. T.C....

To serve, with love: a magnificent anthology celebrates hope, guts, and the power of taking action.(Reading Room)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... PAUL ROGAT LOEB HAS DONE US A GREAT FAVOR. IN HIS NEW BOOK, The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen's Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear (Basic), he has compiled for us the words of 49 of the most gifted and heroic men and women of our...

I belong nowhere: two fine new novels explore the pain and utter strangeness of exile.(Reading Room)(Book Review)
September 1, 2004... The historical novel can be a haven for soft sentiment and outright nostalgia, but with a skilled and serious writer it can also turn, with stately power, on the axis of our richest cultural memories and shared narratives. Two novels out this...

After the fall.(Reading Room)
September 1, 2004... In case the world has forgotten, black humor can be a brave response to tragedy. After September 11, 2001, cartoonist Art Spiegelman--who in his classic Maus dared to witness the Holocaust through the eyes of a rodent--began "sorting through my...

Magic wands: they promise to lengthen, thicken, and last through three-hankie movies. But do they? A team of unblinking O staffers tried the latest mascaras and found nine that bat a thousand.(Beauty)(Brief Article)(Product/Service Evaluation)
September 1, 2004... 1. Prescriptives False Eyelashes Plush Mascara ($17.50) is smudge-free: Our tester finished yoga class with mascara completely intact. 2. The fibers in Jane Hi-Fiber Mascara ($4) latched onto lashes, making them look longer and lusher. 3....

Waste management: any old bin will do? Rubbish! Seven surprisingly delightful ways to accommodate your trash with taste.(Home)
September 1, 2004... TOSS IT O is giving away ten wastebaskets from the Container Store (bottom left). For guidelines see Shop Guide. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Think fig: here a fig (adorning an arugula salad), there a fig (atop cold poached salmon), everywhere a fig-fig (for story, see page 292).(The Recipes)
September 1, 2004... Port-Glazed Figs with Walnuts and Stilton [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] 2 Tbsp. Butter 1/2 cup walnut halves 3/4 cup ruby port 12 small ripe figs (Mission, Kadota, Calimyrna, or Brown Turkey), trimmed and halved lengthwise...

Shop guide (all prices are approximate).(Buyers Guide)
September 1, 2004... COVER/HERE WE GO P.57 Stephen Burrows World dress and belt, $620, Henri Bendel, NYC. Nancey Chapman earrings, $3,800; 713-961-9899. Sheila Corkery ring, $800; scjewelry.com. TABLE OF CONTENTS P.2 Lands' End turtleneck, $49; landsend.com....

What I know for sure.
September 1, 2004... I'VE LIVED IN EVERY SALARY RANGE, STARTING AT $100 a week and moving up to $10,000 a year, then 12, 22, 50, 100, 225, and beyond. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] My father raised me to believe that debt was a terrible thing. In our house, it...