Oprah and Literacy

I enjoyed reading The Oprahfication of Literacy: Reading Oprah's Book Club by R. Mark Hall. In this article Hall discusses the the phenomena of Oprah as a literacy sponsor and the advantages of her influence, ways that her book club complicates theories of literacy, and the fact that teachers ought to pay attention to ways to connect with students based upon what they are seeing in the media.

Although Hall raises some possible objections to Oprah's Book Club, overall, I think it has had a positive impact upon American society. While it may be unfortunate that some viewers would not have the motivation to choose a book for themselves, the fact that Oprah inspires them to read is a good thing. Some Young Adult Literature may not be what many would consider "high" literature, but I think the fact that it fosters reading in many young people who would otherwise not be reading is a very good thing. These "gateway" books have the potential to hook young adults into a lifetime practice of reading. In the same way, Oprah's Book Club invites her viewers to enter the world of books, perhaps fostering an interest in reading that will go beyond the limits of her Book Club recommendations. I thought it was interesting that Hall points out that in "proclaiming the redemptive power of serious fiction, Winfrey reinforces traditional female identities associated with religious faith and education" (661). I probably would not have made this connection on my own, but I could definitely see it once he pointed it out. In Oprah's Book Club, reading is seen as a path to self-discovery and self-improvement, and not as much a tool for developing critical thinking skills or other more "academic" activities. While some may see Oprah's emphasis upon using reading as a means to revive the spirit as negative (because it seems to perpetuate societal gender codes for reading), I would disagree for a few reasons. First of all, it seems that if women who did not read before become readers, then they are more empowered than they previously were. And, if reading for transformation is seen as a predominately female way to read, perhaps the invitation needs to be extended for men to read in this way as well. It works both ways. Secondly, I think there are many different kinds of reading that we can engage in. Sometimes, we should look at a text and analyze it critically. Other times, we should be allowed to cry over it, laugh over it, and allow it to speak to us on deeply personal levels. If reading--if art--can be used to heal the human spirit, then it should be free to do that. I also agree with Hall that teachers should use things like Oprah's Book Club or other popular culture material as a way to engage students in what they may already know or be hearing about in their daily lives. A teacher who meets his or her students where they are will most likely be able to inspire them to explore new literary terrain.