Lawrence University Main Hall Forum Examines Impact of "Oprah's Book Club"

APPLETON, WIS. -- Oprah Winfrey's impact and influence on America's reading habits will be the focus of a Lawrence University Main Hall Forum.

Cecilia Konchar Farr, associate professor of English and director of women's studies at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minn., presents "Oprah's Reading Revolution," Thursday, Feb. 21 at 4:30 p.m. in Main Hall, Room 202. The event is free and open to the public.

With the introduction of "Oprah's Book Club" three years ago, Farr contends the award-winning talk show host has changed the way America reads by mastering one all-important mantra: trust readers. Farr will discuss how Oprah launched a reading revolution by helping re-educate readers on the importance of embracing serious contemporary novels.

While works singled out by Oprah's Book Club have averaged sales of nearly 1.4 million copies, Farr argues Oprah's impact hasn't been solely economic. She credits Oprah for giving books "talking life" as the subject of conversations in cafes, around water coolers, at PTA meetings, on airplanes and in book clubs all over the country.

Farr, a specialist in American literature and contemporary culture, earned a bachelor's degree from Slippery Rock State College and a Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 1990.