Ann Packer: "Some Bright Nowhere" | Oprah's Book Club

Oprah sits down with world renowned, history-making ballet dancer Misty Copeland for an intimate and deeply reflective conversation as Misty takes her final bow with the American Ballet Theatre. As the prestigious company’s first Black female principal dancer, Misty looks back on her incomparable career that changed the face of classical ballet by expanding who gets to be seen, centered and celebrated on the world’s most iconic stages. We also hear from one of Misty’s longtime mentors whose guidance helped shape her career along with listeners of all ages from across the country seeking Misty’s wisdom, encouragement and perspective as they pursue their own unique paths. Misty shares lessons on resilience, courage and gratitude we can all learn from as well as the legacy she hopes to continue building for young dancers of color. Misty shares her rigorous process of preparing for her final dance at her retirement gala of which Oprah serves as co-chair. Presented by Walmart, this episode celebrates Misty’s inspiring path and the joy of sharing your unique gifts with the world. Misty also discusses her two newest books: Letters to Misty: How to Move Through Life with Confidence and Grace and Bunheads, Act 2: The Dance and Courage, which you can find on Walmart.com. BUY THE BOOKS: Letters to Misty: How to Move Through Life with Confidence and Grace https://www.walmart.com/ip/Letters-to-Misty-How-to-Move-Through-Life-with-Confidence-and-Grace-Hardcover-9781534443037/12993719964?classType=REGULAR&from=/search Bunheads, Act 2: The Dance and Courage https://www.walmart.com/ip/Bunheads-ACT-2-The-Dance-of-Courage-Hardcover-9780399547683/15039751551 00:00:00 - Welcome Misty Copeland, Author of Letters to Misty 00:02:45 - Performing One Last Time: Her Emotions 00:06:28 - Knowing When It’s Time to Step Away 00:08:20 - Physical + Emotional Pain Behind Dancing 00:10:50 - Imagining Her Final Bow 00:13:21 - Misty’s Childhood 00:15:15 - How the Boys and Girls Club Impacted Her 00:18:15 - Invitation to American Ballet Theatre 00:19:00 - Being the Only Black Woman at ABT 00:23:05 - Welcome former ABT director John Meehan 00:25:15 - Challenges of Starting Ballet Later in Life 00:26:50 - Debbie Allen’s Impact on Her Career 00:28:55 - Advice for Young Dancers of Color 00:31:28 - What She Wants People to Know About Ballet 00:32:35 - Life + Goals Beyond Ballet 00:36:16 - The Loneliness of Being a Trailblazer 00:42:25 - Painting Ballet Shoes to Match Her Skin Tone 00:45:42 - Misty and her siblings now 00:47:42 - Misty on her husband 00:48:50 - Becoming ABT Principal Dancer Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oprah and a live audience of mostly men are in a lively conversation with author, entrepreneur, NYU professor and podcaster Scott Galloway about his new book, Notes on Being a Man. Galloway’s #1 New York Times bestseller has ignited a nationwide discussion around what many see as a crisis facing young men today. In this candid discussion, men open up about manhood, vulnerability, and the unique challenges facing young men in modern America. Scott answers questions from the audience and opens up about his own personal journey of being a man and a father to two sons. BUY THE BOOK! 'Notes on Being a Man' by Scott Galloway: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Notes-on-Being-a-Man/Scott-Galloway/9781668084359 Chapters: 00:00:00 — Intro: Scott Galloway, Notes on Being a Man 00:01:20 — Why anger is the only “allowed” male emotion 00:02:40 — Men want role models 00:05:10 — Male friendships in decline 00:07:25 — Screen time and declining well-being in young men 00:09:40 — Why many young men don’t ask women out 00:11:38 — Relationships are life’s greatest reward 00:12:36 — Scott’s upbringing 00:13:50 — Rule #1 of being a good man 00:17:45 — Building a personal code of conduct 00:20:50 — Moms are sounding the alarm too 00:22:38 — Learning to be vulnerable 00:26:27 — Balancing self-love with finding love 00:27:52 — The 3 things women want in men 00:30:48 — Why taking risks is difficult 00:32:42 — Staying on the right path 00:36:30 — Scott on toxic masculinity 00:39:26 — How men can show up for each other 00:43:10 — What Scott would tell his younger self 00:46:42 — Is dating getting harder? 00:50:38 — How parents can support young men Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah?sub_confirmation=1 In a groundbreaking conversation about one of the fastest-growing cultural shifts of our time: Oprah talks with leading experts and a live audience about the decision to go “no contact” with a family member. It’s estimated one third of Americans have cut off ties or is estranged from their family. Once considered taboo, family estrangement is now being openly discussed by people of all ages who are redefining what healthy boundaries look like in family relationships. In this revealing episode, Oprah and best-selling psychologists unpack this rising trend of people distancing themselves from parents, siblings, or relatives they consider toxic. Adult children and parents who have chosen to go "no contact” share their stories and their reasons behind this difficult decision. Oprah and the audience explore the emotional, cultural and psychological issues behind the movement - ranging from trauma and generational patterns to mental-health awareness and the expanded definition of abuse. BUY THE BOOK! DR. JOSHUA COLEMAN - RULES OF ESTRANGEMENT https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/622584/rules-of-estrangement-by-joshua-coleman-phd/ DR. LINDSAY GIBSON - ADULT CHILDREN OF EMOTIONALLY IMMATURE PARENTS How to Raise an Emotionally Mature Child by Lindsay C. Gibson, PsyD: https://www.newharbinger.com/9781626251700/adult-children-of-emotionally-immature-parents/ NEDRA GLOVER TAWWAB - DRAMA FREE & THE BALANCING ACT https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/706826/drama-free-by-nedra-glover-tawwab/ https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/760457/the-balancing-act-by-nedra-glover-tawwab/ Chapters: 00:01:00 - One-third of Americans are going no contact—what it means 00:02:00 - Younger generations choosing no contact for mental health 00:02:50 - Guest: Dr. Joshua Coleman, Rules of Estrangement 00:03:40 - How the concept of family has shifted 00:06:27 - Guest: Dr. Lindsay Gibson, Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents 00:09:30 - How to tell if a parent is emotionally immature 00:10:25 - Guest: Nedra Tawwab, Drama Free 00:12:20 - Dr. Coleman on his daughter cutting contact 00:14:22 - Chris shares going no contact 00:18:48 - Why Chris made the decision 00:19:30 - Talking to kids about going no contact 00:23:04 - What kids learn from cutting off difficult relatives 00:24:39 - Bristyl shares her no-contact story 00:26:20 - Will the longing for a mother–daughter bond fade? 00:29:00 - Expanded definitions of harm, neglect, trauma, abuse 00:30:00 - Bree shares her no-contact choice 00:33:37 - Is forgiveness possible? 00:37:26 - Christy shares her daughter’s estrangement 00:39:40 - Do some estranged kids lack conflict resolution skills? 00:43:20 - Kendall on going no contact with her adult son 00:44:50 - Why parents are criticized for going no contact 00:47:20 - Aaron shares his daughter cut ties with him 00:53:25 - Have we gone too far? 00:54:48 - The one thing that can save your family relationship 00:58:10 - There are separate realities in every family 01:00:17 - Hadley shares her experience as a hospice nurse 01:05:00 - Why Hadley went no contact 01:09:00 - Parent child dynamic has shifted from role to relationship Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a compelling conversation, Oprah talks with renowned psychic medium Laura Lynne Jackson about her new book Guided: The Secret Path to an Illuminated Life. Laura Lynne Jackson says she has the ability to communicate with people who have passed on to the afterlife. She believes we all have the same ability if we “stay open” to receiving messages or signs from the other side. It’s what Laura calls living an “illuminated life.” Laura says her psychic medium gift showed up for her at a very young age and she has been giving readings over the course of her life. She describes how everyone of us living on Earth “in the physical world” has a “Team of Light” or loved ones, spirit guides and even pets who have died and who are watching out for us and sending signs. Oprah and Laura Lynne Jackson are joined by several listeners who have questions and doubts about communicating with deceased loved ones. Brittany from Arizona shares how she asked for a specific sign and received it from her 7-year-old son, Bodhi, who tragically died in 2024. Do you believe in signs and messages from the afterlife? Laura Lynne Jackson is also the author of two New York Times Bestsellers, Signs: The Secret Language of The Universe and The Light Between Us: Stories from Heaven. Lessons for the Living. BUY THE BOOK! "Guided: The Secret Path to an Illuminated Life" by Laura Lynne Jackson https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735734/guided-by-laura-lynne-jackson/ Chapters 00:00:00 - Welcome Laura Lynne Jackson, author of “Guided” 00:03:07 – Discovering her psychic abilities 00:04:40 – Realizing she’s also a medium 00:06:50 – The spiritual lives of children 00:09:30 – How her brain activity differs from others 00:11:00 – Understanding our “team of light” 00:12:50 – Hearing guidance from our spirit guides 00:15:00 – Asking for signs from the other side 00:16:30 – A mother’s story of signs from her late son 00:30:40 – What happens when we pass 00:37:00 – Talking to kids about signs 00:39:58 – Learning to trust the signs 00:45:00 – Honoring loved ones who’ve passed 00:48:15 - Signs from pets 00:50:40 – What Laura Lynne wants us to know about the other side Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah?sub_confirmation=1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Oprah’s Book Club: Presented by Starbucks, Oprah and Ann Packer discuss Some Bright Nowhere, Ann’s poignant new novel and Oprah’s 120th Book Club selection. This book explores what happens when a wife's dying request shatters everything her husband believed about their 35 years together. Ann’s evocative and beautifully written novel inspired a thought-provoking conversation among readers at a Starbucks coffeehouse in New York City. As our audience discussed the inherent challenges and life-changing insights that come with the privilege and responsibility of caregiving, they were warmed by a Starbucks holiday classic: the Peppermint Mocha. BUY THE BOOK! https://www.harpercollins.com/products/some-bright-nowhere-ann-packer 00:00:00 - Welcome Ann Packer, author of ‘Some Bright Nowhere’ 00:02:40 - Thando shares her feelings about the main characters  00:04:50 - How Ann created the story  00:06:50 - Ann knew the ending before she started 00:07:38 - Recurring theme in Ann’s books  00:10:35 - Ann takes on hard questions  00:14:50 - How Ann wrote from the male perspective  00:17:07 - Support for male caregivers  00:25:30 - Male and female caregiving differences  00:30:38 - The difficulty of speaking your truth  00:31:54 - The power of a dying wish  00:33:48 - What cancer takes away from people  00:39:29 - What can be learned from loss  00:40:32 - Ann wants to normalize talking about death  00:42:50 - How it feels to hit send on your finished book SUPPORT THE SHOW Learn more about Jack’s Caregiver Coalition - a national non-profit that ensures no man should care alone. Jack’s is a center for empowerment, support, and community for men who are caregivers.  https://www.jackscaregiverco.org/ Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: Instagram Facebook TikTok Listen to the full podcast: Spotify Apple Podcasts #oprahsbookclub Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oprah talks with world-renowned restaurateur Will Guidara about his New York Times bestselling book, Unreasonable Hospitality that has sold over 1 million copies. Will’s abiding belief is that focusing on providing excellent service to others can transform not only your business, but your entire life. Recorded with a live audience in New York City, this episode also features Will’s longtime friend and mentor, Chef Daniel Boulud of New York’s legendary restaurant Daniel. Presented by Walmart, this podcast is an invitation to use your unique gifts and talent to elevate the lives of those around you. You can find Will’s book, Unreasonable Hospitality, at Walmart.com. Will’s upcoming book Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide is also available for preorder. BUY THE BOOK! Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect, published by Optimism Press and written by Will Guidara, is available wherever books are sold. Unreasonable Hospitality: The Field Guide is available for preorder. Unreasonable Hospitality: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Unreasonable-Hospitality-The-Remarkable-Power-of-Giving-People-More-Than-They-Expect-Hardcover-9780593418574/319309554 00:00:00 - Welcome Will Guidara, author of ‘Unreasonable Hospitality’ 00:03:35 - Handling last place at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants 00:07:45 - Setting the goal to become No. 1 00:08:45 - Will’s first fine dining experience 00:13:46 - The impact we have on others 00:16:30 - Living with intention 00:18:09 - The nobility of service 00:20:50 - Meeting Chef Daniel Boulud 00:23:00 - Taking his father to Daniel’s after his mother’s passing 00:25:19 - Chef Daniel Boulud 00:27:45 - What Chef Boulud learned from Will 00:31:30 - Examples of unreasonable hospitality 00:35:20 - Caring for difficult people 00:36:45 - The charitable assumption 00:41:20 - Mindsets and practices 00:43:40 - Oprah and Will have this in common 00:45:00 - The best gift Will ever received SHOP THE SET Better Homes & Garden Ezra Accent Chair: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-Gardens-Ezra-Accent-Chair-Olive-Green/6832971398?classType=VARIANT&athbdg=L1300&from=/search&wmlspartner=wlpa&cn=FY25-ENTP-PMAX_cnv_dps_dsn_dis_ad_entp_e_n&adid=22222222297_0000000000_21407473164&veh=sem&vtcWeb=eviaA8Ad89fe38QBUyb9gE&expiryTime=1756505947449&c=mWebSmartBanner Better Homes & Garden Miller Drum End Table: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Better-Homes-Gardens-Essentials-End-Table-Walnut/13665865382 Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oprah is joined by a live audience in New York City for a candid conversation about the soaring rates of divorce for people over the age of 50, what experts are calling "gray divorce.” Even though the overall divorce rate is on the decline, the divorce rate for people over 50 has doubled and more than tripled for those over 65. Oprah is joined by Susan Guthrie, a family law attorney and host of the popular podcast, Divorce and Beyond®. Joining the conversation are Lori Gottlieb, psychotherapist, and author of the New York Times bestselling book, Maybe You Should Talk to Someone and Dr. Susan L. Brown, co-author of the studies identifying this national phenomenon, and a Distinguished Professor at Bowling Green State University. We also hear from several women who are in the early stages of gray divorce, have gone through gray divorce and adult children of parents who divorced after age 50. 00:00:00 - Rising divorce rates after 50 (“gray divorce”) 00:02:00 - Expert insights with Dr. Susan Brown 00:03:18 - Why gray divorce is on the rise 00:04:09 - Guest: Family law attorney Susan Guthrie 00:06:20 - Guest: Lori Gottlieb, author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone 00:11:00 - Why divorce feels shameful 00:14:30 - Men’s surprise at women’s “invisible work” 00:16:22 - Is divorce always terrible? 00:19:02 - Divorce as grief and loss 00:26:45 - First steps after divorce 00:30:58 - Impact on older children 00:36:58 - Why few expect to remarry 00:41:50 - When parent-child roles reverse 00:47:32 - Knowing when to move on Additional Resources: Susan Guthrie, The Divorce & Beyond Podcast https://divorceandbeyondpod.com/ Dr. Susan L. Brown, National Center for Family and Marriage Research at BGSU BGSU.edu/ncfmr "Maybe You Should to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed” by Lori Gottlieb, is published by Harper Collins and available wherever books are sold. https://www.harpercollins.com/products/maybe-you-should-talk-to-someone-lori-gottlieb?variant=40828383363106 Addison Aloian’s Women's Health piece, 'My Parents Got Divorced When I Was An Adult. Why Do I Feel So Weird Now That They've Moved On? https://www.womenshealthmag.com/relationships/a63799212/adult-child-of-divorce/ Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Oprah sits down with the “Eyebrow Queen,” Anastasia Soare, to talk about how she escaped Communist Romania and built a billion-dollar beauty empire in the United States. The Anastasia Beverly Hills founder and CEO tells her only-in-America story in her inspiring new book, Raising Brows. Joining them are business mogul Kim Kardashian, Anastasia’s daughter, Claudia—now ABH president and creative director—and aspiring entrepreneurs looking for inspiration from Anastasia and Oprah. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone dreaming of starting their own business and wondering how to turn that dream into reality. This episode is presented by Walmart. Find Anastasia’s new book Raising Brows and so much more at Walmart.com. BUY THE BOOK! 'Raising Brows' by Anastasia Soare https://www.walmart.com/ip/Raising-Brows-My-Story-of-Building-a-Billion-Dollar-Beauty-Empire-Hardcover-9798217044542/15573815101 00:00:00 - Welcome Anastasia Soare, author of “Raising Brows” 00:03:11 – Meeting Oprah for the first time 00:05:12 – Starting out in America 00:09:13 – Lessons from her mother’s business 00:13:17 – Building a billion-dollar brand 00:18:58 – The key to following your dreams 00:19:35 – Welcome Kim Kardashian 00:21:25 – Kim on Anastasia’s success 00:22:08 – What Anastasia learned from Kim 00:24:07 – Scaling a business 00:26:48 – Owning your story 00:29:40 – Doing brows live on The Oprah Show 00:32:47 – Anastasia’s daughter Claudia 00:37:58 – Growing profitability 00:45:50 – Fearlessness as a business asset Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of Oprah’s Book Club: Presented by Starbucks, Oprah and Megha Majumdar discuss her magnificent new book, A Guardian and a Thief, a 2025 National Book Awards finalist and Oprah’s 119th Book Club selection. This exquisitely written novel packs an epic story into just 224 pages. From page one to the jaw-dropping conclusion, readers are immersed in a harrowing journey as two families, on a collision course in Kolkata, India, face the consequences and moral implications of their life-and-death choices. Megha’s evocative, beautifully crafted exploration of our changing world sparked a lively and thoughtful conversation among readers at a Starbucks coffeehouse in New York City. Starbucks' delectable drink pairing for this book is an Iced Banana Cream Protein Matcha. BUY THE BOOK! A Guardian and a Thief, published by Penguin Random House and written by Megha Majumdar, is available wherever books are sold. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/798984/a-guardian-and-a-thief-by-megha-majumdar/ 00:00:00 - Welcome Megha Majumdar, author of “A Guardian and a Thief” 00:01:56 - Oprah describes “A Guardian and a Thief” 00:03:28 - Oprah’s daughter-girl Thando shares her take 00:05:15 - The plot 00:09:08 - Writing about famine 00:13:20 - A writer’s relationship to failing 00:16:20 - Each character sees America differently 00:22:30 - Is everyone both a guardian and a thief? 00:25:50 - How would you act under great pressure? 00:32:00 - What motivates us to do the right thing 00:39:30 - Confronting contradictions in her book 00:40:45 - Megha’s story of America 00:42:23 - Did Megha always know the ending? 00:47:28 - When writing became her career Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah?sub_confirmation=1 Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: Instagram Facebook TikTok Listen to the full podcast: Spotify Apple Podcasts #oprahsbookclub Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of The Oprah Podcast former In Style Editor-in-Chief Laura Brown and former Wall Street Journal Magazine Editor-in-Chief Kristina O’Neill talk about the many challenges—and opportunities—that come with losing a job, no matter where you are in your career. They discuss their new book All the Cool Girls Get Fired which dives into everything you need to know if you’ve recently lost your job including how to figure out who you are without your job title. Oprah shares her own story of being fired when she was let go from being the co-anchor of the Baltimore evening news at age 22 and former CNN news anchor Brooke Baldwin talks about how she dealt with losing her high-profile job. We also hear from another woman who says she learned to bounce back better after losing her corporate role of 34 years. BUY THE BOOK! ⁠https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/All-the-Cool-Girls-Get-Fired/Laura-Brown/9781668067451⁠ Subscribe: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah?sub_confirmation=1 Follow Oprah Winfrey on Social: https://www.instagram.com/oprahpodcast/ https://www.facebook.com/oprahwinfrey/ Listen to the full podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/0tEVrfNp92a7lbjDe6GMLI https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices