June 16 / 2000
Miss Oprah Winfrey P.O.
Box 9097I5 Chicago
11.
60690
Dear Miss Winfrey,
I won't ask how you are because well - quite- frankly , I do see you every day on television and you do look fine. So instead of
going through all the normal, polite cortices. I will get right down to
buissness , if you don't mind ?
The thing is Miss
Winfrey, I wrote you back in February. I wrote
you back in March and I wrote you again April. I wrote you even in May. We are
going to concern ourselves
more with the fact that I wrote you back in February - than anything else
however , at least for the time. Anyway, unknown to me at the time - way back in
February , because of events which have followed - that letter of which I sent you so meny months ago,probably
was the one most important thing I would have ever written in my inter life ; even though I consider myself
"a writer" and have been told I am a rather good one too. The reason for
this opinion is simply because , I believe , through that mentioned letter , you have decided
to launch the recently published "0 The Oprah Magazine". In other words , I believe that
after being thirteen (13) years on the "Oprah Winfrey Show" and surrounding
yourself with your staff , the fact remains and is that : had I not mailed
that letter way back in February to Harpo Productions Inc. , apparently no
thought of a monthly or by/monthly magazine would have ever come to light.
Now you may correct me if I am mistaken Miss Oprah. I do believe though before mailing you
that letter back in February, you did suggest that_ you might-
be interested in
getting out of the television bissness all together - or some thing to that
effect ; only to in the end decide to stay for at least one more year. Your
reasons for staying have been explained and it probably was the most wise discussion
you could have made regarding the subject - I do admit , do agree; if that is of any interest to you at all . The only reason I
bring up the matter however is because to a normal person - of which I
consider myself to be , maybe even an extroardingly normal one at that , this action would seem suggest
prior to my letter mailed back in February , you had no intention of launching a magazine at all. It also seems
obvious you had no intention of launching a magazine before this date , simply from the content
of
the premier issue of "0". By this I mean probably there would not have been so meny
full page ads , had you say perhaps six months or something to think about the
project before-hand.
Subsequently , when you announced
your intentions to launch this new magazine on national television - first on your own
show and then on Rosi.e's , I immediately went about writing articles I had every
reason to believe now were going to be accepted for publishacation in this
magazine I had caused be created. When the actual magazine came on the stands and
I was finally able to pick up a copy, my believes could only be more
consolidated because it. was a very political letter I mailed you - in which I really
opened myself up to you Oprah - that from the outfit you chose for the cover of
"0" : the lovely plain grey skirt with the cuit white knit top and that
predominately blue' background, well it seemed only obvious that you had
received my letter. I felt coming out on the cover this way in your premier
issue was your way of saying "yes Brannon I have received your letter and
it is responsible for the launching of "0" but because of your
lawyers you have been instructed not to make direct contact with me at that time
Reading through the
magazine, I could not help but see even more hidden messages almost designed
spificacely for me. For instance the phrase that had been chosen by George Bernard Shah
about how people who make it in this
world when not seeing the circumstances they wish for
create them ; that being exactly what I had done by bringing about the creation of
The Oprah Magazine.
The curcumstancens for me to be known as a writer or a future
politician
simply were not
there. I had no voice in fact until I was able to figure out
a way to get something important done like bringing about
the launching of an important magazine and then I could hope that I would be
able to be published in it; especially once people were let to know that I had
a major part in this expedition.
In your choice of
stories "Make Your Dreams Come True" the phrase (keep in mind that you
van always change course but making no dissuasion leaves you nowhere) again
spoke to me personally. The piece seemed to say to me that you thought getting
a news-paper / magazine or whatever - especially for the pool in this country - was too difficult
a task but here with "0 The Oprah Magazine" I would be able
none the less to make my intentions a reality.
The problem is
Oprah, until recently - not once has anyone from your officies even once
ever acknowledged the fact that I mailed that letter to you way back in
February. Instead to this late date all I have received. as any sort of conformation is
a rather objectionable letter informing me that Harpo Productions Inc.
does not accept unsolicited manuscripts: refuting to a story
I submitted with that first letter titled "The
Comity". I didn't realize a cop of that first letter had been submitted with "The
Comity" in the same envelope This means that the first time I wrote to you
Oprah, the package contained the story "The Comity" - along with the
first five pages of the letter. In a sepreat envelope inside the package was another copy of
that letter , with I
The second
envelope was addressed more personally to you yourself Oprah and believe an
additional six pages three (3) of which were hand-written.
was not ment to be read by anyone else other than yourself
; though naturally
I have no way of
knowing what actually ever became of eather of those two (2) envelopes , or in fact if you
actually did revive personally eather one of them.
First I would like
to say I understand how these things happen, and what has taken place
has-hot-been to the exact specifications of my letter anyway Well this is what
happens when one group of people go about doing things without ever making
contact with the "originator" or creater , I guess - None the
less , circumstances would sagest
that through the letter I mauled to
you
Oprah , none the less _now through that letter an important and perhaps timely magazine
has been created ; exactly as I had you will note from that letter we are talking about - intended to do . So I am only
asking you Oprah,
that you try looking at thus satiation from my
perspective.
Now it is true, I
didn't ask too to launch a magazine of your own .
With your recent
suggestions that you may be leaving the television bossiness soon and the
assumption that perhaps you might wish for some sort of privet time to yourself
for a while , I could have never been so presumptuous as to ask. Why such an
action on my part would have been ride , I think . As a writer however and with little more than a letter , I did what I set
out to do and almost imeatedadly too I might add ; to which I can only say thank-you Oprah ! As a writer in
other words and with little more than a letter , I have in fact created "0 The Oprah Magazine" As
a writer and with little more than a letter , I have made my printed words become a living entity through bringing
about the creation of "0 The Oprah Magazine". Yet even after proving myself and
getting a magazine polluted - just as I had intended , it seems I am to be denied officially the opportunity to be
reguardless as a writer because somebody at "Harpo"has decided that my
work is not to be accepted. worse'
still, I don't
even know why my work is not being accepted because whomever is rposponcubul for this
dissuasion , didn't have even the courtesy to submit the most common of
rejection letters with my returned manuscripts ; eather with the one titled "The Comity" or a
later one called "It's Still All Up For Grabs".
Now again, I understand how these things happen Oprah.
Somebody at "Harpo" read that letter and decided they would give it
their own spin before pitching the idea to you to launch a magazine prolaluly.
This does not however distract from the fact that it was from my idea through which
thus magazine
has become a reality. So what I am saying us that every part of my dream is still an
ongoing reality; as long as "0" survives and continues to be printed. There us
therefore no reason to believe that were I to be published in this magazine I
have caused to be created, I would not at some point. fund myself in
syndication where for a mear 35cents the poor and everyone else who wanted to , could pick up a
newspaper in this country and find out what the
phenomenon known to
the world as Brannon Harold Carty is. There is also no reason to believe
tat were I to be published in this magazine I have caused to be created , tat I would not go
about to become this countries Prime
minister - just as I said tat I would.
So I am asking you
to see this from my prospective Oprah. Look at
the actual faces as to what I have done. Through the
writing of no more tan
a letter , I have brought
about the birth of an intuition tat will be known to the world as
"0 The Oprah Magazine". I have made it possible for you , Harpo Productions
Inc. and the Now York publishers to earn even more millions upon millions of
dollars more than what you already have to yourselves ; by bringing about the
creation of this magazine. Yet after being so respcncil'ul. for the creation,
of this magazine , I find that I am not to be accepted as a submitter of
fecture articles and nobody it seems is quite prepared to actknoladged the face
tat my letter undoubtabuly had so much to do with the creation of
"0 The Oprah Magazine" in the first place .
So I am asking you
again - in the name of humanity Oprah , see this
from my
perspective. Hero I have the landlord kicking in my door for rent , not a month goes
by whore I don't have to worry about the phone being cue-off or the elecericey
being disconececed. Every night when I go to bed - often hungry I might add , I have to realize tat as a "writer" I possibly
have already done what will always be regarded as my greatest piece of work in bringing about the
creation of "your" magazine (and it being so very early in my creamer at tat).
Then every morning when I awake if sleep actually.
has been forthcoming - I have to live another long day knowing tat my work is
not being accepted in the magazine I have brought to be created and tat also
apparently neater are any funds going to be forthcoming ; in spite of the face tat it was my
letter mailed way back in February which made all this a possibility in the
first place / that "0" ever have hit the paper stands.
Anyway Oprah , I am only asking
what I bceleave to be fair - in order
for this situaition to be cleared-up. In order for me to
relinquit all claims as to my part for the bringing about of "0 The 0 rah
Magazine" am askin really very little. I was hoping this could ell be sweaped under the rug - so to speak.
Since we can consider how this magazine is going
to earn both you end your
people unquestionable end probable
millions upon millions of dollars, I was hoping therefore your "angel
association" would award me with e fiftythousand dollar ($50,000) monday (secretly if you wish) maybe you
yourself e same likewise prise , Harpo
Productions Inc. e following equal amount end then the New York publiters (or somebody in their place) the final equal
aware bring the total to e mear
two-hundred thousand (200,000) in American US. fund' I would be able to then walk away with my heed held
up - putting this messy buissness
behind us once and for ell and before anyone else has
to be-let in on exactly as to whet has been going on - so to speak.
Now we will note please that I have made at least six
formal comunatioii with your officies in Chicago - sending manuscripts
with letters inside of them end mailing letters alone . As to date though
Oprah, nothing of important' has been mailed bask to me ; making it obvious somebody realizes this is e piticularly unique
situation ( my relationtip with you, Harpo Productions Inc . ect. ). Don't worry though Once
it is realized I have every in.tenti, - should
this matter not be settled to my satisfaction of bringing a law-suit of anywhere between 140 to $2.80,000,000 on the
grounds of "Intilectual Rape" "political Plunder" and "Personal Injuries",- I fully expect that people will start paying very
close attention as to who I em. Anyway, I guess after waiting all this time for some sort of a response, I can
afford to wait still another ten days
after the mailing of this letter for e response. Beyond ten days however , I will feet competed to under-go both
public and. legal procedures - procedures
I might ad which have already been prepared.
win in court, I would Let be pointed out that even were I not to we already know
that "0" none the less have public opinion on my side. Since 
was brought about
because of my letter end that otherwise by this time somebody from your
officies would have wrote me beck - making it clear they understood whet I was trying to do
in this country but because of plans of your own
to launch e magazine - you could not help me, since this did not happen - I would have on
objections of letting t be known that we have no problem nor hesitation in giving almost every cent away
to the poor;
since after all , a law-suit would provide me with so much more than I had
been asking
for or required in the first. place. In other words if this need go to court - win or loose - I would be
prepaired'and capable of creating the biggest up-roar you have been engaged in up to
date Oprah . So again I ask you that you only try seeing this from my point of view Oprah. Here
I am being the reason yourself and people around you are raking in millions ; while nobody has thought or the
consideration to ask weather I should want a free life-time subscription , showen the courage
to actknoladge my existence or enquired as t if there might be something I may need - like money
perhaps.
I have the deepest
confidence however that this matter will not have to be turned into a public
and legal -(fresco) and that you will give this a moral humaine and
ethical perspective. I also hope Oprah , that you will realize the importance of this siteatition to me simply by referring to the second to last sentence in my
original letter ; where I state that were I to be ignored it probably would mean the
inevitable damnation of my very soul itself. Obviously what becomes of my soul
Oprah , is a matter I take very seriously. So for now I leave this siteatition in
your own I hope end imagine wise hands Miss Winfrey ; awaiting your reply.
Sined
Brannon Harold
Carty