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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > August > 23
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Kitty Kelley comes calling about Oprah
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Atlanta playwright and columnist Topher Payne concedes that there’s a certain unsavory sensation in your stomach when celebrity bio author Kitty Kelley contacts you for an interview.
“It’s like hearing Mike Wallace and the ‘60 Minutes’ film crew is camped on your front steps,” the 27-year-old tells Buzz.
As it turns out, Payne is from Kosciusko, the same small town in Mississippi as the subject of the “Jackie O!” scribe’s next book: talk show gazillionaire Oprah Winfrey. Kelley is collecting stories from the town’s natives while researching what might be the first in-depth — albeit unauthorized — look at Winfrey’s life.
Payne says he was well aware of Kelley’s dubious reputation (the woman inspired words from Frank Sinatra that we can’t reproduce here after the publication of “His Way,” her dishy tell-all on the late Chairman of the Board).
“But she was as cute as Christmas,” Payne says. “And the girl knows her Google, too. How else would she have ever heard of me?”
The part-time actor agreed to the interview but with a stipulation: He would not discuss Winfrey directly, a woman he’s “never laid eyes on,” only his memories of growing up in Kosciusko.
“What many people might not realize is that Oprah was still not Oprah back then,” he explains. “She had a little talk show. Phil Donahue was the deal. She was better known for her acting in ‘The Color Purple.’ “
According to Payne, due to the racial makeup of the town, Winfrey still had to clear a few hurdles even after she became an icon.
“I grew up in a town where the high school prom is still segregated,” Payne says. “But when she opened the Boys and Girls Club there and began giving back, public perceptions shifted. But as much as I hate to admit this, Oprah did not change the rules in Kosciusko. She became the exception.”
And Kelley’s skills as an interviewer?
“I honestly didn’t feel like she was pushing any agenda,” Payne says. “It felt more like she was just collecting a clearinghouse of information.”
The playwright had news of his own to share. Next spring, Atlanta’s Process Theatre Company will play host to the world premiere of three new works by Payne: “Above the Fold,” “Perfect Arrangement” and “Don’t Look at the Fat Lady.” They’ll be staged at Whole World Theatre. That is, if an in-talks project that would debut “Above the Fold” in New York doesn’t happen first.
Payne, a three-time cancer survivor, plans to donate his royalties to the Atlanta chapter of Gilda’s Club, the charity co-founded by actor Gene Wilder and named for his late wife, comedienne Gilda Radner.
“Gilda’s Club makes it OK to laugh at yourself while you’re going through the darkest parts of cancer treatment,” Payne explains. “Maintaining a sense of humor has been such a huge part of my recovery each time. I want to do as much as possible for them.”
Vick fishing boat on eBay has it all
One of the odder pieces of Michael Vick-related paraphernalia floating around on eBay Thursday? That would be the 22-foot 2002 Aquasport fishing boat going for an opening bid of $20,000. According to the posting, the package comes complete with “a GPS system, marine radio and numerous fishing pole holders, coolers and live wells. It can carry as many as eight adults and has the ability to pull water skis and wake boards.” And yes, the trailer is included. While we did not receive an immediate response to our e-mailed inquiries to the seller, a photo of a certificate of title apparently signed by the disgraced Atlanta Falcons quarterback is posted online with images of the boat. At deadline Thursday, no one had yet posted a bid for the boat. The sale is set to end on Aug. 30.
Stix-ing to honesty
This may shock you, dear Buzz reader, but occasionally in this racket, people will try and pass off fibs as reality. That’s why we so appreciated the honesty of the press statement we received regarding this week’s scheduled media party for the much-anticipated Hot Stix Stir Fry Kitchen at the fast-growing Lindbergh City Center. The create-your-own stir fry eatery will allow you “to pick the rice or noodles, vegetables, sauces, spices and meats, pile them as high as the bowl can handle and with swords flying, it all cooks on the 700-degree Mongolian grill-in-the-round, custom made especially for Hot Stix.”
Sounds great, right?
Alas, the press event had to be postponed this week when the aforementioned pricey grill hadn’t yet arrived. Explained Hot Stix reps: “Without the ability to really cook on the property, we have made the executive decision to bump the party.” Free-food-snarfing scribblers and the general public can now look forward to Hot Stix’s debut in the first week of September.
Overscene
Archbishop Desmond Tutu and a group of five associates dining at Chops. We’re told that the esteemed South African leader and human rights icon was recognized but not approached by other Chops guests. Tutu and company dined on a meal of steak and lobster, chef Daryl Gassmann’s specialties.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Kenny Baker (R2-D2 in “Star Wars”) is 73. Actor Steve Guttenberg is 49. Talk show host Craig Kilborn is 45. Singer John Bush (Anthrax) is 44. Actress Marlee Matlin is 42. Actor-comedian Dave Chappelle is 34. Actor Carmine Giovinazzo (“CSI: New York”) is 34. Actor Chad Michael Murray (“One Tree Hill,” “A Cinderella Story”) is 26. Actor Rupert Grint (“Harry Potter”) is 19.
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