Mega-Bestselling Author Kathryn Stockett on Finding Her Voice Again After ‘The Help’
6/2/202645 min
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@Oprah?sub_confirmation=1 New York Times best-selling author Kathryn Stockett talks with Oprah about her long-awaited novel The Calamity Club. She reveals how daunting it was to write a second novel in the wake of the success and the criticism of her smash debut hit The Help. The book sold over fifteen million copies, rose to number one and was on the best-seller list for more than two years. In 2011 it became a hit movie garnering four Oscar nominations and an Oscar win for Octavia Spencer as Best Supporting Actress. In The Calamity Club Kathryn shifts her perspective and writes a coming-of-age story set in the Depression era South about its two main characters Birdie and Meg. Kathryn explains how the cast of characters live inside her and yearn for expression through her written word. She shares her desire to tackle shocking challenges that women faced during that time. She says eventually the story evolved into an adventure about a group of bold, unbreakable women who overcome incredible hardships to reclaim their lives. The camaraderie, courage, resilience and the love between these characters will have you crying one page and laughing out loud the next. Three readers zoom in from their homes with questions for Kathryn about the book. BUY THE BOOK! 'Calamity Club' https://www.amazon.com/Calamity-Club-Novel-Kathryn-Stockett/dp/1954118813 Chapters: 00:00:00 - Welcome Kathryn Stockett, author of ‘Calamity Club’ 00:02:58 - 17 years between books 00:05:00 - Kathryn on the criticism of ‘The Help’ 00:06:03 - How it changed her writing 00:08:15 - Getting fired by her publisher 00:09:30 - Characters and plot of ‘Calamity Club’ 00:12:20 - How Kathryn found her characters 00:13:40 - Reactions to ‘Calamity Club’ 00:17:20 - Will there be a sequel? 00:20:43 - How will ‘Calamity Club’ be received? 00:25:17 - Women in the 20s 00:27:10 - Theme of found family 00:28:02 - What she wants readers to take away 00:31:55 - Advice to young women 00:35:35 - Kathryn’s favorite character 00:37:00 - Writing this story kept her sane 00:38:08 - Finishing the book 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
Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsOprah Winfrey· Host0:00
[instrumental music] The criticism from "The Help" did shape how you started to approach this story and write this story.
Kathryn Stockett· Guest0:09
After many false starts writing this story, I, I got fired. My publisher fired me because it had taken me so long.
Oprah Winfrey· Host0:19
Because you were still operating out of fear.
Kathryn Stockett· Guest0:20
Yeah. There's something, I guess, scrappy inside of me that we- you know, if you kick me when I'm down, I'm gonna come out of that a little bit wiser- Mm-hmm ... and a little bit braver.
Oprah Winfrey· Host0:33
But you still are gonna write the book, even though you don't have a contract.
Kathryn Stockett· Guest0:36
I don't give up easily. I gotta say, I- I'm really stubborn.
Oprah Winfrey· Host0:40
Mm-hmm.
Kathryn Stockett· Guest0:41
So when I got [laughs] fired, it kinda put a fire under my ass to prove them wrong.
Oprah Winfrey· Host0:47
This success of this book is gonna be the best revenge for the publisher that fired you. I can't even believe it.
Kathryn Stockett· Guest0:52
It was, it was fun to write.
Oprah Winfrey· Host0:54
It was fun to write.
Kathryn Stockett· Guest0:55
It was.
Oprah Winfrey· Host0:56
Yeah.
Kathryn Stockett· Guest0:56
It was painful, and it was fun.
Oprah Winfrey· Host0:57
[instrumental music] Hey, everybody. Thanks for stopping by the Oprah Podcast. A warm welcome to you all. I know millions of you read The Help, Kathryn Stockett's 2009 debut novel, which became a global phenomenon, selling over 15 million copies. Not many authors get to say that in their lifetime, not in three lifetimes. Back in 2011, the actress Octavia Spencer won an Oscar for her role in the hit film, The Help, based on the book. And now Kathryn Stockett's