In Amazon?s Significant Seven interview with Jim Frey, the controversial author of the Oprah Book Club selection, ?A Million Little Pieces,? he was asked: ?If you could have one superpower what would it be?? Since Mr. Frey has been the focus of media attention lately, could anyone familiar with this issue guess as to what his answer might be? Given the circumstances surrounding this whole matter, one might make a good stab at the answer. No, still can?t get it? Well, Mr. Frey?s answer was...immortality.

After Oprah?s second television interview with the now famous author, I think he just earned that superpower. As an author myself, I got a little swept up in this whole thing with Frey. Not having read the book, I cannot comment on the contents or on the stylistic elements which cataapulted this relatively unknown former substance abuser into the stratospheric heights of ?bestseller-dom.? Mr. Frey achieved what few achieve: a spotlighted author of the Oprah Book Club, an endorsement of the book by the superstar herself, and a guest appearance to her immensely popular talk show. Many an author salivates at the very thought of achieving this success. Although I do not know the sales numbers for the book, I do believe Mr. Frey has earned enough money to devote full time to his writing career. I do not doubt that the book has sold in the millions of copies. After all, an endorsement from Oprah is like the Midas touch to any aspiring author.

In this case, however, the Midas touch turned out to be the Devil?s retribution. For having ascended the heights of Everest, Mr. Freyy plunged to the depths of Hades. In the second interview with Oprah, the Harpo Productions media giant vigorously rebutted the author?s position and attacked the chicanery he employed to elevate him to celebrity status. As I saw clips from the interview, I sensed an almost suicidal look on the face of Frey, while he sat there desperately trying to mollify Oprah?s wrath at his having deceived not only her but the millions of readers who relied on her endorsement. Not a good position to be in. Not for Frey. Not for anyone.