Oprah's Golden Touch Humbles Author

Jesuit priest and Nigerian author Uwem Akpan just received one of the biggest endorsements a writer can get. He has Oprah's stamp of approval and support for his debut of short stories, "Say You're One of Them," which was published in 2008. His collection includes five distinctive narratives from the perspective of an African child capturing the resilience of youths opposing unmovable objects. Akpan explains that he is modest that Oprah chose his work for her 63rd book club, "I am very, very humbled." He also adds that being a priest doesn't interfere with his creativity. "I have permission to write, but I do not need an imprimatur from the church. That is for people who are writing theology and philosophy. They see that I am writing fiction and assume it is made up. Don't forget that Jesus was a priest and poet." Oprah currently has the largest book club in the world with two million online members and these members often turn authors into top sellers.