The Oprah Podcast

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'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings' by Maya Angelou 

In a special episode of The Oprah Podcast Oprah looks back on some of the most profound lessons she learned and has continued to share from one of her greatest mentors - mother-sister-friend, Dr. Maya Angelou. It’s been 12 years since Maya Angelou passed, however Oprah says she taught her more than any other single human being and those lessons continue to help guide her and so many people in their lives. A victim of severe trauma as a child, Maya Angelou was raised by her grandmother and spent five years of her childhood as a mute. She would go on to become one of the world's most respected poets and authors writing more than 30 books. Her seminal autobiography series began with I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings considered one of the best non-fiction books of all time. Oprah revisits the moment she read that book and how it changed her life. Oprah also goes back in time to recall the great conversations and words of wisdom she gained from Maya Angelou including, “When you know better, you do better,” “When someone tells you who they are, believe them,” “I come as one, but stand as 10,000” and many, many others we can all benefit from. Oprah also shares with listeners a beautiful poem called “Continue” Maya Angelou personally wrote for Oprah for her 50th birthday. 

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"Death Is But a Dream" by Dr. Christopher Kerr

https://amzn.to/4fHtrmv

Oprah is joined by neurologist and hospice physician Dr. Chris Kerr to explore the mysterious phenomenon of end-of-life visitations. Through decades of research and his life-affirming book Death Is But a Dream Dr. Kerr’s work has sparked a profound paradigm shift reframing so-called “deathbed dreams” as very real end-of-life experiences. Dr. Kerr and his team have conducted more than 1,500 interviews with fully lucid patients nearing life’s end. Again and again patients describe vivid encounters with deceased loved ones that feel not dream-like, but strikingly real. Those who appear are often the people they loved most deeply—the ones who mattered most in their lives. In this episode you'll also hear from a woman whose mother experienced an “end-of-life awakening”—a phenomenon known as terminal lucidity, in which a dying person temporarily regains mental clarity and awareness, often using those precious final moments to say goodbye to loved ones.

00:00:00 - Welcome Dr. Chris Kerr, author of “Death Is But a Dream”

00:03:00 - Being present for the last breath

00:04:26 - Common end of life experiences

00:06:15 - Dreams close to death

00:08:15 - Definition of end-of-life experience

00:10:00 - Kids end of life experiences

00:12:10 - Dealing with end of life

00:15:30 - A dying patient describes her dreams

00:21:00 - Patients describe end of life

00:25:15 - Caregivers should know this

00:26:10 - Dr. Kerr’s dying father

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'The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer' by Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee

Why is cancer on the rise amongst the younger generation? Oprah sits down with world-renowned oncologist, New York Times best-selling author and Pulitzer Prize winner Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee to find out. In this powerful and deeply personal discussion about the new edition of his groundbreaking book The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer Dr. Mukherjee shares why it was important for him to update his seminal book with four new chapters and what has changed in the science of cancer in the last fifteen years. He explores possible reasons behind the rise of cancer in younger people today including genetic factors, environmental triggers, chronic inflammation and the “sleeper” cells that may lie dormant in the body until activated. Joining the conversation is actress and breast cancer survivor Olivia Munn, wife of the late Chadwick Boseman, Simone Ledward Boseman and a 28-year-old woman from Texas who battled stage 4 endometrial cancer after years of dismissed symptoms. She passed away just weeks after her conversation with Oprah. 

To take a free, breast cancer risk assessment, visit https://magview.com/ibis-risk-calculator/

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Theo of Golden by Allen Levi 

What began as a quietly self-published novel, Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, has become a literary phenomenon. First introduced in 2023 with no agent or marketing campaign the book built a devoted grassroots following through word of mouth. It eventually gained national attention, secured a bonafide publisher and become a #1 New York Times bestseller. In this conversation Oprah discusses with Allen Levi the tender, life-affirming story about a mysterious old man who arrives in the small town of Golden who transforms lives by gifting portraits to the locals and helping them feel seen. Allen reflects on what it means to live a life of love, to find hope and beauty in everyday life and to recognize the goodness in all of us. Fans of the novel, whose lives have been moved by this book, including country singer-songwriter Walker Hayes, record producer Claude Kelly and designer and TV host Tamara Day join the conversation.  

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The Power of Beliefs by Shawn Achor

Oprah sits down with renowned positive psychology researcher and bestselling author Shawn Achor to discuss his new book, The Power of Beliefs: How Strengthening Seven Core Beliefs Predicts Greater Success and a Better Life. While teaching at Harvard University and working with organizations around the world Shawn has spent more than two decades studying the connection between happiness, success and human potential. In this conversation he reveals why our beliefs don't just influence how we see the world they can actually predict what happens next. Drawing on groundbreaking research and deeply personal stories Shawn shares the seven core beliefs he says have the greatest impact on our life. Oprah and Shawn also explore the power of gratitude and how that practice alone can change what you believe to be true. Through audience questions and personal stories this episode offers a hopeful roadmap for anyone feeling stuck or disconnected. Thank you to our fantastic partners at The Farmer's Dog for presenting this episode. Their real, human-grade food has been clinically shown to support healthy aging, so you can have more good years together. URL: www.thefarmersdog.com/oprahpodcast

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One of her guests Oprah has never forgotten was an 11-year-old girl named Kate who had recently lost her mother to cancer. In a conversation that touched millions Kate shared one of the many memories she treasured most was a special night when she and her mom sat together eating a bowl of Cheerios. It was a poignant reminder that the moments that matter most are not always the grand vacations, expensive gifts or elaborate celebrations, instead it can be simply time spent together. Oprah shares how over the years she often thinks about her conversation with Kate and the impact it had on her own life and her viewers’ lives. Now, Kate returns to The Oprah Podcast as a mother of two herself reflecting on how losing her mom at such a young age shaped the woman she became, the parent she strives to be and the ways she continues to carry her mother’s love forward.

00:00:00 - Welcome to a The Oprah Winfrey Show throwback

00:02:00 - Kate and Zach just lost their mom

00:08:30 - Kate and Zach as teenagers

00:10:15 - Kate shares signs from her mother

00:12:39 - Kate at 29

00:14:20 - Kate on getting help and getting sober

00:17:00 - Kate with Oprah now

00:18:24 - Zach and Kate’s relationship now

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"The Revelation of Dionne Daphne" by Mara Brock Akil

Mara Brock Akil is one of the most influential storytellers of our time. Best known for iconic television series like Girlfriends, Being Mary Jane and the newest Netflix hit Forever, she continues to capture relatable stories that celebrate women's lives. Now, she's bringing her storytelling to the page with her debut novel, The Revelation of Dionne Daphne. The story follows Dionne Daphne, a successful beauty editor whose carefully curated life begins to unravel after a devastating revelation from her former boyfriend forces her to confront painful truths buried deep in her past. In this conversation with Oprah, Mara dives into the themes woven throughout the novel like overcoming shame, confronting childhood wounds and how returning to the places that broke us can sometimes create a new path forward. She also opens up about why this story was deeply personal and why it's the one she needed to tell now. Plus we hear from readers, including Oprah's daughter-girl Thando, who couldn't put the book down and others who found themselves in the story.

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"No Visible Bruises" by Rachel Louise Snyder

When Oprah first addressed the topic of domestic violence back in 1986, one out of four women in the United States was impacted by domestic violence. Today, that number has escalated to one out of two women who will experience sexual violence, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner in their lifetime. In this episode Oprah talks with journalist, writer and professor Rachel Louise Snyder. She is the author of the award-winning bestseller, No Visible Bruises, where she explores the domestic violence epidemic and how to combat it. She explains why domestic violence is becoming more prevalent, why a better term for it is “intimate partner terrorism,” the signs to look out for and what steps women can take to protect themselves and their families. Oprah and Rachel are joined by Susan, a former Oprah Show guest, who endured 17 years of physical and emotional abuse by her former husband - some of which her husband forced her then 13-year-old son to record on video. Also, in the fatal Ohio home invasion that grabbed headlines, the sister and brother-in-law of married couple Spencer and Monique Tepe join to talk about how Monique had experienced years of threatening behavior and emotional abuse from her surgeon ex-husband before he killed them both in their home in December 2025.

NEED HELP?

If you or someone you know needs support, the National Domestic Violence Hotline is available for anonymous, confidential help 24/7. Call 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY) or visit the website below.

https://www.thehotline.org/

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"Little Wonder" by Sophie Chen Keller

To find all of the Oprah’s Book Club selections and 30 of Oprah’s most memorable reads, visit: ⁠http://www.amazon.com/obc⁠

Oprah’s Book Club 124th selection is Little Wonder by author Sophie Chen Keller. Oprah and Sophie sit down with an enthusiastic audience of readers to discuss Sophie's childhood spent both in the USA and China and how that experience impacted her writing. She also shares how becoming a mother for the first time was the inspiration for Little Wonder. The story is about a profound bond of love that connects a mother, Song, to her son, named River. A cataclysmic roller coaster of events is set in motion when Song loses hold of River’s hand in the teeming crowds at a Beijing train station. Throughout this story of love, perseverance and hope mother and son desperately seek to find their way back to each other. Readers share that the climactic end had them in tears. Audience members also share the passages that moved them the most and ask questions of Sophie.

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Artificial Intelligence is rapidly changing the world as it evolves daily while offering limitless potential. Millions of Americans now turn to chatbots for guidance on finances, work and even relationships from life coaches to therapists and also companionship. But alongside their usefulness come serious risks that are often underestimated. In this conversation Oprah joins experts, families and a live audience to explore the potential hidden dangers of engaging with AI chatbots. Oprah speaks with the parents of a 14-year-old boy who died by suicide after his troubling interactions with a chatbot. We hear from UCSF psychiatrist, Dr. Keith Sakata, about the rise in reports of “AI-induced psychosis,” the potential negative mental health consequences of chatbot use and warning signs that a chatbot relationship has gone from helpful to harmful. Executive Director at Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology, Helen Toner, offers insight into how AI chatbots are developed to have human-like interactions, AI sycophancy and what people can do to hold AI companies accountable. We also hear from people who experienced devastating consequences from their use of AI chatbots from quitting a job, isolating from loved ones to becoming convinced they needed to warn the government of impending doom. This is a candid, eye-opening conversation about the risk of AI chatbots for parents and families navigating this new technology.

00:00:00 - Oprah introduces the dangers of AI

00:04:20 - Megan joins to talk about her son

00:09:10 - Discovering her son’s chatbot conversations after death

00:11:30 - Protecting children

00:12:30 - Warning signs

00:18:00 - Chatbots inappropriate relationships with kids

00:19:00 - What parents should know

00:21:50 - Defining AI psychosis

00:25:00 - AI and human-like interactions

00:28:00 - Chatbots sycophantic nature

00:30:40 - Hannah shares her AI chatbot experience

00:35:00 - Dangers of long interactions with chatbots

00:36:30 - When Hannah’s mom was concerned

00:38:20 - Hannah getting back to herself

00:39:00 - Withdrawal from chatbots

00:40:20 - Hannah now

00:42:15 - Red flags of AI psychosis

00:45:00 - The lure of the chatbot

00:46:50 - Allan shares his AI psychosis

00:52:30 - Help from the Human Line project

00:54:00 - Human connection is the cure

00:55:00 - What we can do

The Human Line Project

https://www.thehumanlineproject.org/

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https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-oprah-podcast/id1782960381