Winfrey backs short story

Winfrey backs short story

CHICAGO — Oprah Winfrey has blessed the book world’s eternal underdog: the short story.

Publishing’s surest hitmaker announced Friday that her latest pick was Uwem Akpan’s debut collection “Say You’re One Of Them,” practically guaranteeing hundreds of thousands of sales, numbers generally unthinkable for short stories beyond works by Ernest Hemingway, John Cheever and other giants of the art form.

In making her 63rd book selection on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” the queen of talk said she never before had given a book of short stories the nod because, she explained, “usually short stories leave you wanting something and you’re like, ‘Huh, what happened?’”

Akpan’s book, she went on, was an exception.

Cyrus finds her voice

NEW YORK — It’s been only a year since Miley Cyrus released her first official studio album, “Breakout.” But the 16-year-old says in that time she’s found her voice as an artist — and that’s reflected on her new EP.

“I think I’ve been able to give myself more say. I think at first I was a little more afraid of what I could and what I could not say,” the singer and actress said before performing at the “VH1 Divas” concert Thursday night.

“The Times of Our Lives,” released last month exclusively at Wal-Mart, features the hit tune “Party In the U.S.A.,” which is No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. The album includes songs about love and relationship drama.

Cyrus says she’s growing as a musician and a woman — and she’s not afraid to show it.

“I think about it any time I write a song, I’m like, ‘Why can’t I say that? Why can’t you say what you feel?’” the “Hannah Montana” star asked.

“There shouldn’t be an age or a certain kind of cookie-cutter way of doing things. You can say what you want to. It’s about being an artist. That’s what an artist is.”

Today’s birthdays

Actor Adam West (“Batman”) is 79. Actor Randolph Mantooth (“Emergency”) is 64. Actor Jeremy Irons is 61. Actress-model Twiggy Lawson is 60. TV personality Joan Lunden is 59. Country singer Trisha Yearwood is 45. Comedian Cheri Oteri (“Saturday Night Live”) is 44. Comedian-talk-show host Jimmy Fallon is 35.