If the first rule of public relations crisis management is to tell the story first in order to maintain control, then Oprah Winfrey lost the battle to Kitty Kelley, author of “Oprah, a biography” (Crown Publishers, 2010). All the revelations in Kelley’s book were Winfrey’s to dish out in 1993 when she suddenly withdrew plans [...]

I was about eight years old when my father invited an overbearing work colleague, along with his wife and son, to visit our summer cottage on New Brunswick’s Richibucto River. Cottagers are usually happy to share their little-piece-of-heaven with friends and family. But for my mother, even a relaxed cottage welcome had its limits.