A "thumbs down" from the talk show queen is no longer a death sentence - Oprah's been so busy slapping her seal of approval on everything from books to undergarments that she's diluted her brand's worth. Being exposed for shoe graft (The Seinfelds gave her $21,000 in designer shoes for a friendly segment) probably didn't help. Now, Oprah's first book club defiler James Frey steps back into the spotlight with a new novel.

Frey's new novel, Bright Shiny Morning, is set in a fictional LA. After spending two years in exile, he recruited renowned artist (and friend) Richard Prince to create the cover. is due for release in May. He also plans to collaborate on a book with Prince and photographer Terry Richardson to create a companion book that uses elements from each artist: Frey's writing, Prince's paintings and Richardson's photos.

The name James Frey still causes a kneejerk reaction in some people. Oprah sandbagged him, luring him back to the show so she could publicly condemn him for embellishing his account of addiction and recovery. The plain truth is that addiction and recovery are mind-numbingly boring for the most part - You partied, you went through detox, and you recovered. Most times these events pass rather quietly. Perhaps Frey just wanted to spice things up. He should have told someone the truth before it was exposed the way it was. Sadly, no matter how good his follow-up book is, he'll always be remembered as the man who betrayed Oprah.

By Lisa Voglesonger posted time [ 9:52 PM]