"Growing up, I would have loved to have had such a positive role model to look up to and try to be like and try to emulate," Serena said. Good thing she did have herself around.
"We love having that opportunity to say, 'Look, you can be like us, you can be successful and at the same time have high morals and high self-esteem and be a very nice person at the end of the day.' " What a wonderful day that would be.
The gals are scheduled to gab about the book on Oprah Winfrey's show tomorrow.
Oprah's land deal
* Talking about the reigning queen of talk TV, looks like Oprah is branching out into the vacation biz. And branching to Hawaii no less: The Maui County Council has given O.W. Ranch LLC a five-year conditional permit to operate a 12-bedroom vacation rental in Kula.
Word is Oprah went into the venture with friend and personal trainer Bob Greene. But while O.W. Ranch's attorney would not confirm to the Associated Press that Winfrey is involved in the company, Gideon Kaufman, an Aspen, Colo.-based legal representative for Winfrey and an officer of O.W. Ranch, gives up a nudge-nudge, wink-wink: "I'll let the initials stand for themselves."
No 'Fat Actress' fan
* Leonard Nimoy ain't no Kirstie Alley fan. The Star Trek star, who's also gotten some notice for his work as a photographer - his '03 book of photographs, Shekhina, caused a stir with its mix of female nudes and religious iconography - has a new photo show, "Maximum Beauty," set to open in New York this summer.
The subject matter? Plus-size women.
The photo collection shows women from a California-based burlesque group, Fat Bottom Revue, in various poses, dressed and undressed.
