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Meet the Team: Heather McGinley

Posted: Thu 08/23/2012 10:30 AM
One of the best parts of "Super Soul Sunday" is hearing from you! We love getting to know our viewers through the great feedback you send us on Facebook, Twitter and right here at Oprah.com. Now, we want to return the favor by introducing a member of our team to the "Super Soul Sunday" community. This week, take time to get to know "Super Soul Sunday" producer Heather McGinley.

Name: Heather McGinley

Education: I hold a BFA in Production Management from The Theatre School at DePaul University (say that three times fast!)

How long have you worked at Harpo? I am coming up on my 9th anniversary at Harpo. I started out as a Runner for The Oprah Winfrey Show, which is a fancy term for the person who runs all over Chicago to round up the random and crazy things that a television show might potentially need.

Who would play you in a movie? Shaun White. He understands the daily emotional trauma inflicted by my unruly red hair.

Favorite SoulPancake episode: I love, love, love “Heart Attack.” Everyone needs a random act of kindness and love sometimes!

What music do you listen to in the car? Built to Spill is my favorite band – “Carry the Zero” is probably the best Built to Spill song ever in the universe, but my personal preference is “You Were Right.” One time, my husband took me to a concert where – upon arrival – I unexpectedly found out Built to Spill was opening for the main band. Cue sudden, uncontrollable sobbing. I still haven’t lived that one down, trust me.

If I’m not at Harpo Studios, you’ll most likely find me: At the gym, trying to learn to swim for the 2012 Chicago Triathlon! Operative word: “trying.” Is there such a thing as chlorine poisoning? Because I probably have it.

Claim to fame:  Over the course of my wedding, I was a blogger under the pseudonym Ms. Snapdragon over at a popular website named WeddingBee. More than a great place to write, they’ve got a great group of gals over there, too!

Hidden talent: I can run a marathon slower than anyone you’ve ever seen! To date, I’ve completed two full marathons and three half marathons. Endurance running is pretty tough for me, but I like to challenge myself to do the things at which I am the least talented. I suppose this also makes me a masochist, but that’s beside the point.

What movie have you seen more times than any other? I’m a “one and done” sort of person when it comes to movies. However.... I have watched the entire Arrested Development television series at least fifty times! If you want to laugh for a half hour straight, AD will do you right.

Best lesson learned from a Super Soul Sunday episode: A common theme throughout many of the Super Soul Sunday episodes is to pay attention to the present moment. Yesterday already happened, tomorrow isn’t promised –It’s so easy to let life pass us by, so live life right now!

If you could only have three apps, they would be:
  • Flipboard – This app takes all of your RSS feeds and turns them into a lovely magazine-style layout. Such a nice way to read all your blog and Twitter subscriptions!
  • iBooks – The fastest way to read books! I love being able to download books no matter where I am. I can also take notes and highlight my favorite passages.
  • Cartolina – I was actually introduced to this app by our Super Soul Sunday Executive Producer Jill Barancik. It’s THE cutest way to send pretty digital notes to all your friends! Makes you look fancy, too.
Name three titles you’d recommend to someone in the mood for a great book:
  • Let the Great World Spin, by Colum McCann – Oh goodness, this book invades your soul. A spellbinding portrait of love and grief. Wildly creative and colorful. The author’s pretty handsome, to boot! A top two book of all time, maybe even my number one... I first read it about three years ago, and I still think about it on a regular basis. It’s that powerful.
  • The Road, by Cormac McCarthy – An Oprah’s Book Club pick... painful to read at times, but so action-packed that you’re glued to the pages for hours on end. Thrilling, suspenseful, and emotional – it really might be the perfect book. I cried all through the final chapter, just because it was so beautifully written. Everyone should read it!
  • The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides – I took four months to read this book, just because I didn’t want it to end! Light and fun, it’s one of those rare literary love stories that isn’t a tragedy.
  • Bonus Book! Freedom, by Jonathan Franzen – This was another Oprah’s Book Club selection back in 2010, and I was just so moved by it. The author writes about long term relationships, love, and identity in a way that breaks through all pretense and personal facades. Spectacular.
Last movie you saw: The Dark Knight Rises. Oh so good, with a twist you’d never see coming. Also, I’ve loved Christian Bale since he was a Newsie, so there was no way I could miss it!

What’s next on your reading list? American Gods, by Neil Gaiman. I’ve never read Gaiman before, and I want to see what he’s all about!
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