In the early 1990s, when "Climbing"was written, the entertainment industry in the United States was coming to recognize the approximately 19 million black women as a lucrative market. The development of this market was helped in part by the phenomenal success of Oprah Winfrey's talk show, nationally syndicated in 1986 and widely recognized as the most popular talk show in the history of television. Winfrey's success provided a positive image of black women and helped to combat the racial and gender stereotypes of black women in American society. Through her book club and the book club segment on her show, Winfrey has also helped to popularize books by and about successful black women. For example, Winfrey has chosen books by Toni Morrison and Maya Angelou as book club selections, giving the works of these literary giants broad appeal. Terry McMillan's two blockbuster hit novels, Waiting to Exhale...