Synopses & Reviews
ABC-TV' s Lynn Sherr writes a savvy, witty, and moving memoir about events that have shaped her life and her career as one of the first women to break through in broadcast television
As a reporter for 40 years, most of them on television, Lynn Sherr has brought clarity and insight to many of the most compelling news events of our day-- from politics to murder trials to the space program. Now this widely respected award-winning journalist lets us in on what she' s seen inside the box as she steps outside for a reality check. She tells how television journalism has changed over the years, for better and for worse, and explores the critical state of TV news today. Her accounts of the political and cultural upheavals she covered also make this a social history of our time.
When she first began in the industry, newspaper editors bluntly told her, We don' t hire girls, but Lynn persevered, both covering and experiencing the emergence of modern feminism. All that despite being fired from her first TV job She also addresses the heartbreak of her husband' s death followed by her own battle with colon cancer. Lynn Sherr opens up about those painful times with an honesty that will touch and inspire readers. Her personal accounts-- growing up in Philadelphia, where her father was a pioneering professional basketball player; suddenly becoming a stepmom; slipping off to commune with giraffes-- all underscore her insistence on always keeping one foot outside the box.
Review
"Sherr has a talent for visceral details, giving the events she covers a you-are-there immediacy. . . . Wise, warm and engaging throughout, the book provides resonant confirmation for Sherr's belief that 'History matters, and even the smallest life is history.'" —Publishers Weekly
Synopsis
As a reporter for more than 40 years, most of them on national television, Lynn Sherr has brought clarity and insight to many of the compelling news events of our day. In
Outside the Box, this widely respected journalist lets us in on what shes seen "inside the box" as she steps outside for a reality check.Sherr tells how television journalism has changed over the years and explores the state of TV news today. When she first began in the industry, newspaper editors bluntly told her, "We don't hire girls," but Lynn persevered, both covering and experiencing the emergence of modern feminism. From growing up in Philadelphia, to suddenly becoming a step mom, to the heartbreak of her husbands death followed by her own battle with colon cancer, her personal story mixes with accounts of the political and cultural upheavals she has covered to make
Outside the Box a social history of our time.
About the Author
LYNN SHERR has been an award-winning correspondent with ABC News since 1977, most notably with 20/20, specializing in investigative reports and social change. Her books include America the Beautiful, Tall Blondes, and Failure Is Impossible. She also co-edited Peter Jennings: A Reporter's Life. Sherr lives in New York City.