Even This I Get to Experience

The New York Times bestselling memoir from the creator of some of the most iconic television programs ever, including All in the Family, Maude, Good Times, The Jeffersons, and Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman.

“Charming, candid, and copious . . . There is still a lot of zest, passion, and whimsy in the man who taught Americans to laugh at their failings.” —The New York Times

Norman Lear’s iconic television programs—most memorably All in the Family—drew in as many as 120 million viewers each week. These shows dealt with the most serious issues of the day—racism, poverty, abortion—yet still left audiences howling with laughter. But TV is only a fraction of Lear’s tale. The renowned producer came of age during the Great Depression and fought in World War II, staging variety shows for his fellow airmen in addition to flying fifty-two bombing missions. After the war he caught his break as a comedy writer in Hollywood, soon working with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Movies with Frank Sinatra, Dick Van Dyke, and Jason Robards followed. Then came the ’70s and Lear’s legendary string of TV hits, working with actors like Carol O'Connor, Jean Stapleton, Rob Reiner, Sally Struthers, Red Foxx, Sherman Hemsley, and Bea Arthur. Filled with moving insights and behind-the-scenes stories from the shows that redefined the medium, Even This I Get to Experience is a memoir as touching, funny, and remarkable as any of Lear’s unforgettable creations.

"Lear is one of the great storytellers of our time...This book should be required reading for everyone working in Hollywood." —James Patterson

“One of the best Hollywood memoirs ever written . . . an absolute treasure.” —Booklist, starred review