Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1521956
46 C I N E M O N T A G E B O O K R E V I E W Ilana Peña. Jenny Bicks. P H O T O : I N S TAG R A M P H O T O : G E T T Y I M AG E S valuable contemporary capsule history of how women penetrated the white, all-male television writers' rooms by the sheer force of their talent and dedication to the job. E a c h p ro f i l e i s i n t ro d u ce d w i t h a n epigram that encapsulates something about the essence of that woman's work and success. Marta Kauffman, who was the co-creator and showrunner of "Friends" and "Grace and Frankie," among other shows, is summed up with "I Wanted to Prove it to Myself." Her entry is perhaps the book's most openly political. "It's a tricky thing to be heard as a wom- an because often guys tune out women's voices. You just don't put up with that shit," she said. "I also won't put up with sexism. I won't put up with guys talking over women." One of the older (she was 50 when "Friends" ended), more successful, and most experi- enced showrunners profiled, Kauffman is able to speak with great authority. In an act that acknowledges how she had internal- ized the systemic racism of the television business, Kauffman endowed a chair in African and African American Studies at Brandeis University. A newer face is Ilana Peña, introduced w i t h t h e e p i g ra m " L e t 's, L i k e, D o B i g Things." She worked up from assistant to becoming a staff writer on "My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend." She rightly talks about the importance of access and connections, and she credits Rachel Bloom and Aline Brosch McKenna — the show's creators, producers, directors, and showrunners — as mentors who encouraged her. "The thing that allowed me to succeed was that people believed in my voice. I had the freedom to pitch. I had the freedom to share." She is the creator and showrunner of the popular Disney+ show, "Diary of a Future President." While each woman's story is unique, there are common threads. "Conversations with Women Showrunners" demonstrates that there are paths for women in American television, and that each is different; there is no one route to success. One question remains unposed in the book. There is no mention of outright 'Often guys tune out women's voices.' sexual harassment or aggression. It seems unlikely that during the several decades covered in the book, there were no instances of inappropriate behavior or coercion. It is understandable that some people do not want to discuss, let alone record, such personal experiences, but of the 43 women interviewed, it is hard to believe that no one experienced sexual misconduct. In a post #MeToo era, it is startling that the author chose not to mention this, especially in a book partly designed for young women who want to enter the industry. They should arrive forewarned. Even with this caveat, O'Shea does the field a great service by recording these women's voices. There is no other book that documents contemporary women in television, and everyone who works in the business, as well as those who aspire to it, will find "Conversations with Women Showrunners" useful. ■ Conversations with Women Showrunners By Marygrace O'Shea 258 pages Rutledge, Focal Press, 2024