In a recent New York Times op-ed, TV producer and writer Nell Scovell wrote an eye-opening piece about women in the TV industry. She argues that “the ‘Golden Age for Women in TV’ is actually a re-run” (The New York Times).

Rita Lakin is one of those women who made great strides in shaking up the status quo in TV. Though her name may not be immediately recognizable, Rita Lakin touched the lives of millions of TV viewers week after week for over 25 years. In THE ONLY WOMAN IN THE ROOM: Episodes in My Life and Career as a Television Writer — published this week by Applause Theatre & Cinema Books — Rita Lakin writes about an era when a woman’s “place” was in the home. Lakin stepped out and climbed the ladder to the top, becoming one of the most respected television writers in the business, an inspiration and a passionate advocate for women’s rights.

Early reviews are flush with praise:

“Every woman in the entertainment business should read this book as an example of courage, fortitude, and self-confidence. It’s a survival manifesto. And every man in the entertainment business should read this book as a cautionary tale of arrogance, conceit, and privilege.” –Steven Bochco, creator/writer/producer of Hill Street Blues, LA Law, NYPD Blue and Murder in the First

“At turns hilarious, tender, and tough, this is the fabulous memoir of a woman who forged her own path to the writers’ room in an industry dominated by men. —Foreword Reviews

“From my experience I have found that there are two kinds of autobiographies, one is written for your family and friends knowing full well that others would not be very interested in your life, and the other is where the author really has something interesting to say. Rita Lakin’s The Only Woman in the Room falls into the second category, particularly if you have grown up during television’s golden age in the 1960’s and up to the 1980’s when Lakin was crafting dozens of television stories such as Dr. Kildare, Peyton Place, Mod Squad and Dynasty and many more.” — Norm Goldman, BookPleasures.com

You can learn more about Rita in these features that are running this week:

• Feature in EMMY Magazine
• 3-part feature on the Jewish Book Council’s Visiting Scribe Blog
• Interview in Jungle Red Blog
• Feature on Shelf Pleasure/On the Nightstand
• Interview with Norm Goldman of BookPleasures