Author Tripp Whetsell talks about television legend Norman Lear, show business stories and teaching gig at Emerson College

In Boston today with entertainment journalist Tripp Whetsell, author of the new book 'Norman Lear: His Life & Times'. A passionate fan of every show Lear created and produced, Whetsell takes us behind the scenes of American retro television and Lear's inspiration for his legendary comedy series All In The Family, Maude, Sanford and Son, The Jeffersons, Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman and Good Times to producing films Come Blow Your Horn with Frank Sinatra and Divorce American Style with Dick Van Dyke and Debbie Reynolds. This show business biographer and media studies professor at Emerson College (the only college which offers a college major in 'comedy' - along with the Norman Lear Scholarship Fund for aspiring writing students!) is also the author of The Improv; An Oral History of the Comedy Club that Revolutionized Stand-Up (co-written with founder Budd Friedman with a forward by Jay Leno). Whetsell discusses his continuing career as a show business biographer with his new book about Lear, mixing in stories behind Lear's ground breaking comedy series and more. Bring your love of retro and join us!About the Spotlight Conversations podcast:Tune in as I invite friends inside my cozy linoleum free recording studio to talk about all things media - radio, television, music, film, voiceovers, audiobooks, publishing - if guests are in the spotlight, we're talkin'!  Refreshingly unscripted and unusually entertaining, listen in as each guest gets real about their careers in the entertainment biz, from where they started to how it's going. Settle into my swanky studio where drinks are on ice and the conversation starters are music + media - always a deal breaker for the rock and roll homemaker! Listen to Donna every night starting at 9 on Houston Radio Platinum, along with a special program she hosts every Tuesday and Thursday night at 10 called 'Late Night Spotlight'.New episodes drop every Tuesday. For more on what I'm doing when I'm not podcasting head on over to my Linktree accountSocial media links, website and more hereFollow and subscribe hereBooth Announcer: Joe Szymanski ('Joe The Voice Guy')Them...