Brutally honest, humorous, and heartbreaking, The extremely intimate life story of the girl next door who became well-known is told in Going There.
Katie Couric has been a recognizable figure in the media for over 40 years. She shares what was going on behind the scenes of her occasionally turbulent personal and professional life in her brutally honest, humorous, and tragic memoir—a tale she had never told before. "Flat-screen can flatten you; television can put you in a box," she says, referring to the medium that brought her fame and respect. You appear both smaller and larger than life on TV. It's not the entire narrative, nor is it the entirety of who I am. This literary work is.
Couric's father was a journalist, and he encouraged her to follow his passion even though he couldn't support it from a young age. She surmounted all obstacles in her path, including insecurities, an eating disorder, being typecast, and sexism. Her approach to overcoming these challenges established the standard for the remainder of her career. She did this by striking a balance between her vibrant, outgoing personality and her desire to be taken seriously. After her incredible ascent to the position of co-anchor on TODAY, Couric talks openly about adjusting to her sudden fame. She also walks us through some of the most significant news stories and historical events of the time, including the death of Princess Diana, the Iraq War, Anita Hill, Rodney King, and Columbine. She upset a lot of people along the way as she dutifully sought the truth in each case. She also remembers the immense pressure placed on female anchors to land the newest "get"—sensational tabloid stories like those involving OJ Simpson, Tonya Harding, and Jon Benet Ramsey—in vivid and occasionally graphic detail.
Being a prominent figure in her field, Couric's career was overshadowed by the shock and trauma of losing her husband to stage 4 colon cancer at the age of 42. This left her a widow and the single parent of her two girls, ages two and six. Three years later, her sister Emily passed away, causing much more trauma. However, one of her greatest achievements to date is her unflinching dedication to cancer awareness and research.When discussing the specifics of her historic transition to the anchor chair at CBS Evening News—a setting plagued by misogyny and sexism—Couric is frank. At 60 Minutes, an unrepentant boys club that indulged in outright hazing of even the most successful women, her "welcome" was even more unpleasant. Following the MeToo movement, Couric discusses her frank assessment of workplace predatory conduct, gender discrimination, and the fall of Matt Lauer, a colleague she had respected and trusted for over ten years.
Before meeting her midlife Mr. Right, Couric also discusses the difficulty of falling in love again and all the humor, failed beginnings, and drama that went along with it. Something she has never publicly addressed: the reasons her second marriage nearly fell down.
Rethink your assumption that you know Katie Couric. The compelling, poignant, and fast-moving narrative of Going There follows a totally contemporary woman as she rises from impoverished beginnings to become a household name. You will find a friend, confidante, role model, and survivor in these pages whose life lessons will enhance your own.