LAWRENCE — Join award-winning journalist, host of “Wait, Wait... Don’t Tell Me!” and KANU alumnus Bill Kurtis for the release of his new book, “Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News.” Kurtis will speak at an event at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18, at Maceli’s in Lawrence.
Each ticket grants guests access to an evening with Kurtis, where he’ll discuss his experience in journalism, and includes a copy of his book. Tickets may be purchased through the Kansas Public Radio online store.
From his beginnings as a kid from Kansas working at local radio and television stations to pay for college at the University of Kansas and law school at Washburn University, Kurtis had a hunger for telling stories and finding the truth. With passion, skill and just the right amount of luck, Kurtis’ reporting of the infamous Topeka Tornado of 1966 launched him into a career in broadcast journalism. Only four years later, after passing the Kansas bar exam, Kurtis had already reported four of the largest trials of the 20th century: Richard Speck, the Chicago Seven, Charles Manson and Angela Davis.
During his career as a West Coast correspondent for Walter Cronkite’s CBS “Evening News,” anchor and foreign correspondent at the revolutionary local newsroom at WBBM-TV Chicago, co-anchor with Diane Sawyer at CBS “Morning News” and beyond, Kurtis brought history to the American people in real time. He is currently the president of Kurtis Productions and the official judge and scorekeeper of NPR’s “Wait, Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me!”
“Whirlwind: My Life Reporting the News” is the debut title from Plainspoken Books, the new trade imprint from the University Press of Kansas.
Kurtis details his whirlwind career reporting American history as it unfolded, a fast-paced, entertaining and inspiring story about the potent combination of talent and luck in the network era of television. The audiobook was produced in collaboration with the Audio-Reader Network and Kansas Public Radio.
University Press of Kansas helped to make the event possible.
KPR, a 23-time winner of the KAB’s Station of the Year, licensed to the University of Kansas, broadcasts on 91.5 FM and 96.1 FM (KPR2) in Lawrence, 89.7 FM in Emporia, 91.3 FM in Olsburg-Junction City, 89.9 FM in Atchison, 90.3 FM in Chanute, and 99.5 FM and 97.9 FM (KPR2) in Manhattan. KPR can be heard online at kansaspublicradio. org, and KPR2, a news-talk programming stream, which can be heard on an HD receiver or on KPR’s website.
