Joe Drape

This was the visit I waited all semester for. And it delivered. It was great to hear Joe talk about his book but I think I enjoyed listening to him talk about the business and his background even more. He has a lot of great stories to tell, coming from Kansas City and working his way all the way up to the New York Times into becoming a best selling author. Joe is a good example of what having an unconditional love for the journalism business can get you. He knew this is what he wanted to do and he worked hard through the business even in the departments he didn't necessarily like to get where he wanted to be. When people tell classes that this is a business you have to know you want to be in and love, I think Joe epitomizes that perfectly.

I loved hearing about him setting up the book in Smith Center. He took a risk to do something that caught his eye in the USA Today and turned into a book. Packing up a family in New York and moving them out to Smith Center was certainly not easy. Going into a completely foreign surrounding and focusing in, integrating yourself and creating such an incredible book is very impressive. I believe Joe has a lot to teach young journalists from his experience in Smith Center. I feel like our class was special in getting to visit with Joe and everyone was really excited to listen and get our books signed.