Interpretive Theme Writer’s Field Guide: How to Write a Strong Theme from Big Idea to Presentation - Softcover

Kohl, Jon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1879931338 ISBN 13: 9781879931336

Publisher: National Association for Interpretation, 2018

Synopsis

The interpretive theme is the most important sentence an interpreter inks on paper. Despite its centrality to thematic interpretation, no single work has dedicated itself entirely to the art and craft of strong theme writing until now. The Interpretive Theme Writer's Field Guide builds on Sam Ham's 30-year thematic interpretation research legacy. While leaving theory to his books, this pocket companion offers writers strong theme examples, worksheets, exercises, inspirational quotes, and technique highlights. With contributions from Sam Ham, Ted Cable, Shelton Johnson, and Clark Hancock, this Field Guide is useful at the desk, in the exhibit hall, or on the trail. It recognizes that teams, even communities, create heritage themes, and introduces the Interpretive Framework methodology to facilitate community-based theme writing.

See a video of Shelton Johnson reading his book foreword accompanied by his amazing photos from Yosemite at my Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/jonkohl

About this title

About the Author

Jon Kohl has published over 255 academic, professional, and popular articles, including a sci-fi romance novella, a book on holistic planning (with Steve McCool), a textbook on heritage interpretation in Spanish (with Marisol Mayorga), and this Field Guide. NAI has published some 40 of these works. Jon also works as an interpretive writer, translator, planner, blogger, and trainer with the PUP Global Heritage Consortium, a global non-profit he founded and directs to promote a holistic focus to natural and cultural heritage management. He earned a Master s in Environmental Management from Yale University School of the Environment and a Bachelor s in Ecology and Political Science from Dartmouth College. He served as an environmental educator and interpreter in the Peace Corps in Costa Rica, where he now lives with his family.

From the Inside Flap

Why I Agreed to Support this Field Guide

When Jon asked permission to write this Field Guide that builds so squarely on top of my own work the past four decades, I thought it was an odd request--not just because he didn't actually need my permission, but more because of a twinge of uncertainty about seeing my own words and ideas presented in new contexts and in formats that would differ from how I myself would put them. Any apprehension I might have had then, however, has long ago been replaced with the satisfaction of seeing where Jon has taken his own thinking about the premise and promise of thematic interpretation. In fact, having a professional interpreter want to build on my work--and hopefully improve it in some way--is not only a bona fide contribution to interpreters and the field,but also a critical passing on of the interpretation field's leadership torch from one of numerous greying professors to the next generation. Talk about sustainable development. Even though I have no financial interest in this volume, knowing Jon through our conversations over the years about themes and thematic interpretation, and knowing that he offered himself as a vehicle to advance these same topics that have dominated my professional activity all these years, in the end it was a no-brainer decision. I hope you agree.

Sam H. Ham
Professor Emeritus
University of Idaho

Edition details

• Publisher: National Association for Interpretation
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1879931338
• ISBN 13: 9781879931336
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 168