Fort Collins, Colorado
PUP Director Jon Kohl signed a contract with the National Association for Interpretation’s executive director Margo Carlock on 28 June to publish InterpPress’s next book. The book is tentatively titled The Interpretive Theme Writer’s Field Guide: Pocket Companion to Sam Ham’s Interpretation — Making A Difference on Purpose: Crafting Strong Themes from Big Idea to Presentation.
The theme-writing book will carry a special recognition to the PUP Global Heritage Consortium because of PUP’s many material contributions to the book as well as contributions from several PUP members including Kohl (author), PUP advisor Sam Ham (authorized the use of his name as the Field Guide builds on his legacy of thematic interpretation; Ham also reviewed the text and wrote an introductory note), PUP Treasurer Clark Hancock wrote an introductory note and reviewed the text, as well as PUP general member Dr. Ted Cable who wrote the Last Word. Also, the Field Guide’s foreword is written by the well-known National Park Service Yosemite interpretive ranger and author Shelton Johnson.
About the Theme Writing Field Guide
The purpose of the Field Guide is to be a user-friendly how-to theme-writing guide that complements the theoretical and practical foundation laid down by Ham in his two books on interpretation. It will be the first book in the interpretation literature dedicated solely to the most central skill of thematic interpretation. Another first, according to Kohl, is that the book not only describes how individuals write themes (which is the level where most other interpretive literature focuses) but how groups and communities can also develop themes about their heritage.
PUP and NAI plan to launch the theme-writing book in time for the next NAI national conference in New Orleans at the end of November when Kohl will offer a conference presentation on the book.
InterpPress is NAI’s own press and has published other interpretation-related books such as Interpretation by Design, Interpretive Writing, Management of Interpretive Sites, Personal Interpretation, among others.
Kohl has published over 35 articles in all of NAI’s various publications including an article on applying the interpretive principle of TORE (developed by Ham) to resume writing in the most recent issue of NAI’s flagship publication, Legacy magazine.
