Jon Kohl

Interpretive Theme Writer's Field Guide

A Pocket Companion to Sam Ham's Books

• Gebundenes Buch

Produktbeschreibung

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 most theory to his books, this pocket companion offers writers strong theme examples, worksheets, exercises, inspirational quotes, and technique highlights. This Field Guide contains opening and closing words from interpretive legends Sam Ham and Ted Cable and 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 participatory theme writing. The second edition includes two new chapters on structuring interpretive presentations based on themes and how different psychological profiles influence both themes written by communicators and themes appreciated by audiences. It also includes a new series of mini guest essays written by specialists from around the world including National Park Service interpretive ranger Shelton Johnson, German living historian Angela Pfenniger, American creative and interpretive writer Judy Fort Brenneman, Panamanian trekking guide Rick Morales, and others. All other sections have been updated and improved for a global English-speaking communicator audience in this exciting redesigned edition that promises to make interpretive writers even better natural-cultural heritage communicators.

Produktdetails

• Verlag: Bloomsbury Academic
• 2nd edition
• Seitenzahl: 272
• Erscheinungstermin: 5. Februar 2026
• Englisch
• Abmessung: 229mm x 152mm x 25mm
• Gewicht: 454g
• ISBN-13: 9798881807498
• Artikelnr.: 74380112

Autorenporträt

Jon Kohl is both an interpreter and lifelong writer having published over 290 professional, academic, and creative articles, training manuals, and books, including a book on holistic natural-cultural heritage planning, a university textbook in Spanish on heritage interpretation, the first edition of this book in English and Spanish, and a near future sci-fi romance novel. He is an associated editor of the Journal of Interpretation Research, served on the inaugural editorial advisory board of UNESCO's Interpreting World Heritage, and was a contributing editor to Legacy, magazine of the National Association for Interpretation.

Inhaltsangabe

Contents
Sam Ham: "Why I agreed to support this Field Guide"
Pre-Tour Warmup: This Field Guide Originates in the 1990s. 11
Natural-Cultural History of the Second Edition. 14
Thank Yous. 16
Trailhead: This Is How You Use This Field Guide. 18
Stop 1: The Theme that Lurks Behind Thematic Interpretation. 20
There Are Different Branches on the Communication Tree. 20
Interpretation, like All Other Branches, Has Its Own Purposes. 20
Stop 2: We Write Themes for Primary and Secondary Audiences. 28
Which primary themes should I write?. 31
And Then There Are Sub-themes. 32
Stop 2 Big Ideas. 34
Stop 2 Exercise. 35
Crafting Themes Guided by Indigenous and Traditional Cultures. 36
Stop 3: Strong Interpretive Themes Embody Big Ideas and Vehicles to Deliver
Them.. 39
Provocation Is Central to Thematic Interpretation. 39
Don't Forget How to Write a Complete Sentence. 42
Stop 3 Big Ideas. 42
Stop 3 Exercises. 43
Stop 4: Interpreters Must Ignite Their Inspiration for the Big Idea, Not
Just Write It47
The Meaning-Making Mind Never Sleeps. 47
A Big Idea is Critical47
Researching Your Topic Is a Good Place to Start49
Different Approaches Can Ignite Inspiration. 51
Grammatical Approach. 51
Five Whys/So What (Socratic Questions) Approach. 51
Mind Mapping Approach. 52
Irony Revelation Approach. 54
Freewriting Approach. 54
Contemplation-Meditation Approach. 56
Chatbot Approach. 56
Multiple Perspectives Approach. 57
Community-based Interpretive Framework Approach. 61
Big Ideas Have Several Qualities. 61
One complete idea and sentence. 61
Declarative sentence. 62
Exciting for the primary audience. 62
Logical, makes sense. 62
Interpretation, not description. 62
Clear, but not necessarily quickly understood. 65
Universality. 65
Stop 4 Big Ideas. 68
Stop 4 Exercise. 69
Stop 5: The Big Idea Develops within the Audience's Mind via a Vehicle. 75
Do not Postpone the Big Idea. 75
Increase Vehicle Provocation by Connecting to the Audience. 76
Connect to audience background. 76
Use the audience's language. 76
Provocative Themes Are Easy to Process. 76
Readability. 77
Clarity. 77
Person. 80
Experience through Mental Imagery. 81
Other Spicy Literary Ingredients. 83
Object Appropriateness. 85
Power positions. 86
Stop 5 Big Ideas. 86
Stop 5 Exercises. 87
Stop 6: Themes Are Written for and by People Growing Up. 92
Developmental Psychologists Study People Growing Up. 92
Practical takeaway. 93
Themes Also Grow Up. 93
Practical takeaways. 93
Growing Up Influences Various Factors. 93
Perspectives. 94
Object Awareness. 94
Thought Complexity. 94
Time. 95
Practical takeaway. 95
Think about Your Thinking. 99
Stop 6 Big Ideas. 99
Stop 6 Exercises. 99
Stop 7: Construction of a Presentation Structure Begins with a Theme. 103
Who Reads Your Theme Influences Your Structure. 104
Presentation Structures Come in Diverse Forms. 104
Chronological105
Non-Chronological105
Scientific Argument105
Categorical106
Parallel106
Enigma Revealed. 106
Cognitive Dissonance. 107
Sub-Themes and Sub-Plots Are Different107
Theme Dissection TechniqueSlices a Theme into Different Stops. 107
Stop 7 Big Ideas. 111
Stop 7 Exercises. 111
Stop 8: Theme Writing Can be Individual, Team-, or Community-Based. 115
The Professional Writer Has a Role in Theme Writing. 116
Convene a Theme Team.. 117
Theme Teams Write Themes, Too. 119
Stop 8 Big Ideas. 119
Stop 8 Exercise. 120
Stop 9: Interpretive Frameworks Leverage the Power of Community for
Interpretation. 123
Meanings and Heritage Are Central to Community Development123
We Use Interpretive Frameworks for 12 Reasons. 126
These Are the Major Steps to Facilitate Interpretive Frameworks. 127
Prepare the Workshop. 127
Set the Context128
Brainstorm Heritage Attributes. 128
Grouping Relationships. 130
Naming Clusters/Emerging Themes. 130
Resolving Greater Meaning. 131
Distilling Universal Processes. 131
Revealing Place Essence. 132
Small Committee to Refine Workshop Results. 132
Interpretive Framework Proceedings. 133
Theme Descriptions. 134
Interpretive Framework Formats Can Reflect Additional Meanings. 135
Stop 9 Big Ideas. 136
Stop 9 Exercises. 137
Stop 10: To Be with or Not to Be with AI Theme Writing Generators, That Is
the Question. 141
Testing a Trained ChatGPT to Write Stronger Themes. 142
Field Notes. 144
Suggested Answers to Exercises. 144
VerbsforStrongerThemesandMoreEngagingCommentaries. 154
Field Inventory of Strong Themes in this Field Guide. 160
Themes of Best-selling Novels of All Time. 175
Figure. Interpretive Theme Writer's Worksheet177
Critique of Themes from Real Webinar Participants. 179
Oh My Box!183
Field Guidelines for Interpretive Theme Writing. 184
Prompts. 185
Glossary. 185
Guidelines. 186
Purposes and Audience (Stops 1, 2, and 6)186
Big Idea (Stops 3, 4, and 5)187
Vehicle (Stops 4 and 5)188
30 Strong Interpretive Themes. 191
References. 195
Quote Sources. 199
Glossary. 206
Index. 209
Counter POW: Ted Cable. 216
Theme Writing: A Trail That Never Ends. 216
PUP Collaboratory. 217
Back Cover218
Voices from the Field
1 Floating the Tigris: Harnessing the Light of Thematic Interpretation by
Shelton Johnson. 25
2 Crafting Themes Guided by Indigenous and Traditional Culturales by Kylie
Christian and Leanne Redpath. 37
3 Voices from the Field by Thorsten Ludwig. 46
4 I Want to Create Brilliant Big Ideas and Compelling Themes but. by Judy
Fort Brenneman. 71
5 A Grand Theme Doesn't Ensure a Great Program-or Even a Good One by Don
Enright89
6 Themes Contribute to Traveler Transformation atop Maslow's Hierarchy of
Needs by Colby Brokvist100
7 Thematic Zone of Tolerance in a Theater Setting by Angela Pfenniger111
8 Tablets of Stone or Statements of Accord by Michael Hamish Glen. 119
9 Colombia Is the First Country to Adopt the Interpretive Framework by
Clara Osorio and Carlos Rosero. 137
Theme Spotlights
Theme Spotlight Pre-Tour Warmup. Message vs. Theme. 13
Theme Spotlight Natural-Cultural History of the Second Edition: Why
Evolution Permeates this Field Guide. 15
Theme Spotlight Trailhead: Themes of Themes. 19
Theme Spotlight 2.1: Secondary Themes vs. Sub-Themes. 34
Theme Spotlight 3.1. Theme = Object + Big Idea. 43
Theme Spotlight 3.2. Big Idea vs. Interpretive Theme. 46
Theme Spotlight 4.1. Connecting Unlike Points to Cast New Light69
Theme Spotlight 4.2. Themes Should Present an Argument74
Theme Spotlight 5.1. Can a Theme Have More than One Sentence?. 77
Theme Spotlight 5.2. Transformative Themes Tap Deep Truths. 86
Theme Spotlight 5.3. Adding Humanity to Non-Human Phenomena. 87
Theme Spotlight 8.1. All Three Levels Can Interact117
Theme Spotlight 9.1. Historical Scan Supports Theme Identification. 135