Thursday thoughts

I have been running every morning, and that feels very good. We only do about three miles, but it certainly gets my heart beating.

Yesterday a student asked me about the special course I am offering at the Cape Cod Writers Conference in August. In case anyone else ins interested, I'll post the information here.

(Incidentally I am also doing a book-signing from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Inkwell Bookstore in Falmouth.)

The Cape Cod Writers Conference hired me to teach a five-day interactive course. The cost appears to be $100 for the course, plus $70 for conference registration, but check out all the information at the Cape Cod Writers Center Registration site: http://www.capecodwriterscenter.com/

There are five 90-minute classes Aug. 21 to 25, plus an orientation Sunday evening the 20th. Here is the information from their catalog:

Journalism: News Writing in the 21st Century
James W. Kershner
Full Week Course
This five-day interactive workshop will focus on practical, useful
techniques to improve news writing skills for today's news media. James Kershner, a journalism professor with more than 30 years experience in the field, will use lectures, writing exercises, writing games and discussion in the course.Topics will include: "Kershner's Five Rules of Journalism," "Keeping it Simple," "Playing with Leads," "Media Ethics: Two Plural Words," "The Internet and the Future of Journalism." Other subject areas will be tailored to the needs of the participants. Kershner recommends that participants read his book, The Elements of News Writing, published by Allyn & Bacon, before the workshop. Kershner teaches journalism, mass media and writing at Cape Cod Community College. In a 30-year newspaper career, he was staff reporter for the Providence Journal, city editor of the Carlisle (PA) Sentinel, Sunday editor of the Cape Cod Times, and (most recently) executive editor of the four weeklies on Cape Cod of the Community Newspaper Co. He holds a bachelor's degree from Marietta College and a master's degree in journalism from Penn State University. He is an adjunct instructor in the Suffolk University 2+2 program on Cape Cod that leads to a bachelor's degree in communication and journalism. His work has appeared in various newspapers, including The Christian Science Monitor. Jim will be available all week for personal conferences and manuscript evaluations.