The front cover of Legacy includes the slogan, “The magazine of the National Association for Interpretation.” It’s sometimes too easy for me, sitting at my desk at our national headquarters in Colorado, to lose myself in the everyday details of deadlines, page layout, and editorial responsibilities. Several times a year, though, when I attend NAI workshops or conferences, I am reminded that this magazine is a reflection of a larger community.
Sure, as a member of NAI’s staff, I spend most of my time at these events performing the mundane tasks associated with running a workshop or conference—hauling boxes, pushing carts, setting up audiovisual equipment, fielding questions, etc. But I get a charge out of attending these events because my days are punctuated by short conversations with NAI members. Sometimes someone I have never met has an idea for a Legacy article and wants to run it by me. Sometimes someone I have known for years wants to talk about what the Phillies should do with the back end of their bullpen. Regardless of the topic, these conversations remind me that the magazine I help put together represents the collective knowledge and experiences of this diverse NAI community.
At the most recent such event, the 2009 NAI National Workshop in Hartford, Connecticut, I had the privelege of announcing the recipients of NAI’s 2008 magazine awards, as determined by volunteer judges from within the NAI community:
- Outstanding Cover Photo: Kelly Farrell, “How and Why a Regular Person Like Me Attended NAI’s First International Conference,” The Interpreter, Jan./Feb. 2008
- Outstanding Feature, Legacy: John C.F. Luzader, “What Conflicts We Orators Have,” May/June 2008
- Outstanding Feature, The Interpreter: Doug Capra, “Seven More Words Interpreters Should Know,” Sep./Oct. 2008
- Outstanding Column, The Interpreter: Kirk Carter Mona, “A Lifetime of Memories,” Nov./Dec. 2008
This issue of Legacy addresses community-based interpretation. As I have come to expect with each issue, members of NAI’s community found thought-provoking and diverse ways to address the topic. I hope you will consider checking out upcoming themes (online at www.interpnet.com, under “Publications”) and contributing your own knowledge and experiences to this community.
