James Kevlin
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here for Jim's Biography and Interview and Chat!
¨ How long have you
been working in the newspaper business?
¨ What did you study
to do in college?
¨ What is the hardest
part of your work?
¨ How did you learn
to type? Do you use proper fingers?
¨ Do you write the
newspaper or what do you do?
¨ Is your newspaper
famous?
¨ What is "last
refuge of the generalist"?
¨ Who is Mrs.
Curbera?
¨ What was your
favorite toy and book when you were a child?
¨ How often do you write?
¨ How old are your two sons?
¨ Have you ever been on a sailing ship like
the American Pride?
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QUESTION:
How long have you been working in the newspaper business?
ANSWER
from James Kevlin on 31 May 2002:
29 years -- since October 1973.
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QUESTION:
What did you study to do in college?
ANSWER
from James Kevlin on 31 May 2002:
I majored in English, but took numerous courses in
history, economics, political science, philosophy.
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QUESTION:
What is the hardest part of your work?
ANSWER
from James Kevlin on 31 May 2002:
There's a lot to do, every day, under deadline pressure
-- but that's the fun of the job as well. You need
a thick skin, since you make mistakes before an audience
of tens of thousands of people -- but you develop that.
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QUESTION:
How did you learn to type? Do you use proper
fingers?
ANSWER
from James Kevlin on 31 May 2002:
Many old-time newspaper people hunt and peck with two
fingers. I took typing in high school, so I use all
fingers.
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QUESTION:
Do you write the newspaper or what do you do?
ANSWER
from James Kevlin on 31 May 2002:
I write two editorials a week, a weekly column, a monthly
E-Letter and occasional stories if a topic interests me.
I review/edit other peoples' stories, handle hiring,
supervision, decide what we're going to cover and how,
deploy staff of 35 +/- (with help of managing editor,
news editor, sports editor, photo editor, feature editor).
Sometimes I feel like I'm the complaint department:
If someone is unhappy with something, they call the
editor.
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QUESTION:
Is your newspaper famous?
ANSWER
from James Kevlin on 31 May 2002:
The Pottsville REPUBLICAN won the Pulitzer prize in 1979,
and also pioneered print/New Media combinations, so we're
well known in the newspaper business. And, of
course, we're "famous" in Schuylkill County, Pa.
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QUESTION:
What is "last refuge of the generalist"?
What did you mean?
ANSWER
from James Kevlin on 31 May 2002:
Whereas we live in an era of specialization, in newspaper
work it's beneficial to know as much as you can on as
many subjects as you can. And, whatever your
interest -- the arts, math, science, history, baseball-card
collecting, you name it -- you'll find an outlet -- an
opportunity to write about it -- in newspaper work.
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QUESTION:
Who is Mrs. Curbera?
ANSWER
from James Kevlin on 31 May 2002:
A favorite teacher of mine at the American School of
Madrid who was always thinking of ways to expand her
students' horizons. In the '60s, for instance, she
initiated a class in the African-American in American
literature, which was pretty forward-looking at the time,
including books that would have been considered fairly
controversial back then -- "The Confessions of Nat
Turner" among them.
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QUESTION:
What was your favorite toy and book when you were a
child?
ANSWER
from James Kevlin on 31 May 2002:
Wow, that's going back. Chemistry sets were fun,
full of all sorts of stuff that are probably banned
today; for instance, I remember experimenting with
mercury. I liked the freedom a bike provided.
Also, I collected butterflies, which no one seems to do
these days.
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QUESTION:
How often do you write?
ANSWER
from James Kevlin on 31 May 2002:
Just about every day.
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QUESTION:
How old are your two sons?
ANSWER
from James Kevlin on 31 May 2002:
My older son, John, is 22 and graduated two weeks ago
from Ithaca College. He majored in computer
science, but became interested in politics and right now
is looking to working on a campaign.
My younger boy, Joe, is 8,
and just finishing third-grade at John S. Clarke
Elementary Center in Pottsville. He's a good
student, plays soccer, baseball, basketball and roller
hockey (and is about to take up golf). He is also
an avid scout, a Webelo.
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QUESTION:
Have you ever been on a sailing ship like the American
Pride?
ANSWER
from James Kevlin on 31 May 2002:
In a cruise ship, yes, but never one like the American
Pride: It looks very neat.
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