About this site
Think of it as a mini-Google for book reviews, and news about authors, publishing, writing and the book world in general.
And then think of journalism.
Then you've got BooksPROF.
This site attempts to put together in one place all the best and latest information on the web about the world of books. We try to cut through some of the chaff and get to the real wheat -- the stuff you're really interested in.
In addition BooksPROF gives you some articles and commentary about the writing life that will interest and entertain. This site is produced in conjunction with the Writing Wright web log.
Many of the dynamic parts of BooksPROF are powered by Publish2, a forward-looking concept that seeks to harness the power of the web for the sake of providing the best information available to users. More about all of this can be found at this spot on Publish2.
BooksPROF is part of a network of sites that include
Find out how to advertise on BooksPROF by going to our advertising page.
The creator and chief functionary of BeePROF is Jim Stovall.
So, welcome to BooksPROF. We hope you find this site useful.
Jim Stovall
Jim Stovall writes, draws and paints, grows vegetables and keeps bees on his farm in Blount County, Tennessee. His beekeeping and gardening web log is Honey Dot Comb.
Stovall's day job is being a professor of journalism at the University of Tennessee. He is the author of the basic writing text, Writing for the Mass Media, which is now in its seventh edition.
In addition to Writing for the Mass Media, Stovall is the author of the following texts:
- Journalism: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How (Allyn and Bacon, 2005)
- Web Journalism: Practice and Promise of a New Medium (Allyn and Bacon, 2004)
- The Complete Editor (with Ed Mullins) (Allyn and Bacon, 2006)
- Infographics: A Journalist's Guide (Allyn and Bacon, 1997)
Stovall has also authored the following books:
- The Writing Wright - notes, essays, quotations and snippits about writing, journalism and the writing life; available from Amazon or as an e-book from Booklocker.com.
More
- Kill the Quarterback -
a mystery novel. The murder of a star collegiate quarterback becomes more than just another murder story to Nashville police reporter Mitch Sawyer. Published by Bushido Press.
More
Stovall operates the following web sites and blogs:
- JPROF.com - All things journalism; devoted to the teaching of journalism.
- Writing Wright - A blog about writing, journalism, writers and the writing life.
- Honey Dot Comb - Gardening, beekeeping, baseball, writing and anything else that comes to mind.
- First Inning Artworks - A gallery of watercolors and pen and ink drawings.
Before coming to Knoxville, he was a visiting professor of mass communication at Emory and Henry College in Emory, Va., from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that he was a journalism professor at the University of Alabama for 25 years. He is also a co-director of Southern Opinion Research, a private survey public opinion firm specializing in political and media research.
Stovall began teaching at the University of Alabama since 1978. During that time he has also served as director of the Communication Research and Service Center, co-director of the Capstone Poll, and assistant dean in the College of Communication.
His teaching specialties are writing, editing, visual journalism, teaching high school journalism and public opinion research.
Stovall spent the summer of 1998 working in the news graphics department of the Chicago Tribune. Most of his time was spent as a graphics coordinator. As such, he researched and designed graphics to support news stories for the paper. He was at the Tribune as part of a fellowship he received from the American Society of Newspaper Editors. He returned to the Tribune to work in the same capacity in the summer of 1999.
As a survey researcher, Stovall has conducted more than 200 public opinion surveys on a wide variety of topics. As co-director of Southern Opinion Research, he has worked with clients such as the Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Alabama Press Association, WBRC-Channel 6 in Birmingham, and a variety of newspapers and news organizations.
He is a native of Nashville, Tennessee and received his bachelor of science degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee in 1970. He received his master's degree in political science from American University in 1973 and earned his doctorate in mass communication from the University of Tennessee in 1978.
From 1970 to 1974, he served on active duty in the United States Navy. During much of that time he was a staff writer for All Hands magazine.
His reporting and editing experience includes stints with the Bristol (Tenn.-Va.) Herald Courier, the Knoxville News-Sentinel, the Birmingham News and the Tuscaloosa News.
Stovall is married to Sally McMillan of Maryville, Tennessee, and they have one son, Jefferson, who was born in 1980.
