While checking emails at the start of the day this morning, I read my SPJ daily update and saw the obituary of Rene J. Cappon. Newsvine.com has a wonderful obituary for him calling him the word master behind some of the best writers at AP. He died Sunday at the age of 83.

I'm really saddened by this. Not only is his book "The Word" still on my book shelf to the right of my computer, but he was a visiting lecturer during my days in J-school at Baylor University back in the late 1980s. He provided captivating instruction and gave you that real world experience that many university lecturers sorely lack, having only intellectual experience from books.

According to Newsvine.com:
The Viennese-born Cappon, known to colleagues as Jack, died Sunday in a nursing home in Port Washington, N.Y., said his wife, Susan. He died of what was believed to be natural causes.
Over a half-century at the AP, Cappon held a variety of jobs: editor and reporter in Baltimore and Kansas City, Mo.; editor of AP NewsFeatures; writing coach; and general news editor when that was the top editorial position for the news cooperative. He retired in 2002. At AP NewsFeatures, he presided over a group of writers that came to be known as the Poets' Corner, including Pulitzer Prize winners Saul Pett and Hal Boyle, and Jules Loh, Sid Moody, Hugh Mulligan and others.

Editorial Winners Tell All!

You're invited to participate in a FREE webinar featuring on editorial directors give the low-down on why you should enter—and how to prepare for—the 2008 Azbee Awards of Excellence.

Want to know what it takes to nab an "Azbee" award in 2008 and what the honor can mean for your publication—and for your career? Join the American Society of Business Publication Editors during a webinar on Friday, December 14th, to get the inside scoop from top editors at Hanley Wood and IDG, which garnered numerous editorial and design awards in 2007.

What You'll Learn…
• How and why the editors chose the articles they entered;
• What the awards have meant to the winners' careers and to their publications;
• How to build award potential into the articles you write and edit; and
• How to apply the standards of editorial competitions to your day-to-day work.

Meeting Details
When: Friday, December 14th, from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST.
Where: Your computer. A web conference dial-in number and access code is required, and will be provided to registrants in a subsequent e-mail.
How to attend: To reserve your place, RSVP online at www.asbpe.org or email b2beditor@gmail.com and request a reservation form. Questions may be directed to Steve Roll at 703-341-5926.
Charge: This promotional webinar is free for all ASBPE members and non-members.

About the Presenters
BOYCE THOMPSON is the editorial director of the Builder, Multifamily, and Technology groups of magazines published by Hanley Wood, LLC. He also directs the company's editorial council. In addition to Builder, Thompson serves as editorial director of Big Builder, Multifamily Executive, Digital Home, ProAV, Developer, Affordable Housing Finance and Apartment Finance Today magazines. He manages an editorial franchise that includes 10 conferences, house plan sales, eight websites, and two show homes. Thompson has 27 years of experience writing and editing articles about home building, architecture, and retailing. He is the founding editor of several Hanley Wood titles, including Prosales, Residential Architect, Big Builder, Digital Home, and Developer. He also assisted in the creation of several other company titles, including Building Products, Custom Home, Kitchen & Bath, and Builder's Best Home Designs, serving as both an editor and a writer.
DON TENNANT is vice president and editorial director of Computerworld and InfoWorld. In this capacity, Don is responsible for the editorial operations of the two IDG media outlets. Since joining Computerworld in 2000, Don has held several positions, including editor-in-chief. He previously spent eight years as editor-in-chief of the Hong Kong edition of Computerworld. Don was presented with the 2007 Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity by American Business Media, and he is a recipient of the prestigious Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for editorial excellence in news coverage. His weekly editorial column won national gold awards from the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) in 2006 and 2007, and a national gold award from Trade, Association and Business Publications International (TABPI) in 2006. Under his leadership, Computerworld has won dozens of editorial awards, including ASBPE's Magazine of the Year Award in 2004 and 2006.

ASBPE is exclusively an association of professional editors and writers who work for business magazines and their associated Web sites. The society's central focus is helping members develop their editorial and management skills with a view to enhancing their performance and preparing them to play larger roles in their publishing organizations. The society makes editors aware of trends in advertising sales, circulation, marketing, production and the business of publishing. To that end, ASBPE hosts a National Editorial Conference, where editors can learn how to deal with management, technical, and financial issues impacting their publications. ASBPE also organizes an annual, day-long winter workshop; an annual Awards of Excellence competition; as well as a Lifetime Achievement Award and Young Leaders Scholarship. ASBPE additionally avails members of a salary and workplace attitudes survey, an on-line discussion forum, bimonthly newsletter, an online members directory and discounts on local chapter events. For more info, visit www.asbpe.org.