Description
Book SynopsisIn this engaging creative writing workbook, novelist and poet Linda Lappin presents a series of insightful exercises to help writers of all genres--literary travel writing, memoir, poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction--discover imagery and inspiration in the places they love. Lappin departs from the classical concept of the Genius Loci, the indwelling spirit residing in every landscape, house, city, or forest--to argue that by entering into contact with the unique energy and identity of a place, writers can access an inexhaustible source of creative power. The Soul of Place provides instruction on how to evoke that power. The writing exercises are drawn from many fields--architecture, painting, cuisine, literature and literary criticism, geography and deep maps, Jungian psychology, fairy tales, mythology, theater and performance art, metaphysics--all of which offer surprising perspectives on our writing and may help us uncover raw materials for fiction, essays, and poetry hidden in our environment. An essential resource book for the writer's library, this book is ideal for creative writing courses, with stimulating exercises adaptable to all genres. For writers or travelers about to set out on a trip abroad, The Soul of Place is the perfect road trip companion, attuning our senses to a deeper awareness of place.
Trade Review2015 Gold Medal NAUTILUS Book Award Winner in the category of Creative Process! "Invaluable advice for the writer and traveler, deeply thoughtful." --Lavinia Spalding, author of Writing Away, editor of The Best Women's Travel Writing "Insightful exercises help creative writers of all levels attune themselves to the power of place in order to churn out evocative prose that jumps off the page." --The Intelligent Traveler, National Geographic Traveler "An inspiring buy for writers, lovely...explorative," --Book Riot "A workbook for all creatives." --Wewanted2bwriters.com "A conscious way to explore the power of place." --Lipstick and Wanderlust "The proven exercises that billow from this remarkable craft book reveal the mystery of how place affects human souls, and help writers to find the meaning and stories that emanate from any given spot on earth." --Serving House Journal
Table of ContentsFOREWORD INTRODUCTION GENIUS LOCI, OR THE SOUL OF PLACE PART ONE: READING THE LANDSCAPE PART TWO: THE SOUL OF PLACES SACRED AND PROFANE: PILGRIMS & FLANEURS PART THREE: SOUL OF PLACE AND THE HOUSE OF THE SELF PART FOUR: EATING THE SOUL OF PLACE: FOOD WRITING, SYNESTHESIA PART FIVE: SUBMERGED TERRITORIES: WRITING AND THE UNCONSCIOUS AFTERWORD
