The Soul of Place: A Creative Writing Workbook: Ideas and Exercises for Conjuring the Genius Loci

"In this extraordinary creative writing textbook, novelist and poet Linda Lappin presents a unique series of exercises to help writers of all genres - poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, memoir, and literary travel writing - discover inspiration in the soul of places they love. By entering into contact with the soul of a place, writers may access an inexhaustible source of creative power. The exercises in this book are drawn from varied fields: architecture, portraiture, cuisine, wine tasting, literature, literary criticism, geography, Jungian psychology, fairy tales, mythology, botany, anthropology, theater, comparative religion, occult philosophy, metaphysics. Originally developed for seminars Lappin teaches for adults, these exercises have also been adapted to younger writers in undergraduate writing programs. In simple language, she has adopted concepts from the Romantic poets, French Symbolists, and English modernists to help all writers enrich their understanding of place. This ideal textbook for creative nonfiction courses, and general writing courses, has specific exercises for poets and fiction writers. It is also a sumptuous resource book for writing centers. For writers or writing students about to set out on a trip abroad, The Soul of Place is an inspiring traveling companion. "--