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

"This is such a pleasure to read. Unlike most books with
writing prompts, this one goes in depth with sensitizing you to ground
yourself in awareness of where you are and why. Grazie, Linda, for this marvelous work."--Frances Mayes, author of Under the Tuscan Sun
In
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.