"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. "-- Provided by publisher.

"This extraordinary creative writing textbook teaches writers to discover stories, imagery, and inspiration in the soul of places they love and access an inexhaustible source of creative power. Exercises drawn from varied fields--literature, geography, mythology, metaphysics--show how to evoke that power through vivid writing and enrich writers' understanding of place"-- Provided by publisher.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 230-235).

Machine generated contents note: FOREWORD -- 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.