The importance of place

I just received feedback on one of my novel pitches that said (among other things) that he wanted a greater sense of the setting.  Ah yes, that old nemesis, setting.  It’s not really news that it’s important, and I sit here pondering the last several books I read, I can instantly recall aspects of time and place.  In fact, I think one of the reasons I loved Eleanor and Park is because it was situated in such a perfect way to make me feel like I had gone home.  Of course, place can be more than a town or a place, but it should lead to a state of mind.

I’m not writing this blog just to lament my writing weakness.  I find myself contemplating the importance of place in general, and I wonder if we’re discounting it a bit too much as a society.  In Popular Culture in the Media, we talk about “mass culture” and potential homogenization.  Simply put, between mass marketing/media and national chain stores and restaurants, there’s far less local culture than may have historically existed.  This probably truest in suburban America where no matter what the title of the city is, you can find the same Targets, Kohls, Olive Gardens, McDonalds, and Starbucks.  The uniformity and sameness is comforting in a way.  It saves time. Need  Tylenol?  Back left corner of Walgreens. 

A couple of weeks ago, I sent my Interpersonal Communication students off to take a personality test.  I was bored waiting for them, so I pulled up a Myers Briggs test and clicked away.  I’ve taken this test many times over the years.  It used to be that after a brief pause, the letters, ENTJ would flash across the screen.  Go ahead and look it up.  Suffice to say, they are leaders who like to be in charge.  They also use logic and reason to make decisions.  Several years ago, I took it again and to my surprise, I ended up an INTJ.  I couldn’t quite wrap my head around that one.  How could that happen?  Then, last week, a new set of letters:  ENFP.  Whoa.  Now, that’s a change. 

I loved this description of the ENFP: "They live in the world of possibilities, and can become very passionate and excited about things ...They can talk their way in or out of anything. They love life, seeing it as a special gift, and strive to make the most out of it."