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.
