tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post6750871887640201335..comments2024-03-27T02:13:13.079-04:00Comments on Original Content: Where Are We, Anyway?Gail Gauthierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01673131515563387968noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-73022521143765757022008-09-25T23:45:00.000-04:002008-09-25T23:45:00.000-04:00Hey GailI love books with a sense of place. I was ...Hey Gail<BR/><BR/>I love books with a sense of place. I was introduced to the concept by a keynote speech from Gary Soto, who famously sets many of his books in Fresno and uses so much detail that there have been Gary Soto location maps published for tourists.<BR/><BR/>New York City is a favorite of many writers, but you can always tell the natives by what they talk about--not the capitalized buildings and streets but the cool little things that only somebody who lived and loved it.<BR/><BR/>My favorite city is Tucson, Arizona, and thus one of my favorite books is the Arizona Kid by Ron Koertge. Unfortunately, I've never found another.<BR/><BR/>Have you ever read a book with a made-up setting (not just Nowheresville, Iowa, but a fantasy world) that also managed to have that sense of place? I wonder how it would be managed?<BR/><BR/>MaureenBibliovorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642058689885973447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-55560853892030234152008-09-21T17:55:00.000-04:002008-09-21T17:55:00.000-04:00Oh, Tony, I'm always happy to go wandering through...Oh, Tony, I'm always happy to go wandering through the Internet looking for whatever I can find. Otherwise, I'd just be working.<BR/><BR/>I think that most books disappear from the public consciousness incredibly quickly. So whenever something catches my eye and interest I try to mention it here. If I have a chance to bring it up a second time, I'll often do that, too. It's my little literary mission.<BR/><BR/>Jeannine--So they could accept talking animals but not a barn? That is interesting.Gail Gauthierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01673131515563387968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-33700932210081721792008-09-20T10:00:00.000-04:002008-09-20T10:00:00.000-04:00Ah, sense of place. We just read Charlotte's Web i...Ah, sense of place. We just read Charlotte's Web in the children's literature course I teach. What a setting. But I was a bit taken aback when a student called it historical; most seemed to think it impossible that such a barn might still exist, and I don't mean one with talking animals. Going, going, but I hope not completely gone. --Jeannine AtkinsJeannine Atkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10136763515106821320noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3377586.post-86073327420223452982008-09-19T16:41:00.000-04:002008-09-19T16:41:00.000-04:00Hi, Gail. I want to thank you for your keen review...Hi, Gail. I want to thank you for your keen review of The Postcard recently and for mentioning it again here; your critique, about its being too full, is very likely right on. It was a kitchen-sink novel for me and I found myself putting in just about everything I wanted to read about. Not that I regret writing it that way. I fancy some readers just might go for the plumpness. Anyway, thanks. I mention your comment on my blog (tonyabbottbooks.com/blog), which you don't have to search unless you have far too much time on your hands. <BR/>Best, <BR/>TonyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com