Toward a Working Theory of Place

This term, in so far as it refers to art (here specifically literature) perhaps needs some definition. For clarity's sake then, When I say place, I mean a location constructed from a geographic arrangement informed by the accumulated, shared knowledge of its inhabitants. This seems to me to be the fundamental make up of the City or Town, and of course the natural heterogeneity of most places these days means that multiple groups reside in a single place and that over time each develops their own unique relationship to such a place.

So when I say Literature of Place, I mean writing that engages a location as an entity. The point being not simply the construction of a backdrop or setting to a series of actions taking place. Place is the essential fact that each I/eye is constantly constructing, reevaluating, transferring, and negating within the geographic boundaries of here.

I think a definition is necessary, because (aside from the fact that I want to make myself clear) we have reached a point where there is now enough of a tradition of writing about place to do so. If we can define something we can begin to work toward the construction of a history of said tradition. This is more or less the purpose of this blog.