An Author’s Muse
August 28th, 2006
Erin T.
The Economist this week had an interesting article about Minneapolis, MN, and the large amount of crime novels and literary gore that is inspired by and written in the Twin Cities. The article attributed this inspiration to the long winters, erratic seasons, and the high rate of unresolved gang violence. It got me thinking about literature in general, and how different cities and communities play the part of a muse for authors.
At the beginning of the last century, Sherwood Anderson used a small town near where I grew up to bring the world Winesburg, Ohio. According to local legend, the villagers that he wrote about weren’t very happy about his work, since it often showed them in negative light or indulged secrets of their personal lives.
Washington, DC, has many great political, action and thriller novels taking place within the beltway. The fast-pace of political maneuvering and the prevalence of famous, historic, and monumental locations makes it a perfect venue.
What great books take place in your area, are based from events in your community, or just make you think of home? What type of muse is your city for literature?
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3 Responses to “An Author’s Muse”
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Bonnie Says:
August 30th, 2006 at 8:50 am
Well I don’t know any books written about Spokane even though I’m sure there are tons ;) I did however recently read an article at historylink.org about a woman who traveled by train from Spokane Washington to Athena Oregon in 1900. She wrote letters to her family detailing all the interesting facts about her trip and the beauty of (my favorite) the Pacific Northwest.
Stephanie R. Says:
August 30th, 2006 at 11:56 am
There are of course oodles of books about Chicago, but my pick for Chi-town lit is “The Devil in the White City”. It’s simultaneously about the Columbian Exposition of 1893, and about a virtually unknown serial killer preying on visitors to the Fair. I learned more about my hometown from that book than any tour I’ve ever taken!
Nicole T. Says:
August 31st, 2006 at 2:49 pm
I’ve always enjoyed the Patricia Cornwell mysteries about Kay Scarpetta, the Chief Medical Examiner in Richmond, VA. Most of the stories take place in Richmond but they also travel around Virginia and often come up to Quantico, VA and Washington, DC. In recent novels, Kay has moved down to Florida. Although it’s not as fun as reading about places you know, I’m still a huge fan!