What is “Place”?

“There is no place like home”- From The Wizard of Oz 

What is place? How can one fully understand place?

Place can be both a noun and a verb. The noun form of place is a point of location. The verb form of place is to find a home for something. According to Thesaurus.com, the synonym for place is “location with purpose, function”. Words like area, point, position, home, zone, and section are all synonyms for the word place. Matt Rosenberg, a geography expert, describes place as part of the five themes of geography. He says “Place describes the human and physical characteristics of a location.”

In the beginning of the semester I was asked to read a post from Glass House Conversation that was written by a student named Anna Yuwen. In her post she wrote, “Place is determined by the mind, as it is constantly alive and changing. Any location, real or not, is considered a place as long as it has been touched by emotional value. However place must be confined within set boundaries, for an undefined area would cease to contain the emotion that created it.” After I read this it sparked something in me; that a “place” cannot be a “place” without feeling emotion there. Emotions are instinctive feelings distinguished from knowledge, and knowledge is awareness gained by experience of a situation. Therefore, for a place to be a place it needs to have emotion and knowledge that can be found while being there. But how does one gather emotion and knowledge? Through my studies in the sciences I have leaned the answer to this question: we use our senses of sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell.

Collectively, from all the definitions of place I have researched, I have created my own working definition.

Place: A specific location that can be understood.

“Courtney In Place was Here”

Courtney In Place gives blog readers a space to read about how to understand “place”. From multiple outside influential voices as well as my own voice, the definition of place is discovered. The blog entered in as new and fresh with the first major post titled “Somewhere New”. The blog exited with experience and knowledge of how to understand and really know a place with the last major project titled “An Attempt At Exhausting Place”.

What This Blog Offers:

Courtney In Place offers this post about what this blog offers

Courtney In Place offers a reflection on the class “Writing About Place”

Courtney In Place offers a personal theory of Writing About Place

Courtney In Place offers a working definition of “place”

Courtney In Place offers a music selection that reflects the blogs purpose

Courtney In Place offers a “Where I Go” project

Courtney In Place offers a “Somewhere New” project

Courtney In Place offers an “Attempt At Exhausting Place” project

Courtney In Place offers a “Where I’m From” Post

Courtney In Place offers a return to an original destination

Courtney In Place offers a video clip that reflects the purpose of the blog

Courtney In Place offers my opinions on Perec’s writings

Courtney In Place offers a reading list for writers interested in learning about how to Write About Place

Courtney In Place offers photographs taken by me and descriptions of the written by me

Courtney In Place offers a post about what was seen today

This blog offers “Place”. “What’s really going on, what we’re experiencing, the rest, all the rest, where is it? How should we take account of, question, describe what happens everyday and recurs everyday.” George Perec.

Reading List For “Writing About Place”

How to write about place:

• “On Possessing Beauty” by Alain de Botton
• “What is Creative Nonfiction?” by Lee Gutkind
• The Glass House Conversations
• “The Sense of Place”
• “Approaches to What?” excerpt from Species of Spaces and Other Pieces by Georges Perec

Examples of authors writing about place:

• “Breakfast on the Beach with Dad” by Kelsey Hess
• “Where I’m From” by George Ella Lyon
• “Where I’m From” by Aisha Harris
• Chapman’s Panther samples: Escaping Chaptown
• “An Attempt At Exhausting A Place In Paris” by Georges Perec

The titles listed under how to write about place provide links to explore the many different ways of how to write about place. A few examples taken from the titles are:

• In Alain’s piece of “On Possessing Beauty”, he explains that to understand a place completely, therefore, to be able to write about it accurately, you must draw it. “Drawing brutally shows up our previous blindness to the true appearance of thing”.
• In Lee’s piece of “What is Creative Nonfiction”, she states “creative nonfiction has become the most popular genre in the literary and publishing communities.” Her piece is about how to write in the creative nonfiction category.

The titles listed under examples of authors writing about place is just that. It is a list of authors who have all written about place, using a wide range of different formats.

• “Breakfast on the Beach with Dad” is an essay
• “An Attempt At Exhausting A Place In Paris” is a list
• “Where I am From” is a poem

Both of these categories combined provide a highlight to my definition of place by explaining how to understand it and different ways it can be written.

Place: A specific location that can be understood.

My Personal Theory of Writing About Place

How does one begin to write about place? It seems impossible to be able to describe everything important about place one blog post at a time, but I have learned that it is not.

This class uses the form of writing in “creative nonfiction”. I was unsure what this meant at first but through doing some research I found a way to connect to this idea by a passion of mine, dance. “Creative nonfiction is like jazz—it’s a rich mix of flavors, ideas, and techniques, some of which are newly invented and others as old as writing itself. Creative nonfiction can be an essay, a journal article, a research paper, a memoir, or a poem; it can be personal or not, or it can be all of these” (Lee Gutkind).

These are a few theories I have developed over the course of discovering Writing bout Place.

You must first pick a place. This can be the hardest part for some people. There are so many options to choose from, it seems almost impossible to pick just one place at a time. You can pick any type of place from you own bedroom to the waiting room of a hospital as Patrick Reynolds did in his piece titled ” HIV-Positive and in the Waiting Room Where You Don’t Want Anybody to Know Your Name”. My theory is to pick a place you love or are curious about, it makes writing about it and exploring it enjoyable. Just as Charles Bukowski from “So you want to be a Writer?” says, “if it doesn’t come bursting out of you in spite of everything, don’t do it. Unless it comes unasked out of your heart and your mind and your mouth and your gut, don’t do it.” There is no right or wrong place to choose,  it is whatever “comes bursting out of you”.

The structure and voice must be relevant to the intended audience. After the place is selected, the audience must be considered to begin writing. Knowing the audience you want to target is crucial in how to structure the piece and what voice to use. If the target audience is a group of college students, an informal, relaxed writing style, with maybe some humor mixed in, would be a smart way to engage the readers. If there is a specific audience in mind, like tree lovers, you can write in a way that only tree loves would enjoy reading, for example in Scott Russel Sanders “Mind in the Forest”. Understanding, and having a strong grasp of the intended audience will make for an easy, or easier, writing process.

There is no one correct way to format a piece of writing. Before this writing class I was under the impression that there was a right and wrong format to right in. Through my journey in Writing About Place I have realized that this is not the case. The different formats of writing in are endless and none of them are right and none of them are wrong! You can write in the form of a poem as George Ella Lyon did in “Where I’m From”, in the form of a formal essay, or even just with a list of observations as Georges Perec did in “An Attempt At Exhausting A Place In Paris”.

It takes take time. I have learned that good, useful writing does not magically appear in the first draft (if it does for you then I am envious). As Ernest Hemingway says, “I write one page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shit…I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.” Before this class I use to dread the drafting process, now I appreciate. Drafting is an useful tool to use to eliminate the unimportant and focus of the intended point of discussion. It can be tedious at times but the end result will be something you can be proud of because of the time and thought put into it.

This class has offered me an opportunity to discover and create my own theories of how to write about place. I hope to keep learning more skills to further my writing techniques and theories.

Creative Thinking

As a student in a writing class, using creative thinking has been one of the most important tools necessary to complete each assigned project.

“we need to be open minded”

“when you think creatively, there is no single correct answer”

I chose this video because it teaches how to get out of the box and think creatively. Creative thinking is key in good writing because it’s how all posts begin, an idea.

 

Where I’m From

I am from hot summers and mild winters in Arizona

I am from a sheltered/adventurous life

I am from an ASD open heart surgery

I am from close family and friends

I am from travel and experiences

I am from dance and some sport

I am from hard work

I am from love

I chose the form of a small simple poem because it is clear and to the point. I also wanted to make it visually appealing to the eye so I arranged the sentences from longest to shortest. I ended my poem with love because I believe that it is the the most important “place I come from”.

Courtney the Photographer

In my opinion, a photograph can say more then an entire essay of words. As Alain de Botton says in his writing titled “On Possessing Beauty”, “Taking photographs can assuage the itch for possession sparked by the beauty of a place, our anxiety over loosing a precious scene can decline with every click of the shutter”. A photograph allows an eternal connection to a place you find beauty in.

I chose to take photographs of three places I love and find beautiful. These three photographs themselves provide the viewer with background on my personal life without any written explanation. However, sometimes it is useful to provide written  words to connect the images to a specific story the photographer/writer wants to tell. Written word takes away some of the imagination behind a photograph but it in turn provides a clear understanding of the intent.

Photographed by Courtney Cox

I am currently a student at Chapman University. My major is Kinesiology and my minor is dance. This blog was created from the requirements of a writing class I am taking this semester called Writing About Place. I consider myself an extremely hard worker. I dedicated most of my time to school and doing my best in all of my classes. I spend many hours a week studying and completing assignments. This semester I have been good at scheduling specific times every day to complete my school work. For example, every Tuesday and Thursday, after my morning class around noon, I go to a little cafe called Cafe Lucca to do my work. This not only shows that I am a dedicated student, but it also shows that I find enjoyment in spending time at Cafe Lucca. Cafe Lucca has become a second home for me. I come in, spread out all my work on the table, they waiters know my coffee order and bring it to me within my requested five minutes of arrival time, and I work on crossing off my list of things to work on. Confession, I have an obsession with coffee. I find a great amount of enjoyment and comfort in sipping a warm vanilla latte while doing my school work.

Photographed by Courtney Cox

I grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. I love Arizona and plan to move back there when I have a family of my own. However, California has been my second home for as long as I can remember. My family has a vacation home in Coronado that we spend a lot of time at and live in every summer. Our Coronado home is right on the beach. The beach has always been a sign of no school and lots of relaxation time. I find peace at any beach I go to. I love laying on the warm sand during the day and watching the beautiful sunset go down behind the waves at night.

Photographed by Brad Cox

One of my hobbies is working out. I love it and love how it makes me feel. I enjoy finding new ways to get my workout in for the day. Hiking has been one of my favorites. My dad and I go on hikes back at home in Arizona all the time because we live right at the bottom of a mountain. This summer I found an amazing hike in California. I forget the name of it but the mountain overlooked the ocean and it was absolutely breathtaking. I am used to hiking in the desert so hiking right above the beach, overlooking the endless ocean, was incredible. Not only do I enjoy working out but I love the clothes I get to wear while working out. I worked for Lulu Lemon this summer and to say the least, I am obsessed with the brand. I am wearing all Lulu Lemon in the photograph above.

“Where I Go”

A Home Away From Home

Courtney Cox Photography

Have you ever felt homesick? My home is my favorite place to be, but I do not live at home anymore. A home is where families share stories, laugh, cry, have deep conversations, and relax. My home is my safe place, the place I get my to-do list done, the place I feel most comfortable. Before I left for college last year in 2013, one memory of home I vividly have is coming back home from a long day of school every week day. My mom would bring me a snack as I spread all of my homework out on the kitchen table. The kitchen table is where I would get all of my work done and I wouldn’t leave until I finished all my work and my snack. It was were I felt accomplishment every day after school and love from my moms homemade snack. I am extremely close to my family, they are my best friends.

When I left for college it was hard in the beginning. I was homesick often and felt parts of my life were missing. I was used to having a place to spread out, do my homework, and have a snack. It wasn’t until end of the first semester freshman year during finals week where I found my new place of accomplishment and warm family love (with a snack!). One day, towards the end of first semester freshman year, my close friend took me to a place I had never been to before to study for finals. This place is called Cafe Lucca. When I walked in I immediately felt a sense of family and home. The friendly waiter came up to us and took our coffee order. We both ordered a vanilla latte and that is what I have been ordering ever since! The coffee came out with a beautiful design of a flower in the foam and a complementary little macaroon on the side (that’s my favorite part, I like to dip it in the hot latte).

That first time at Cafe Lucca I ended up spending three hours there and I finished my ten page paper and completed all of my studying for the day. Accomplishment is one of my favorite feelings and I definitely felt accomplished after that first visit to Cafe Lucca. I didn’t want to ever leave Cafe Lucca. It was my new home, the place where I could come in, spread all my work out on the table, order a snack, and get work done! All the waiters at the cafe are so welcoming and feel like a second family. This year I have consistently come into Cafe Lucca every Tuesday/Thursday at the same time to get all my work done and have a snack.

Image a little hole in the wall, you can almost walk right past it without noticing it. There are some outside tables but most of the seating is inside. The door is a big glass door with wooden framing and has two windows, one on each side. When you walk in you see exactly what you would imagine a cute little Italian cafe would look like. There are a lot of tables both small, medium, and a big one in the back. They squeezed lots of seating into a small area but I think it adds to the homey feeling. When I walk in my eyes are immediately pulled towards the gelato serving bar. It is the brightest part in the whole cafe. All the flavors are presented beautifully and look delicious. The walls are painted with old Italian imagines in mind. The ceilings are gold and have square detailing. Some parts of the cafe remind me of an old catholic church. The servers always welcome you with smiling faces. They all seem to be Italian also!

When I walk in I am struck with the aroma of the coffee bean and the sweetness from the gelato. Whenever I drink coffee I am brought to my warm happy place where I feel most comfortable and at home. The welcoming smiles on the servers faces and the loud and quite conversations being had in the cafe make me feel right at home.

Its exact location is 106 North Glassell Street Orange, CA 92866. It is amongst many antique stores, boutiques, and restaurants in Old Town Orange. The cafe’s slogan is “Taste the Tradition”. Although the cafe has only been around for about seven years, the owner’s mission is to make their cafe feel like it has been around for ages. Cafe Lucca is a family ran cafe brought about from that family’s trip to Italy. They got their cafe’s inspiration from a gelato cafe the family went to in Italy. Originally, the family intended their cafe to only serve homemade gelato ice cream. But the rent for just that was too expensive and they had to then expand to coffee, then sandwiches, and now they have a full menu of coffee, breads, paninis, soups, salads, gelato, and fresh fruit.

Anyone looking for that missing feeling of home needs to come experience where I find much joy in experiencing every Tuesday/Thursday at Cafe Lucca.

About the Author: Courtney Cox is a student at Chapman University taking a writing course about “place”.

No Place I’d Rather Be

My music selection for this blog is “No Place I’d Rather Be” sung by the British group Clean Bandit.

I chose this song because this blog is about places I choose to be and would truly rather be at.

“there’s no place I’d rather be
N-n-n-no, no, no, no place I’d rather be”

Somewhere New to Escape

Escaping Chaptown (kind of): Orange Home Grown Farmers and Artisans Market

Calling all Chapman students. Looking for something fun to do on those Saturday mornings? Are you tired from that Friday night party and want to wake up and go do something with friends that does not require too much of an effort at all? I have the perfect solution for you. Go to the Orange Home Grown Farmers and Artisans Market! It is far enough away to feel like an escape, but close enough not to waste time getting there.

Courtney Cox Photography

Details on the Farmers Market:

It is located at the corner of Cypress St. and Palm Ave. (304 N. Cypress St.) right past the Dodge School. A market so close that can be walked to from campus in about 10 minutes! But if you are feeling lazy on your Saturday morning and decide to drive, park at the corner of West Sycamore and North Cypress (approx. 125 spaces) or along the North Cypress Street (approx. 45 spaces). The market is fairly new, arriving in Spring 2011, thanks to Chapman University who has allowed the market to be located at Chapman University’s Historic Villa Park Orchards Packinghouse lot.

What to do when you are there:

Start at the first vendor tent noticed and work your way around hitting all of them; even if you think you do not have an interest for one, you can still learn so much from each vendor. If you are like me, the first tent I saw was the one selling flowers. I learned that the sunflower is the most commonly sold flower in her tent (probably because it is a bit of a fad right now). The sunflowers were an eye catcher, it was almost impossible to pass by without noticing the four buckets filled with them. I did some further research on the sunflower after I left the market to find that the sunflower is a symbol of happiness. No wonder why it is so popular, who does not want to be happy! Each vendor that sells food has some sort of sample of what they are selling, this is my favorite part of the market. If you like to sample a little of everything this market is perfect for you. This is another reason why you do not want to skip any tent, you do not want to miss out on any free samples! If you get tired from walking around, you can go sit down and take a break at the tables and chairs provided in the center of the market. The Market has a live band playing every week. The band that was playing both times I went consisted of a group of young men who go by the name “The Greasy Spoons“. They were playing music I have never heard before. It was upbeat happy music but with a relaxed twist, a sound worth going to listen to. The Market not only provides free entertainment while you take your break, but they also have free coffee and ice cold water to enjoy.

Courtney Cox Photography

What to eat:

There is one food truck on site but besides that I would not come here too hungry unless you plan on buying food from the vendors. Besides for the free samples, you can buy the food the vendors are selling right from their tent. The market has food vendors of all sorts. Once you taste the fruit sold from this farmers market you will never want to eat fruit from “the caf” again, I can guarantee you that. Not only are there several fruit and vegetable tents selling things from every imaginable type of apple to wheat grass and carrots, there are tents of chips and dips, hummus and pitas, gluten free desserts, teas, juices, and so much more! The prices are good considering the fact that all the food is local and fresh. A couple examples of pricing are for only $3.00 you can buy a delicious handmade tamale, a pound of purple sweet potatoes (the worlds healthiest sweet potato), or a flavorful, refreshing, ice cold popsicle.

What to expect:

There are a good number of vendor tents from both farmers (anyone who grows and sells their produce such as herbs, vegetables, citrus, etc) and artisans (anyone selling fresh eggs, local honey, baked goods, flowers, etc). It is one of the smaller farmers markets that I have been to, but the quality here is greater than most. Every vendor here has a purpose and is passionate about what they are selling. You can feel the sincerity and care behind each product the farmers and artisans are selling. You can smell the freshness and sweetness of the fruits and vegetables right when you enter. Your ears will be filled with the “happy” music and your eyes will see the “happy” sunflowers. You will feel a sense of community as you see Chapman students and local Orange families all around. There is the perfect amount of people who attend. It is not an overly crowded Market so you do not have to worry about waiting in a line for anything. I learned the market is popular and successful because most of the customers are regulars. At the flower tent, the artisan was explaining to me that she has many regulars including a woman who comes every week to buy her mother’s favorite flowers to bring to her in her nursing home. I also spoke with a family that was sitting down enjoying the music and they informed me that they have made going to this farmers market a Saturday morning family tradition.

Courtney Cox Photography

So you quickly ask me, “I want to escape Chapman but I don’t want to actually have to go anywhere far. Where should I go?” I would say, “Orange Home Grown Farmers and Artisans Market!” Then you might ask, “Why should I go there?” and I would respond “It is something fun and different to do on Saturday mornings. You can meet new people, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, and listen to good music; why not go?!”