Of Routes and Roots: Essays on Place and Community

Abstract

How can we cultivate an appreciation for the places we visit and in which we reside? The essayist draws on her own travels, as well as the wisdom of other writers, as a means of exploring the issue of place and its effect on the human experience. This collection of essays is an invitation to the reader to reflect on the importance of place, as well as an exploration of the places that have played an important role in the author's life. The reader will experience a literary adventure at an unusual guest house on the Oregon coast, witness a bout of writer's block in an Australian apartment on the beach, explore New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, embark on an airplane journey headed toward a Scottish parade in New York City, and come to appreciate the benefits of the subtle Kansas landscape.