Thinking Places
by Carolyn and Jack Fleming 
Trafford Publishing

book review by Jenifer Kimble 

This book represents a collection of stories about 31 of the world's most prolific and respected writers and the thinking places they set up to foster their creativity. Profiling each one individually, the Fleming's have built a novel around three topics for each of their varied subject matter–the journey, which is how they physically ended up there and why; a vignette, which gives background on the author; and something they call lagniappe, a French-Cajun expression for a little something extra or a supplementary gift. They explore all types of authors, some more recent than others, from Ernest Hemingway to William Wordsworth. At the end of the book, they recap what they have found to be shared characteristics for all creative people and free thinkers, the first of which is that they all have a discipline in and passion for their work.

This is a very interesting collection of travels which provides a glimpse into the intimate creative process and accompanying thinking spots of some of the most highly regarded creatives of modern time. While most people only dream of visiting one or two of these locations, the Flemings were lucky enough to see them all and kind enough to document their findings for the rest of us. While some of the travels were lavish in nature taking them to places like Rodmell, Sussex to see Monk's House where Virginia Woolf spent many a day; others took them to places like Yazoo City, Miss., to see the thinking place of Willie Morris. Well written, the book offers the reader a collection of history lessons combined with a touch of inspiration. A must-read for anyone who fancies themselves a budding author, it proves that a thinking place doesn’t have to be an elaborately constructed writing library it can simply be a garden or even a corner of a restaurant–whatever bolsters confidence and squashes the dreaded writer's block.

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