Fourth annual Spirit & Place Festival to explore 'Changing Landscapes'

By Yolanda White

Three nationally renowned authors will publicly discuss the ways in which spirit and landscape intersect as part of the fourth annual Spirit & Place civic festival Nov. 11-21, at various locations throughout greater Indianapolis.

Lopez

Norris

Prejean

Barry Lopez (Arctic Dreams), Kathleen Norris (Dakota: A Spiritual Geography) and Sister Helen Prejean (Dead Man Walking) have each written extensively on topics of spirit and place, and each has something unique to contribute to the festival's 1999 theme, "Changing Landscapes."

Lopez, an avid traveler who writes of the relationships between physical landscape and human culture, will focus on natural landscapes. Norris writes of her own spiritual journeys and will focus on the connection between spirit and landscapes. Prejean, known for her work with the inner-city poor, will focus on moral landscapes.

The three will have a public conversation at the Murat Theatre, 510 N. New Jersey St., at 5:30 p.m. , on Sunday, Nov. 14. The conversation will be hosted by Brown County resident and former BBC producer Sallyann J. Murphey, author of Bean Blossom Dreams and the soon-to-be-released Metcalfe Family Album. The event is free and open to the public.

Spirit & Place is a city-wide, collaborative project that creates opportunities for the public to explore and discuss the relationship between spirit and community through a variety of dance, visual art and musical performances, exhibits, lectures and public discussions.

For a complete schedule of events, contact the POLIS Center at 317-2742455 or go to this Web site: