I’m drawn to all things ‘liminal’ in life and in my writing so I really appreciated your deep dive here Yasmin. I like to think of it as a threshold and also like you mentioned, a state of mind or being, a transitional in between and yet not static place between gone from and not yet there. I’m just dipping my toes into place writing so very happy to have come across your Substack.
I wrote about my dislike of the word ‘liminal’ a few years back, having heard writer Tim Dee gently chastise fellow writer Rob Cowen for using it: http://richardcarter.com/sidelines/2019-05-13/
Your analysis is more thoughtfully considered than mine. I just don’t like the word.
Other words overused by nature- and place-writers include: crepuscular, palimpsest, petrichor and sintering.
On a more prosaic note, I’m aware I overuse the word ‘stuff’.
What happened around 1987 is that 'liminal' became a buzzword... And yes i've used it in my own writing, but only I'm afraid in a certain spirit of mockery. What I understand by it is places that are sort-of in between, on the threshold between somewhere and somewhere else, neither here nor there. So, places you go through rather than hanging around in, and which therefore are somewhat uncomfortable and disconcerting, especially if you find yourself for some reason required to linger. Hospital corridors. Bus stations, train stations, airports, especially in the middle of the night. Aeroplane interiors. Stairwells in department stores. Multi-storey car parks.
I'm afraid the 'liminal cranes' left me completely bewildered.
I use the concept of liminality quite a bit in my place writing. I feel it as (can't say that I SEE it) the power of spirit, the soul of a place which hangs in the ether around us, created by both place itself and its past inhabitants and events. I feel that it's something cosmic, a place in-between the here and now and the timeless dimension where the souls of people and places reside. I also believe that liminal spaces are alive, always gathering impressions of place and people and compiling those impressions into its overall soul. It's fascinating and mesmerizing to be able to connect this way to a place; it doesn't happen everywhere but when it does, it seems like a whole new world opens up to me - which, I believe, is exactly what place intends.
Yasmin, I was introduced to your post and publication via Laura Pashby’s Note and am so pleased to have discovered your writing. I was introduced to the word/concept of the ‘liminal’ through my yoga practice and ideas around inhabiting/getting comfortable with the in-between. I found it especially useful when navigating the final days of pregnancy which coincided with those days between Christmas and New Year, in a new home. It all felt very ‘threshold-y’, in fact I think I wrote an Instagram post about the feeling featuring a picture of our new front door! Anyway, I do use the word a lot (possibly too much) so thank you for this thought-provoking post that will stay with me.
Such an interesting piece Yasmin. I’ve been thinking a lot about liminal spaces and places in my own writing and you have given me much to think about.
Hi Yasmin, beautiful writing as usual. If you haven't already visited my own Substack you might find it interesting - in fact I was put onto yours by someone who is subscribed to mine - The Edgelands. Be well :)
Liminal is a new word to me...but now, I'm intrigued - I think I shall cross a new threshold and enter into the world of liminal things (or at least my mind shall do that work)...
I’m drawn to all things ‘liminal’ in life and in my writing so I really appreciated your deep dive here Yasmin. I like to think of it as a threshold and also like you mentioned, a state of mind or being, a transitional in between and yet not static place between gone from and not yet there. I’m just dipping my toes into place writing so very happy to have come across your Substack.
I wrote about my dislike of the word ‘liminal’ a few years back, having heard writer Tim Dee gently chastise fellow writer Rob Cowen for using it: http://richardcarter.com/sidelines/2019-05-13/
Your analysis is more thoughtfully considered than mine. I just don’t like the word.
Other words overused by nature- and place-writers include: crepuscular, palimpsest, petrichor and sintering.
On a more prosaic note, I’m aware I overuse the word ‘stuff’.
What happened around 1987 is that 'liminal' became a buzzword... And yes i've used it in my own writing, but only I'm afraid in a certain spirit of mockery. What I understand by it is places that are sort-of in between, on the threshold between somewhere and somewhere else, neither here nor there. So, places you go through rather than hanging around in, and which therefore are somewhat uncomfortable and disconcerting, especially if you find yourself for some reason required to linger. Hospital corridors. Bus stations, train stations, airports, especially in the middle of the night. Aeroplane interiors. Stairwells in department stores. Multi-storey car parks.
I'm afraid the 'liminal cranes' left me completely bewildered.
I learned so much from your piece. Thank you Yasmin.
Hi Yasmin
I use the concept of liminality quite a bit in my place writing. I feel it as (can't say that I SEE it) the power of spirit, the soul of a place which hangs in the ether around us, created by both place itself and its past inhabitants and events. I feel that it's something cosmic, a place in-between the here and now and the timeless dimension where the souls of people and places reside. I also believe that liminal spaces are alive, always gathering impressions of place and people and compiling those impressions into its overall soul. It's fascinating and mesmerizing to be able to connect this way to a place; it doesn't happen everywhere but when it does, it seems like a whole new world opens up to me - which, I believe, is exactly what place intends.
Yasmin, I was introduced to your post and publication via Laura Pashby’s Note and am so pleased to have discovered your writing. I was introduced to the word/concept of the ‘liminal’ through my yoga practice and ideas around inhabiting/getting comfortable with the in-between. I found it especially useful when navigating the final days of pregnancy which coincided with those days between Christmas and New Year, in a new home. It all felt very ‘threshold-y’, in fact I think I wrote an Instagram post about the feeling featuring a picture of our new front door! Anyway, I do use the word a lot (possibly too much) so thank you for this thought-provoking post that will stay with me.
Such an interesting piece Yasmin. I’ve been thinking a lot about liminal spaces and places in my own writing and you have given me much to think about.
Hi Yasmin, beautiful writing as usual. If you haven't already visited my own Substack you might find it interesting - in fact I was put onto yours by someone who is subscribed to mine - The Edgelands. Be well :)
Liminal is a new word to me...but now, I'm intrigued - I think I shall cross a new threshold and enter into the world of liminal things (or at least my mind shall do that work)...
Nice piece - I enjoyed reading it...