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Best Literary Landmarks In DFW

January 18, 2014 / 7:00 AM CST / CBS Texas

Not all addictive plot lines are set in New York or Los Angeles. Many tantalizing tales have been written or inspired by sites right here in Dallas/Fort Worth, ranging from the classics to modern works of poetry and prose. Featuring city hot spots, attractions or simply classic architecture, these sites have brought words to the tongues of some of the greatest.

Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek
2821 Turtle Creek Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75219
(214) 559-2100
www.rosewoodhotels.com/en/mansion-on-turtle-creek-dallas

Elegant lunches and culture-savvy visitors flock to the Rosewood Mansion today, though this gem was not recently discovered. Famed Pulitzer prize-winning playwright Tennessee Williams was a guest at the Rosewood Mansion on Turtle Creek back in the 1940s. During his extended stay here, Williams penned the play "Summer and Smoke." As would seem fit, the play debuted in Dallas as well.

Denton Quakertown Park
700 Oakland St.
Denton, TX 76201
(940) 349-7275
www.facebook.com/Quakertown-Park

Back in 1920, the city of Denton was also home to an African-American settlement called Quakertown, which no longer exists today. Carolyn Meyer, author of "White Lilacs," and Lee Martin, author of "Break the Skin," have drawn ideas from the site and brought them to life. See if you recognize any.

Sixth Floor Museum
411 Elm St.
Dallas, TX 75202
(214) 747-6660
www.jfk.org

James Ellroy, infamous crime author, penned "American Tabloid," a whirlwind controversial piece where secrets drown truths. The CIA, the Mob, Hughes and Hoover all play a part in this novel set in the turbulent time around JFK's assassination. The JFK Sixth Floor Museum is the perfect spot to learn facts instead of fiction regarding the tragic killing of a president, especially as we approach the 50th anniversary of the day the U.S. lost its innocence.

AT&T Stadium
1 AT&T Way
Arlington, TX 76011
(817) 892-4161
www.stadium.dallascowboys.com

The AT&T Stadium, or the Cowboys Stadium as many still refer to it, has inspired sports fans all over the world to shoot for greatness. It also gave a setting to Ben Fountain's debut novel, "Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk." During the war with Iraq, on the home front, it would almost seem as if there was no story to tell. We forgot about the struggles of our faraway soldiers. This satire is one for the books, literally.

Mansfield Public Library
104 S. Wisteria St.
Mansfield, TX 76063
(817) 473-4391
www.mansfield-tx.gov

Since 2011, the Mansfield Public Library has been officially listed on the Literary Landmarks Register. Back in 1959, John Howard Griffin, a Mansfield man, disguised himself as an African American man and wrote about his experiences in "Black Like Me," recognized now for its contributions to the North Texas written word.

Kena Sosa is a freelance writer in Dallas. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

AT&T Stadium