Wednesday, September 03, 2008

3 Years After: New Orleans & the Gulf Coast


The recent issue of Oxford American is dedicated to remembering Hurricane Katrina and what's been done and is being done in the region.

From the introduction to the issue...

This special issue of the magazine is devoted to clearing public misconceptions about a beloved historic region that continues to feed American culture not only with its unique cuisine but also with its music and arts and politics and personalities and, of course, joie de vivre. Ninety percent of this issue is written by New Orleans and Gulf Coast locals (and/or people embedded with deep and long-term ties with the city). Mind you: These locals are highly talented. Chris Rose, Lolis Eric Elie, Sarah Broom, David Ramsey, Jed Horne, Sara Roahen, Peter Zinn, Nic Pizzolatto, Jesmyn Ward, Ellen Ann Fentress, Ernest Gaines, and quite a few others share wide-ranging views on a part of the country that has faced dramatic challenges with tenacity and grit as well as imagination. The results of channeling the overwhelming powers of provocative, daring, and supremely eloquent writers (and artists) appear in this packed issue. Prepare to have your misconceptions come apart and be replaced by sharper understanding and improved perception.

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