[lit-ideas] Re: Essay on New Orleans

  • From: Carol Kirschenbaum <carolkir@xxxxxxxx>
  • To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Thu, 01 Sep 2005 16:20:08 -0700

To some, it may seem callous to mourn the loss of buildings in New 
Orleans--cemeteries, even, and antebellum plantations. Most architecture in 
the city isn't even close to being on anyone's historic monument list, in 
fact. Across the Mississippi from the French Quarter are (were?) miles and 
miles of shanty barracks that served as minimal housing. Atrocious slums.

Yet of all the smaller cities in the US, New Orleans probably has the 
richest history, the most vibrant living culture, and the most distinctive 
style. Many of those lost "shotgun" cottages were original slave shacks. 
(Same throughout Mississippi. Lost, too?)

Who'd mourn the loss of slave shacks, and of plantations? Good riddance to 
them, no? No, not if you've spent any time in the South, or if you recall 
that destroying all signs of a conquered culture's physical presence is in 
the finest tradition of Chinese warlords.

Who needs warlords, Bush or al Qaeda when we've got nature?  And who needs 
nature when we've got a population that, when under siege and threatened, 
shoots each other instead of lending helping hands? Gotta appreciate the 
attitude of New Yorkers in a crisis, after reading about the dog-eat-dog 
stuff going on down in the bayous now.

Disgusted today,
Carol





----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Judy Evans" <judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, September 01, 2005 4:03 PM
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: Essay on New Orleans


> Update
>
> Allan Toussaint got a bus and is on his way to Houston.
>
> Re aid: the Houston Food Bank needs supplies
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> -- 
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>                             mailto:judithevans001@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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