A Hurricane Story by Jennifer Shaw

On today, the 6th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, I bring you a story that's all about hope and beauty.

Back when I lived in NOLA, I saw Jen & Cesar fairly regularly.  They are dear friends of one of my dear friends, and I was often invited to group gatherings. Cesar is from Rhode Island and is of Portuguese descent (as am I on my dad's side), so we had a bit of the "we're not from around here" bond.  (In New Orleans, like in Louisville, when people ask you where you went to school, they mean high school.  Most introductions start with that question or a question about what neighborhood you're from.)

Jennifer, an amazing photographer, was 9 months pregnant when the evacuation orders for Katrina came in. She and Cesar evacuated to a strange motel in a strange town, and in the middle of the night, as Katrina roared toward New Orleans, her water broke. Baby Claudio was born far from New Orleans just as Katrina came ashore.

A few years ago, Jennifer created a photo narrative of her family's evacuation story.  I saw a very early version of it and choked back tears as I read. Now it's available for purchase.  Today the book was featured on NPR's website.

Reviews:

"Like a mournful fairytale, Jennifer Shaw’s beautifully staged tableaux are alternately sweet and menacing, filled with emotion but never spilling over into sentimentality. The poetic marriage of words and photos makes Hurricane Story a children’s book for grown-ups.” —Josh Neufeld, creator of A.D.: New Orleans After the Deluge

"Even if you think you've seen it all where Katrina's concerned, trust me, you're going to love Shaw's marvelous memoir."—The Times-Picayune

"This is the kind of book that reminds you that books can be beautiful objects." —The Los Angeles Times

"Hurricane Story is a tabletop, toy box Odyssey. With simple objects, trenchant statements, and exquisite camera vision, Shaw relates an epic tale of displacement, creation and discovery." — George Slade, curator, Photographic Resource Center, Boston

"An engaging variation on a near mythic theme."—Gambit Weekly

You can also see the photographs and text here at Jen's website.  It's a beautiful, honest story.  I hope you take a few minutes to read it.

Happy 6th birthday, Claudio!

NTDWL: Irene

Last year, on the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, I decided to re-blog some posts from Displaced, the blog I began in September 2005.  But two posts in, I just couldn't do it anymore. Plowing through those 85 posts from September 2005-September 2007 just hurt too much.  I still haven't been able to make it through all of them without quitting.

And even though I have "come out" as a blogger, I don't feel comfortable linking to that blog-- it's very raw, and I share a lot of personal stuff and identify a lot of people by name.  Maybe one day, I will clean it up... make it appropriate to share and then share it with my Loueyville readers. Actually, I'd like to do that.

As the sixth anniversary of Katrina approaches, so does Hurricane Irene.  Today I bristled when I saw Irene jokes on Twitter.  I know I am tenderhearted when it comes to hurricanes, but there's just nothing to laugh about with this storm.  Or any serious hurricane.  I hope I am wrong; I hope I am Chicken Little and everyone laughs at me after the fact for being so concerned.  But I am concerned, and my heart goes out to all who are in Irene's path.

Right now that includes my entire family.

Grayson Capps @ Phoenix Hill 6/25

Dear, dear readers, I love you all from the bottom of my heart. But when are you going to start believing me when I say that I have impeccable taste in music, huh?  If I say "go to this show" then REALLY, you need to go to that show.  I am not a music junkie.  I won't just go see any show.  We're blessed here in Louisville to have an abundance of great options for music-seeing.  But I'm downright picky.

As I promised Galactic at Headliners was A-MAZ-ING!  Not only did they bring the New Orleans jam-funk to Louisville, they brought Corey freaking Glover as their lead singer.  Corey Glover, folks.  Lead singer of Living Color. One of the first notable non-white, hard rock/heavy metal singer ever.  Dude went on to star in the touring production of the greatest musical of all time (Jesus Christ Superstar) singing arguably the most demanding stage role in the history of musical theater (Judas) for, like, 4 years.  Pinch me, I'm still totally in awe. Really. What a night.

And now I know why I weighed considerably less when I lived in New Orleans, despite the awesome food. I used to go out to see live NOLA music weekly.  I danced those pounds off.

So speaking of NOLA music, Grayson Capps is coming to Phoenix Hill on 6/25.  I will likely not be in town, but sweet pickles, you NEED to go see this man.  I saw him loads of times when he/we lived in New Orleans.  And he played a show at the old PourHaus here just a few months or so after Roommate and I moved here... and we bought him a drink and totally bonded over post-Katrina life in exile.  I went to see him (alone) at Phoenix Hill a couple of years later...  He's amazing.  New Orleans blues.  Killer voice.  Fabulous story teller.  And, of course, it doesn't hurt that he's beautiful to look at.

C'mon people.  Listen to me already.  I was right about Low Anthem, Trombone Shorty, Galactic... I'm right about Grayson Capps, too.  I would not lead you astray.

Harry Shearer brings THE BIG UNEASY to Village 8

As a rabid cheerleader for the city of Louisville, I sometimes feel a little bad that I still self-identify as a "New Orleans ex-pat." But I do. It'll be four more years before I've lived in Louisville as long as I lived in Louisiana, and I imagine it'll be a few more years after that before I consider dropping the ex-pat identity.  And frankly, maybe I never will.

But one of the many many things I love about Louisville is this: Louisville loves New Orleans.

So, it's appropriate-- and awesome-- that Village 8 is hosting an appearance by Harry Shearer and a screening of his documentary THE BIG UNEASY.

Shearer created THE BIG UNEASY in part due to the fact that the media and our politicians have perpetuated the myth that the New Orleans flood was a "natural disaster" caused by Katrina.  People will argue otherwise, but in Shearer's mind (and in my mind and in the minds of-- I'd venture to say-- MOST New Orleanians) and according to multiple independent investigations, the flood was a man-made disaster caused by design and construction flaws in the antiquated and insufficient levee systems.  The film goes on to investigate similar flawed levee systems protecting many other major American cities and their potential for failure.  Read Shearer's filmmaker's statements here.

THE BIG UNEASY has received overwhelmingly positive reviews and has been featured at and won awards at many of the most prestigious film festivals.  It plays at Village 8 from May 13-19, but Shearer himself will conduct a Q&A after the 7pm May 16 showing.  Tickets are a measly $5 and are on sale now.

Help me sell out this event, Louisvillagers! Let's show New Orleans how much Louisville loves her.  And let's prove that Louisville, unlike-- sigh-- the rest of the country it seems sometimes, hasn't forgotten the flood or the many people STILL suffering in New Orleans.

BTW: the website for the film features fantastic resources.  Check it out here.

NTDWL: Lou on "Treme" in BlogHer

Just thought I would pass this article along. Megan Smith of BlogHer cited a few short paragraphs about displacement from my "Treme" response.

I've also received a couple of really nice email responses about that post. While I always love to hear from readers, it's especially gratifying when people respond when I get more personal than usual. So thanks.

NDTWL: "Treme" on HBO

While I may be one of Louisville's biggest cheerleaders (self-proclaimed, of course... and truly I'm quite little), I'm still a New Orleanian at the end of the day.

Yesterday, David Simon's "Treme" premiered on HBO, and I have to say-- bless their hearts-- they're getting it right.

The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, even those posted by the picky locals who are quick to the defense after so many terrible depictions of the Crescent City in films and on TV. (Although tremendously flawed, the quickly canceled "K-Ville" on FOX a few years back was pretty charming, though.)

If you have HBO and you aren't watching "Treme," start. (And if you don't have HBO, I know all you darling inter-nerds know how to find these things less-than-legally online. Not that I'm advocating that. Not that I'm not.) Start because it's good tv. Start because you need to know more about Katrina and Post-Katrina New Orleans. Start because we need to start talking about New Orleans again. It's a goshdamned shame we ever stopped.

Last week, the Southern Republican Leadership Conference met in New Orleans. And you know what Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich and a whole slew of GOP superstars had to say about Katrina? Nothing. Not a peep. Zippo. Nil. Zilch.

Criminal.

I started blogging during my Katrina exile. It's been years since I last looked at that blog. It's called Displaced and is much more personal than this one. But if you're really interested in what it was like to be evacuated during the storm, go back to the earliest entries. (You'll probably learn some juicy tidbits about Mama there, too.)

Honestly, being a Katrina exile is more deeply rooted in my soul than being a cancer survivor. I don't know what that says about me. I don't know what that says about trauma. Roommate and I had it good. Our home was in the 20% of the city that didn't flood. I was still able to keep my job part time. We were in the first wave of evacuees to return home. We were lucky enough not to lose any friends or close acquaintances.

That being said, my ex-husband-- a New Orleans native-- died three years after the storm. A death I most certainly blame on Katrina. A death everyone who knows him blames on Katrina. But I don't want to get into that.

So maybe "Treme" will start the discussion again. The writers don't hide their anger at the government and the lack of aid and understanding the city received. Despite the fact that the opening episode took place just three months after the storm in a torn and broken city, it still made New Orleans look fun and amiable enough to stir some tourism. So maybe "Treme" will send folks down to New Orleans to see for themselves. Either way, it's a good thing.

The most stirring image, for me, in last night's "Treme" was of the interior of a flooded-out house and of a living-room ceiling fan whose blades had wilted into a tulip. The picture above was taken on October 5, 2005, the day we returned to New Orleans. My apartment did not flood. I was back in six or so weeks. But I came home to this sad little candle, a candle I still have and have somehow been able to preserve in just this state. It's become a badge, of sorts, of my exile.

Anyway. "Treme." Watch it. If not for political/social reasons, then because it's good watching. And because the music rocks. As the Steve Zahn (who lives in Lexington, btw) character says, "America needs more Kermit Ruffins."