News
My House
Posted Jul 6 2008
New Orleans Then: When I finally floated up to my house on Sept. 11, 2005, I was relieved to discover the floodwater had already receded enough to allow the first floor to begin drying out. The high water mark ringing the walls showed the extent to which the flood had reached inside, but this first visit gave me hope at least that there would be something to rebuild.
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Topic: New Orleans Now
Streets of Mid-City
Posted Jul 6 2008
New Orleans Then: After the floodwaters were finally drained away, the streets of Mid-City were a tattered mess. Seemingly endless blocks were littered with ruined cars, whatever flotsam had drifted by and a crust of dried filth that crunched under my shoes. People were so scarce at times that spotting a solitary figure walking a block or two away became noteworthy. The picture above was taken on my block of South Scott Street two months after the storm hit.
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Topic: New Orleans Now
The Amazing Dr. Watson
Posted Jul 6 2008
New Orleans Then: This entry is purely for fun, but how could I leave out my faithful companion, the Amazing Dr. Watson? He was with me for the entire Katrina experience related in “A Season of Night.” If you can’t have electricity for an extended period of time, I highly recommend having a big, intelligent dog along for the ride. Above, Watson is pictured keeping watch from my porch one blacked-out night with an oil lamp.
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Topic: New Orleans Now
Dog Development
Posted Jul 6 2008
New Orleans Then: Ginger is the name I gave to the dog I eventually brought in from the streets in November 2005. For weeks, she had followed me from a distance when I walked my Labrador, the Amazing Dr. Watson, around the ruined blocks. When I finally brought her in, she turned out to be extremely jumpy and skittish, fearful of any loud noise and given to preemptive cowering. She was covered in scars and welts, and proved adept at finding hiding spots. Above, pictured in December of that year, she is attempting to hide in an empty hearth during a visit to a friend’s house.
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Topic: New Orleans Now
From Pillar to Post to “Hilarity”
Posted Jul 6 2008
Miss Anne, my 80-something-year-old neighbor on South Scott Street, furnished the title for the second chapter of the book when she described to me what happened to her after the levees failed. Above is the photo I snapped of us that day while holding the camera out with my arm.
Topic: New Orleans Now
