When Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, it caused billions of dollars in damage, killed and injured thousands, and displaced even more. An entire history, heritage, and culture was literally washed away.
Now that the floodwaters have receded, reconstruction is beginning, but what, Tom Piazza asks in his latest book Why New Orleans Matters, will become of New Orleans now? What will become of its people? And perhaps most important of all, what does New Orleans and its people mean to the rest of America?
Tom Piazza is a New Orleans resident and has a particularly insightful grasp into these important questions. With evident love and affection, he explores the hidden contours of world-renown traditions such as Mardi Gras and Jazz Fest, evoking a sensory paradise of a city that brought us music and creole cooking. He also doesn’t shy away from thecity’s hidden undercurrents of corruption, racism, and injustice — and how New Orleans’ citizens transcend these things.
Why New Orleans Matters is a celebration of the spirit of New Orleans and the resilience of her people. It is a call to America to remember how valuable this city is to the fabric of its existence, and how much would be lost if its light were ever extinguished.