by Dan Baum
First published 2009
Dan Baum moved to New Orleans after Katrina to cover the city's recovery for The New Yorker. He discovered something more compelling than the disaster itself: why people remain so devoted to America's most corrupt, impoverished, and violent city. Baum spent years tracking nine residents across four decades, from Hurricane Betsy in the 1960s through Katrina's devastation. His subjects include outsider artists, Mardi Gras royalty, a jazz-playing coroner, and a transsexual bartender. Each represents a different layer of this complex city. Their stories unfold against the constant threat of catastrophe that shapes New Orleans life. When Katrina finally arrives, some characters perform acts of heroism while others collapse under pressure. Baum combines intimate portraits with extensive reporting to create a kaleidoscopic view of America's most unique city. The book reveals what made New Orleans irreplaceable and examines what survived the storm's destruction.
Genres: non-fiction, 21st-century, journalism, american-history
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: character-driven, intimate-portrait, kaleidoscopic-narrative
Setting: New Orleans
Period: 1960s, 2000s
352 pages · Hardcover · Spiegel & Grau
Content warnings: violence