Blues for New Orleans
Mardi Gras and America's Creole Soul
Robert Farris Thompson author Nick Spitzer author Roger Abrahams author John F Szwed author
Format:Hardback
Publisher:University of Pennsylvania Press
Published:9th Mar '06
Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back
Exploring the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Blues for New Orleans highlights the resilience of a city rich in culture and celebration.
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Blues for New Orleans explores the resilience of a city that has long been a cradle for American vernacular arts. New Orleans, often likened to Atlantis, reemerges from the depths, showcasing its rich cultural tapestry woven from jazz, unique architecture, and a culinary heritage that fuses diverse influences. The vibrant spirit of the city is epitomized in its annual Mardi Gras celebration, where music and revelry unite people from all walks of life, reflecting both the chaos and harmony of the community.
The authors, seasoned writers well-versed in the complexities of American culture, take readers on a journey from New Orleans to Mardi Gras festivities in the Louisiana Parishes, the Caribbean, and beyond. They delve into the Black Atlantic complex, illustrating how the traditions of Carnival are not only a form of resistance but also a joyous expression of identity. Through music, dance, and performance, the book emphasizes the importance of cultural continuity in the face of adversity.
As the city grapples with the aftermath of the disaster, Blues for New Orleans raises poignant questions about the future of Carnival and community life. Will the spirit of Mardi Gras endure in New Orleans, or will it migrate to new locations? The authors suggest that the return of this cherished celebration will symbolize a broader revival of the city’s vitality, serving as a powerful reminder of its enduring cultural legacy.
"As a battle cry for summoning up our collective will to save our Creole city, Blues for New Orleans is clear and strong." * The Times-Picayune *
"Blues for New Orleans is a generous study of Mardi Gras, but it is also a creative intervention, a passionate explanation (and defense) of creolization, a cultural rescue operation. It is a furious, blues-tinged, erudite hymn to our greatest vernacular city. Read it and weep; read it and rejoice!" * Edward Hirsch, President, John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation *
"Will New Orleans become a memory and a myth? Will the bon temps ever roulette again? I took for granted many of the things in this book as I experienced them every day. As residents, we never imagined a day when we would be called on to plead for recognition of our worth to our city. But, like the old folks said: 'It goes to show, you never can tell.' Without an awareness of the many contributions to the city's culture inherent in the make up of the neighborhoods, the planners can't begin to plan realistically. The information in this historic work is much needed by those who are rebuilding New Orleans. I thank the authors for their deep and clear insight on New Orleans culture and what goes into making an artistic American city." * Charles Neville *
"If there was ever any question about the resilience of this endlessly fascinating city, this imaginative book should lay it to rest. In the land of dreamy dreams, where order is a doubloon's throw from disorder, and paradox reigns with pleasure, the carnival spirit has always held New Orleans together even when its civic culture seemed broken beyond repair. Blues for New Orleans is more than a study of Mardi Gras' origins in the polyglot order of Atlantic World Creoles; it is a wonderful meditation on what it would mean to lose New Orleans." * Lawrence N. Powell, author of Troubled Memory and other works on Louisiana *
ISBN: 9780812239591
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
112 pages