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Sunday am update
Nov. 20th, 2005 10:45 amI signed a contract and gave a deposit yesterday-- roofers are supposed to get to work on my home by a week from Monday at the latest; may be able to make a start before. I could write a long post on my roof saga so far, but will for now refrain.
Thursday and Friday I took a couple hundred photos in the Lower 9th Ward and St. Bernard Parish. Most of New Orleans got wind and flooding; there they got storm surge funneled in by MRGO. The devestation seen in town just for a few blocks around the levee breeches looks much like large sections of Arabi and Chalmette. One good photo alas I missed-- I was on my way out as the sun started to go down Thursday, and was heading back into Orleans on Claiborne Avenue. At the Parish line, the road was blocked off by a wall constructed of flood totaled vehicles, stacked 3 high! Alas, I was shooting into the sun, and I couldn't get a decent photo. When I got back the next day about 10am, they were in the final stages of dismantling the wall.
Last night I went first by Octavia Books, where local writer Tom Piazza was having a signing of his new book Why New Orleans Matters. Like my neighborhood bookstore, Octavia was already sold out an hour before the signing-- despite having had 300 copies! More should be in at Octavia and Maple Street next week. Good to know its selling well!
I didn't stick around for the reading, as I had openings to go to. Yes, last Saturday art openings (a week early, due to Thanksgiving, and because, hey, we need it) are back in force. First to two on Magazine Street. Magazine Street is a long 19th century street, one lane in both directions, gradually curving to match the bend of the River with a mix of residences and mostly small locally owned businesses. It seems to have been the first area to hit a critical mass of reopenings, and has become the commercial center of Post-Katrina New Orleans. I first went to the Accademy (with excellent stuff as always-- even more so than usual as this was a staff show; I need to go back and take a longer look at some of the paintings) then Carol Robinson, generally one of my favorites. While I was glad to see the openings hopping again, I found I couldn't really get into it so much. Katrina is the thousand pound gorilla, not just in the room, but with its hands on all of our sholders-- sometimes gently, sometimes insistantly, but always there. Next I went down to the Ogden in the CBD, with more relevent exhibitions of "Lost New Orleans" -- historical photos and paintings, and some amazing Post-Katrina photos, including by a fellow Krewe du Vieux member. Checked out a couple of Julia Street galleries-- Le Mieux, Arther Rodgers, and George Schmidt-- before things closed up. I ran into a number of folks for the first time since comming back.
Gotta get ready for a Krewe du Vieux sub-krewe meeting downtown this afternoon.
Thursday and Friday I took a couple hundred photos in the Lower 9th Ward and St. Bernard Parish. Most of New Orleans got wind and flooding; there they got storm surge funneled in by MRGO. The devestation seen in town just for a few blocks around the levee breeches looks much like large sections of Arabi and Chalmette. One good photo alas I missed-- I was on my way out as the sun started to go down Thursday, and was heading back into Orleans on Claiborne Avenue. At the Parish line, the road was blocked off by a wall constructed of flood totaled vehicles, stacked 3 high! Alas, I was shooting into the sun, and I couldn't get a decent photo. When I got back the next day about 10am, they were in the final stages of dismantling the wall.
Last night I went first by Octavia Books, where local writer Tom Piazza was having a signing of his new book Why New Orleans Matters. Like my neighborhood bookstore, Octavia was already sold out an hour before the signing-- despite having had 300 copies! More should be in at Octavia and Maple Street next week. Good to know its selling well!
I didn't stick around for the reading, as I had openings to go to. Yes, last Saturday art openings (a week early, due to Thanksgiving, and because, hey, we need it) are back in force. First to two on Magazine Street. Magazine Street is a long 19th century street, one lane in both directions, gradually curving to match the bend of the River with a mix of residences and mostly small locally owned businesses. It seems to have been the first area to hit a critical mass of reopenings, and has become the commercial center of Post-Katrina New Orleans. I first went to the Accademy (with excellent stuff as always-- even more so than usual as this was a staff show; I need to go back and take a longer look at some of the paintings) then Carol Robinson, generally one of my favorites. While I was glad to see the openings hopping again, I found I couldn't really get into it so much. Katrina is the thousand pound gorilla, not just in the room, but with its hands on all of our sholders-- sometimes gently, sometimes insistantly, but always there. Next I went down to the Ogden in the CBD, with more relevent exhibitions of "Lost New Orleans" -- historical photos and paintings, and some amazing Post-Katrina photos, including by a fellow Krewe du Vieux member. Checked out a couple of Julia Street galleries-- Le Mieux, Arther Rodgers, and George Schmidt-- before things closed up. I ran into a number of folks for the first time since comming back.
Gotta get ready for a Krewe du Vieux sub-krewe meeting downtown this afternoon.
