Tom Piazza, Why New Orleans Matters

There's an old saying that a fish does not notice the water it swims in. Similarly, natives of New Orleans probably don't notice the many things that make New Orleans unique. Only an outsider who loves this city and spends considerable time here can notice those things. One such outsider is Roy Blount Jr., who has visited this city dozens of times, has explored its nooks and crannies, and compiled his observations in an excellent book, Feet on the Street.

Another such outsider is Tom Piazza, who moved to New Orleans twelve years ago. His latest book, Why New Orleans Matters, captures the soul of pre-Katrina New Orleans in a way that compares favorably with Blount's portrayal. It's all here: the people, the atmosphere, the food, the music, the celebrations, the poverty, the crime, the decadence. That's Part I.

Part II describes what post-Katrina New Orleans is like, from the perspective of one whose home, like those of hundreds of thousands of others, was destroyed. People sometimes ask me "what's it like" to go through something like Katrina, and I can't answer adequately because my home, though damaged, remained relatively intact. If you really want to know "what's it like," read this book, and you'll understand the scope of the tragedy.

To conclude his book, Piazza answers the title question. New Orleans matters to the nation strategically for the same reasons that motivated Thomas Jefferson to acquire the city. The nation needs a port at the mouth of the Mississippi River, and that port needs a city to support it. On a deeper level, by losing New Orleans, the nation would lose a large chunk of its own heart and soul.

If you're one of New Orleans's fish, this book will increase your appreciation of the water you've been swimming in. If you're not, this book will help you understand why New Orleans must be resurrected.

Comments

[Dave!]

Out of curiosity, what do you think about the upcoming Mardi Gras? I'm just curious if as a local, you see it as a good thing or a bad thing?

I'm mixed... I've never been and part of me is really happy to see the city moving forward with healing and returning to some semblance of normalcy. On the other hand, I worry that if it looks too good that people across the country will get the wrong impression--like all the recovery work is done somehow and forget about N.O.

[Ray]

That's a question a lot of people have asked. To my knowledge, the best answer to the question was supplied by my across-the-street neighbor, Chris Rose, in this column. Chris says that if we don't have Mardi Gras, then the terrorists win.

[Aaron]

Ha! I love Chris Rose. But seriously answering the question, one of New Orleans largest industries (I think THE largest) is tourism, and we're not doing ourselves any favors by having a mourning period. We lost hundreds of thousands of service industry jobs supported by tourism, and the only way to get those lower and middle class people back to town is to encourage tourism.

A knee-jerk reaction to New Orleans having this gigantic celebration after so great a catastrophe is that we're callous, shallow people, and I'm not one to argue that point with you, some of us are assuredly so. However, to get our economy and to help out the poorest of New Orleans residents, the tourism industry in New Orleans MUST come back.

Oh and Ray - I owe you a bottle of something obscenely nice from Martin's or Dorignac's - not only a job, but with one of the nicest people I've had the pleasure of meeting! Have a great carnival!

[Dave!]

Great column! I love, "We're Whoville, man -- you can take away the beads and the floats and all that crazy stuff, but we're still coming out into the street." :)