Treme (TV Series)

Sharknado (2013)

Drowned city: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans - Don Brown

Drowned city: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans - Brown, Don

Summary: Presents a graphic account of the events of Hurricane Katrina and its effects on the city of New Orleans and its people, detailing the selflessness, heroism, and courage, while also noting the incompetence, racism, and criminality.

Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* It has been 10 years since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and, in the highly capable hands of Brown, the story remains as immediately captivating and tragic as it was in 2005. Told chronologically from the hurricane's seemingly benign origin in West Africa, the story follows the storm almost hourly, revealing every misstep along the way that resulted in so much unnecessary loss. By the time Katrina passed over New Orleans, more than 1,400 people were dead and hundreds of thousands had fled the city. Brown's narrative is clear and precise, relying exclusively on data and statistics interspersed with quotes from residents, rescue crews, journalists, and news reports. Alone, the text might lack impact, but combined with the haunting imagery, it hits readers like a punch in the gut. The illustrations capture the intensity of the disaster with saturated monochromatic panels featuring figures who appear to be literally melting with oppressive heat and fear. Small poignant scenes punctuate the narrative throughout, constantly reminding viewers of the very human costs of the disaster. Spare but emotionally resonant, this outstanding title will appeal to graphic novel and nonfiction readers alike. Highly recommended for all library collections. Copyright 2014 Booklist Reviews.

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The worst hard time - Timothy Egan

The worst hard time: the untold story of those who survived the great American dust bowl - Egan, Timothy

Summary: Presents an oral history of the dust storms that devastated the Great Plains during the Depression, following several families and their communities in their struggle to persevere despite the devastation.


Kirkus Reviews
Grim, riveting account by New York Times reporter Egan makes clear that, although hurricanes and floods have grabbed recent headlines, America's worst assault from Mother Nature came in the form of ten long years of drought and dust.The "dust bowl" of the 1930s covered 100 million acres spread over five states: Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Nebraska and Colorado. From 1930 to 1935, nearly a million people left their farms, littered with animal corpses and stunted crops. Schools closed. Towns simply disappeared. Thousands died from "dust pneumonia," a new condition born of swallowing and inhaling the swirling topsoil. The author personalizes this tragedy by focusing on a handful of hardy settlers who came to America's heartland with high hopes and boundless energy, then watched with growing despair as the earth turned against them. In truth, the dust bowl was largely a human creation. The great southern plains, once covered with native grasses that fed the buffalo and held the soil in place, were essentially stripped bare in the 1920s by wheat-farmers eager to cash in on cheap land and high grain prices. The newly invented tractor made the job easier, and unusually wet weather in the late '20s made farming on the arid plains seem feasible. But then the Depression hit, wheat prices crashed and once-bountiful farms went fallow, abandoned to the deepening drought and ever-blowing winds that literally sent the soil skyward. In the midst of disaster, Egan finds heroes. Among them is country physician Doc Dawson, who opened a sanitarium for dust pneumonia victims, lost all his money farming and spent his last, penniless years running a soup kitchen.Stark and powerful, a gripping if depressing read and a timely reminder that a Nature abused can exact a terrible retribution. Copyright Kirkus 2005 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.

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Treme Television Series (DVD)

Treme Television Series (DVD)

Summary: Amid the ruins of New Orleans, ordinary people--musicians, chefs, residents--find themselves clinging to a unique culture and wondering if the city that gave birth to that culture still has a future.


Video Librarian Reviews
The food ain't bad, but it's the music that's New Orleans' lifeblood—a truism that rings loud and clear in Treme, the outstanding HBO series set in the Crescent City. Indeed, the opening scene finds residents parading in song just three months after Hurricane Katrina. Music permeates every episode, ranging from the expected Dixieland and zydeco to hip hop, rock, and more, delivered by veteran greats (Ernie K-Doe, Lee Dorsey, the Meters, Allen Toussaint) and newcomers (such as Trombone Shorty). Of course, there's a dark side as well: New Orleans here is barely starting to recover from the epic disaster—homes are gone, neighborhoods are barren, folks are missing, the government is essentially useless, and the line between cop and criminal is sometimes nonexistent. All of this is brought to life via multiple storylines and characters, including John Goodman as loud-mouthed writer Creighton Bernette and Melissa Leo as his activist wife, Toni; Wendell Pierce as trombonist Antoine Batiste and Khandi Alexander as his ex-wife, Ladonna; Clarke Peters as Albert Lambreaux, a man who returns from Houston to rebuild his ruined home; and Steve Zahn as clueless hippie DJ Davis McAlary. Not all of them get through the season unscathed, which is only natural in a show that emphasizes authenticity—from its plain, profane dialogue to its almost complete lack of gloss and glamour. Compiling all 10 episodes from the 2010 debut season, DVD and Blu-ray extras include audio and music commentaries, and behind-the-scenes featurettes. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are interactive viewing modes featuring information about the culture and music of New Orleans. Highly recommended. (S. Graham) Copyright Video Librarian Reviews 2011.

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