Showing posts with label new orleans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label new orleans. Show all posts
Jun 1, 2018
Nov 1, 2017
Oct 1, 2015
Drowned city: Hurricane Katrina & New Orleans - Don Brown
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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Dec 1, 2012
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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May 1, 2011
Jitterbug perfume - Tom Robbins
Jitterbug perfume - Robbins, TomThis philosophical epic, with a large cast of characters, addresses the fervent desire of the human race to overcome the tyranny of aging and physical death - (Baker & Taylor)
Review
Robbins again celebrates the joy of individual expression and self-reliance. He lays before us the time honored warts and hairs of the world’s philosophies—problems with religion, war, politics, family, marriage and sex—and leaves no twist or turn unstoned. —Saturday Review
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Aug 3, 2010
Island beneath the sea: a novel - Isabel Allende
Island beneath the sea: a novel - Allende, Isabel
Summary: The story of a mulatta woman, a slave and concubine, determined to take control of her own destiny in a society where that would seem impossible"--Provided by publisher.
Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* Allende, an entrancing and astute storyteller cherished the world over, returns to historical fiction to portray another resilient woman whose life embodies the complex forces at work in the bloody forging of the New World. Zarité, called Tété, is born into slavery in the colony of Saint-Domingue, where enslaved Africans are worked to death by the thousands, and European men prey on women of color. So it is with Tété and her "master," the deeply conflicted plantation owner Toulouse Valmorain, who relies on her for everything from coerced sex to caring for his demented first wife, his legitimate son, and their off-the-record daughter. When the slave uprising that gives birth to the free black republic of Haiti erupts, Toulouse, Tété, and the children flee to Cuba, then to New Orleans. In a many-faceted plot, Allende animates irresistible characters authentic in their emotional turmoil and pragmatic adaptability. She also captures the racial, sexual, and entrepreneurial dynamics of each society in sensuous detail while masterfully dramatizing the psychic wounds of slavery. Sexually explicit, Allende is grace incarnate in her evocations of the spiritual energy that still sustains the beleaguered people of Haiti and New Orleans. Demand will be high for this transporting, remarkably topical novel of men and women of courage risking all for liberty. Copyright 2010 Booklist Reviews.
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