Louisiana Cultural Vistas - Spring 2006 - (Page 1) Volume 17, Number 1; Spring 2006 Why New Orleans Matters 12 by Tom Piazza, photographs by Syndey Byrd In a heartfelt paean to his adopted hometown, written in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina , New Orleanian Tom Piazza extolls the city’s virtues — beginning with its incomparable musical legacy. About our Cover: Originally commissioned for the Feb. 27, 2006 edition of The New Yorker, Shreveport artist William Joyce’s illustration of Mardi Gras, post-Katrina, was overidden by a last-minute editorial change. The magazine instead chose a cover reflecting Vice President Dick Cheney’s recent hunting accident. Joyce graciously allowed Louisiana Cultural Vistas to publish the cover art. See page 4 for more details. A Reckoning with Rita 24 photo essay by Nell Campbell Lake Charles native Nell Campbell, now a resident of Southern California, returned to the region of her upbringing with a camera to confront the devastation of Hurricane Rita. page 23 Common Routes: New Orleans and St. Domingue 34 by John H. Lawrence and Alfred E. Lemmon New Orleans and the Caribbean island of St. Domingue share a common history as tropical European outposts. A new exhibit at The Historic New Orleans Collection examines the relationship between these former colonies. The Beat of the Street 50 photo essay by L.J. Goldstein Photographer L.J. Goldstein has become a devout documentarian of New Orleans’ street culture — second line parades, jazz funerals and Mardi Gras Indian gatherings. Copyright 2006 Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, Inc., an independent, nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, all rights reserved. ISSN 1082-4553 LOUISIANA CULTURAL VISTAS is published quarterly: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter, by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, Inc., a nonprofit 501(c)(3) Louisiana corporation, 938 Lafayette Street, Suite 300, New Orleans, LA 70113-1027; (504) 523-4352; toll-free in-state 1(800) 9097990. Annual subscription is $16. Single copy back issues, if available, are $6. A one year, four-issue subscription is included in annual Endowment memberships; minimum $35. For subscriptions outside the U.S., shipping and handling charges will be added. e-mail: lahum@leh.org The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities is supported by a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Board of Directors has determined that the publication of this periodical is necessary in the transaction of the public business required of the Endowment. Views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or policy of the Endowment board or staff. Query the Editor prior to sending manuscripts. page 34 A Brush with Disaster 62 by John Kemp Artist Phil Sandusky, known for his plein-air paintings of New Orleans, confronted a catastrophic landscape when he returned to the city after Hurricane Katrina. A Solvable Problem 80 by Richard Campanella New Orleans grew upon an unlikely terrain for a major American city — a deltaic floodplain near the mouth of the Mississippi River. A geographer/mapping scientist argues that despite recent catastrophic flooding, the city is habitable for the long term, but requires more thoughtful urban planning. page 72 Friends 2 Editor’s Column 3 Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities 4 Louisiana State Museum 8 Jazz Notes (Music History by Bruce Raeburn) 30 Louisiana Association of Museums 32 Historic New Orleans Collection 46 Louisiana Architecture (Architectural History by Karen Kingsley) 74 Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism 76 Bookstand (Book Review by Thomas Uskali) 92 Sound Advice (Music Review by Ben Sandmel) 94 Forum (Commentary by William Joyce) 96 Spring 2006/LOUISIANA CULTURAL VISTAS 1 http://www.leh.org
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