Lovely, sad article on New Orleans in the NYTimes as it prepares what sounds to be a token showing of spirit for Mardis Gras. Hopefully, the press will use the holiday to point out the continuing disaster down in NOLA.
Though I've only visited it once, I have a real soft spot for the city. My first Advocate article was on gay youth affected by Katrina and for someone who runs a site called "the modern romantic", the loss of New Orleans is a big deal.
What's sad is that New Orleans' romanticism may be the death of it. Yes, Bourbon Street is up and running, the voodoo shops are open and you can get yourself a beignet while listening to jazz, but the realities of the city's hardships are far harsher and pretty much ignored by the rest of the country. For anyone who has been to the city, the fact that white people outnumber black people is well- terrifying. I love new Orlean's blackness. New Orleans, of all the great Southern cities is the one where, at least from the perspective of a lily-white boy who likes roots music, is the place where America's black sould resides. It's exotic and familiar and weird and all of that, I think, is going to be lost.
There are lots of great charities out there to donate to, but if you want to help NOLA and have a little free fun,
check out the Bacardi site, where they are asking people to "sponsor" (for free) a bead on what they hope will be the world's largest Mardis Gras necklace. It's kinda silly, but it will also help raise $400,000 for Katrina victims, who will still be in need once the party is over.
