Down in New Orleans : reflections from a drowned city / Billy Sothern ; photographs by Nikki Page.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 317-334) and index.

A man leaves home -- A stranger comes to town -- "This blues is just too big" -- A dollar short -- Poor, nasty, brutish, and short -- Not in my backyard -- Left to die -- Bring the war home -- The dry run of the apocalypse -- History repeats itself -- Going home -- Oxford town -- I do believe I've had enough -- Everyday reminders -- Second line -- Gideon's blues -- Live from the Circle Bar -- Corporate limits -- Fat Tuesday -- Hard lot -- La Nueva Orleans -- Yours in struggle -- In the parish -- Not resigned -- Epitaph.

Billy Sothern's Down in New Orleans illustrates, in very human and heartbreaking ways, how the horrors that emerged during and following Hurricane Katrina existed long before the storm. These beautifully composed stories not only reveal the dignity--and amazing grit and grace--of the hurricane's survivors; they also illuminate larger truths about the urgent issues of our day. Sothern magnifies the urgency of creating a government that really serves the common good--and a society that protects its poor and vulnerable.--Katrina vanden Heuvel, Editor and Publisher, The Nation "Billy Sothern is the only writer in the world who can simultaneously convince you that the forsaking of New Orleans is so much worse than you thought it was, and also that you should move there immediately. The smartest, most in-love-with-the-world book yet written about New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina."--Rachel Maddow, host of "Air America Radio" "As much as Down in New Orleans is a damning account of everything that went wrong after Katrina struck, it's also a deeply soulful and eloquent tribute--part paean and part eulogy--to a place [Sothern] loves almost despite himself. It's essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the past, present and future of this indispensable city."--Dave Egger