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When Rob Walker and his girlfriend relocated to New Orleans in 2000, Walker (a regular contributor to The New York Times Magazine) started filling his friends' email inboxes with tales of adventures from his new home. Those stories--capturing the simple, everyday, and often unbelievable moments that regularly transpired in the Crescent City--are the basis for the fascinating Letters from New Orleans. Here, the author describes the parades and jazz funerals not as a tourist would see them, but from behind the scenes, amidst the personalities. Over the course of 20 or so vignettes, Walker finds himself in dive bars that should probably be condemned; bicycling through an improvised community park that happens to exist directly below a busy freeway overpass; and mulling the consequences of random, celebratory gun firings that appear to be a regular occurrence in New Orleans. Throughout, Walker is the perfect fly on the wall; he's equal parts journalist, anthropologist, and tour guide. He devotes his energy equally to the beautiful, the downtrodden, and the wacky, but these are clearly love letters to the unique people of New Orleans. Walker is, quite simply, infatuated with his adopted city. With the 2005 flooding of Hurricane Katrina happening just months after the publishing of this book, these pieces serve as even more poignant snapshots; some of Walker's favorite landmarks may be gone forever. With that in mind, the author is devoting the proceeds from this wonderful effort to Katrina victims. --Jason Verlinde
Book Description
In January of 2000, Rob Walker left a high-powered media job in New York, and with his girlfriend, moved to New Orleans. Letters from New Orleans collects, in one volume, the delightful and unsettling observations Walker sent to friends and fans about his intriguing new life in New Orleans.
Customer Reviews:
In "the land of dreams".......2007-02-06
I've never drunk and eaten my way through an hours' long lunch at Galatoire's. I don't own a white suit nor do I normally hang out in jazz clubs. Sleazy bars may possess charms, but I seldom indulge. I've never dug the Comus or Zulu krewes or jumped for mass-produced Chinese beads in the streets. This is all because I've never been to New Orleans. But I've done the next best thing---read Rob Walker's LETTERS FROM NEW ORLEANS. What I liked about Walker's emailed letters to his family and friends that later got collected into a slim volume is that they offer a view of the city that is far more sombre and penetrating than the one we used to get before Katrina turned the place into a bad news hub. Yeah, "The Big Easy" definitely had its downside even before floods killed hundreds and destroyed the low-lying sections. Murder in the projects was not unknown pre-Katrina, corruption, decay, and poverty ruled much of New Orleans behind the tourist glitz. Your quaint atmosphere of down-at-heel tradition rested on the stunted lives of a lot of black folks who were caught in an old web. I never had a great desire to visit the place, not thinking someone else's misfortune very picturesque. Still, reading Walker's letters, I felt that I got the feel of it---small details, a chance conversation that you might not have elsewhere, strange characters in electric blue suits, church music. He doesn't intrude much into his descriptions, yet you feel that he liked the place, he didn't judge it with the amused or jaundiced eye of many others. Small incidents reveal many facets of the city---the controversy over a fired waiter, explorations of a freeway ramp, attending a jazz funeral, a burning teddy bear at an annual bonfire. I liked the conclusions Walker drew--not sweeping, drastic ones, but more like collections of observations and questions left to the reader. The small black and white photographs that fill the book are strangely obtuse. They hint at things rather than illustrate them grandly and perhaps that sums up this charming little book.
P.S. If you ever wanted to know stuff about the song "St. James' Infirmary" but were afraid to ask, rest easy. It's all in here.
Read it aloud, read to yourself, just read it.......2006-03-25
If you've yet to visit New Orleans, the candid "snapshots" of Walker's letters will surely entice. If you're familiar with the city, you'll nod your head & sigh in remembrance - & hope for the future to be as sadly sweet & savory - & unsavory; yeah that, too, as the past. These "letters" capture the crazy ambience of the whole package perfectly.
I am curious about one small detail, why DID the author leave?
Like being there again!.......2006-03-19
In my 65+ years, New Orleans is the place I have returned to most often, almost like a second home. This compilation of writings--done before Katrina--echo mine experiences so closely, I get the feeling that the "Spell" of this great city affects others like it did and does me.
I was in New Orleans when as Katrina approached and the Mayor urged visitors to leave. I was lucky to get three connecting flights home to California. "Letters from New Orleans" was like a balm which I needed to feel something other than sorrow.
nice snapshot.......2006-03-10
This book started out as a nice snapshot of the characters in New Orleans. About halfway in, it devolved into a sociology disseration on the racial/class ills of the city. I grew up there and am well aware of the problems. Some of the ideas put forth by the author were simplistic at best. Otherwise, a pretty good book.
Real New Orleans.......2005-12-27
I've collected dozens of books about New Orleans, all in an attempt to further my understanding of the mysterious love affair so many of us have with the Crescent City.
In "Letters From New Orleans," Walker examines his own love affair by crafting slice-of-life vignettes shot through with the kind of colors and detail that make the reader want to tumble right down the rabbit hole with him.
Walker gets gets off Bourbon Street and gets real. "Letters From New Orleans" is personal and yet has wonderful, broad appeal owing to Walker's skill as a writer and storyteller. One need not have lived there or even visited to enjoy this book, but those who have had the pleasure of New Orleans, will be further delighted (and educated). It left me wanting more. I've read it three times; I'll read it again.
As for books about New Orleans, this little gem is a huge must. It captures the wackiness, the peculiarities, the enchantment and the "je ne sais quoi" that makes this American city unlike all the others. Rob Walker is donating the proceeds to hurricane relief efforts, which makes reading it even sweeter.
Book Description
Love Letters to the South is a one of a kind photography book that pays tribute to all those affected by Hurricane Katrina. Celebrities including Johnny Depp, COLDPLAY, Jon Bon Jovi, Kevin Bacon, Ziggy Marley, Justin Timberlake and many more have been photographed for this charitable book that will see portions of the proceeds directed to The American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity.
Customer Reviews:
Never Forget.......2006-11-15
Emotions and Words expressed in this book were heartfelt and real.
A great book of rememberance and may we never forget.
Hope and Healing, indeed.......2006-11-10
Gentle and not so gentle reminders of what happened, what's been done, and what needs doing abound in this book. Each person's eyes tells me that they're not doing this as a pretty face, but as a witness. Let us each witness in our own way that what happened in New Orleans, in Florida, in Texas, could happen to us, to anyone we love, and let us witness, too, how we can each, in our own way, support, care for, and aid each other and ourselves in time of need.
Great !!!.......2006-09-25
Some books defy almost all categories. This is definitely one of those books. It is a book of hope, dreams, encouragement and support, for those who lost so much in Hurricane Katrina. This book is the brainchild of Naomi Strasser who, along with photographer friend Paul Alexander, decided to create art that would help in some small way to heal.
Alexander donated his time in photographing celebrities from around the world and from different strata of society. Many others contributed to the work, from the stylists working with the celebrities, to Ryan Priest doing the design and layout. This book was the work of the generosity of many, many people who all championed it and gave of their time and talents to make it happen.
The book is a collection of 71 unique portraits of celebrities, from Johnny Depp, Kelly Hu, and Coldplay, to Viggo Mortensen, Helen Bonham Carter and so many more. Accompanying each portrait is a letter, or encouragement note, to encourage the giving to continue. And it is for those who are far from home now, that they should keep hoping and dreaming of their return. Interspersed with photos of the actual devastation from Katrina, these notes provide hope, encouragement and support.
From Johnny Depp who writes "Help and Keep Helping", to Helen Bonham Carter stating "No amount of rain can drown the music of New Orleans", the words will challenge us to appreciate what we have and to help those less fortunate than we find ourselves to be.
The publisher, Naked Ink Press, is doing their part as well; they have committed to give at least $25,000 US dollars to both the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and to Habitat for Humanity's Operation Home Delivery. That is $2.50 from each book, sold for a minimum of $25,000 each more depending on sales.
Shawn Ashmore states: "She beat you, but she didn't break you!! Stay strong!!" Picking up this book, either for yourself or for others as a gift, will help to make those words come true. So along with Kevin Bacon we will say "Thinking of U."
It may be trite, but giving this book as a gift, will be a gift that keeps on giving.
Average customer rating:
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Anthony Amato: take 2,.(Editors Letter): An article from: District Administration
Wayne D'Orio
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Release Date: 2005-07-31 |
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Citation Details
Title: Anthony Amato: take 2,.(Editors Letter)
Author: Wayne D'Orio
Publication:
District Administration (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2004
Publisher: Professional Media Group LLC
Volume: 40
Issue: 7
Page: 7(1)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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This digital document is an article from Warning Letter Bulletin, published by Washington Information Source on February 1, 2005. The length of the article is 432 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: BioHorizons Implant Systems, Inc., Birmingham, AL, Dec. 27 (New Orleans).(Medical Devices)
Publication:
Warning Letter Bulletin (Newsletter)
Date: February 1, 2005
Publisher: Washington Information Source
Volume: 13
Issue: 2
Page: 6
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This digital document is an article from American Scholar, published by Thomson Gale on June 22, 2007. The length of the article is 2693 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Chasing the blues away.(Letter from New Orleans)(jazz fest to sooth New Orleans)(Report)
Author: Lawrence N. Powell
Publication:
American Scholar (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 76
Issue: 3
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Article Type: Report
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- Follow a Western Soldier:
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The Civil War Diary of a Common Soldier: William Wiley of the 77th Illinois Infantry
William Wiley
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
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Customer Reviews:
Follow a Western Soldier:.......2004-03-08
I always have trouble being critical of someone's diary. I ask myself, "How can I rank a diary?". I decided to rank this diary in comparison to other diaries I have read and decided it was worth three stars instead of five. Wiley's writing is at times quite brief, spelling, grammar, punctuation and detail fall short in comparison to other soldier accounts. Though valuable in understanding soldier thought and lifestyle, Wiley's descriptions are vague, hard to follow and at times the book feels sluggish. Author Terrence Winschel does help out Wiley's writing by prepping the reader for various chapters and the references sometimes to clear up some confusion as to time, place or subject matter. Wiley's diary follows him from his muster into service for the 77th Illinois until his final discharge 3 years later in 1865. Wiley suffers from health problems through out the book and misses some battles, is involved in skirmishes, the Vicksburg Campaign and many other campaigns through out Mississippi, Louisiana and Tennessee. His battle descriptions are quite vague and some of the soldier living details I was hoping to read about where not present. Overall, I have read better books on the subject although I have to treasure the opportunity to be able to read the book as it does capture the soldier life at times and brings more life to understanding bits and pieces of soldering in the western theatre.
Book Description
Governing China: From Revolution to Reform, the leading text for courses on Chinese politics has been thoroughly revised and updated. The new Second Edition includes discussions of:
The consumer revolution that has brought China's major urban areas to the forefront of the developed world and created a new middle class
- An expanding private sector that has become the major generator of new employment in the overall economy as the state sector has shed jobs
- The increase in foreign direct investment which has set China on track to becoming the manufacturing center of the world
- An enormous population migration from rural to urban areas and from the interior to the coast that is becoming one of the most massive movements of people in human history, and its significant impact on the environment
- The unprecedented integration into the international economic system as China has joined virtually every major multilateral regime
- The reactions of the top and the bottom of the political system to these recent developments and the continuing struggles between the government's large bureaucratic structures and sporadic popular political movements.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Resource.......2007-09-19
People who have read other books on China will get a lot out of this, because so much of it focuses on the way China's government functions and the way different areas of the government interact with one another (which is missed in other books). Other reviews have rightly stated that China's foreign policy and other areas are left out of the discussion. Books by Andrew Nathan ("Great Wall & Empty Fortress" for foreign policy), Nicholas Lardy ("Integrating China into the Global Economy"), and John Bryan Starr ("Understanding China" for a general overview) should be read first in my opinion before picking up this book.
Makes things clear.......2003-05-05
This is a very good book on how China actually works. For those of us who did not know a thing about this country it really sums it up nicley. This book tells how Mao and Deng pushed China to make it better. It goes in depth on how those two pushed the cadres into early retirment to bring in younger workers who new about the mordern technology and who were also more highly educated. I also really enjoyed how the author made clear how China is and can affect the future of the U.S and the entire world.
Makes things clear.......2003-05-05
This is a very good book on how China actually works. For those of us who did not know a thing about this country it really sums it up nicley. This book tells how Mao and Deng pushed China to make it better. It goes in depth on how those two pushed the cadres into early retirment to bring in younger workers who new about the mordern technology and who were also more highly educated. I also really enjoyed how the author made clear how China is and can affect the future of the U.S and the entire world.
Great book--new edition reportedly in the works.......2001-04-09
This book is a great introduction to the topic, but is becoming somewhat dated for those who are looking for analysis of the past five years. Lieberthal was busy guiding Clinton's China policy on the National Security Council--no time for writing. Reportedly he has begun work on a new edition.
A Fabulous First Look.......2001-01-31
Chinese politics is incredibly tricky. We tend to think of Mao and Deng so dominating this nation that we forget that no one, not even Mao, can rule 1 billion people without a bureaucracy. I agree with the review below that someone trying to look in depth at a topic in Chinese politics will not be satisfied with this work. That's not its point, though. This and Baum's Burying Mao are two books that a reasonably intelligent reader can read on their own in order to get the basics. This does not deal much with international policy or with explicit comparisons between the Soviet and Chinese states. However, Lieberthal lays out clearly the ministries, their responsibilities and what happened when Mao, in his staggeringly limited vision, decided to bypass the massive structures that made the nation work.
Though limited temporally, this sets the stage for the rise of the Chinese Communists and works allows a reader, without wading through too much minutae, to understand what it was that Mao set out to accomplish, how much Deng undid, and what was actually set into motion within the Party and government when these two historical giants flung the nation at a new idea.
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Governing China: From Revolution Through Reform. (book reviews): An article from: Journal of International Affairs
Brett Blackshaw
Manufacturer: Columbia University School of International Public Affairs
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Citation Details
Title: Governing China: From Revolution Through Reform. (book reviews)
Author: Brett Blackshaw
Publication:
Journal of International Affairs (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 1996
Publisher: Columbia University School of International Public Affairs
Volume: 49
Issue: n2
Page: 613-616
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Pacific Affairs, published by University of British Columbia on December 22, 1995. The length of the article is 639 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Governing China: From Revolution through Reform.
Author: David N. Campbell
Publication:
Pacific Affairs (Refereed)
Date: December 22, 1995
Publisher: University of British Columbia
Volume: v68
Issue: n4
Page: p592(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Tt Birds And Birding (Tiny Tomes)
Burgess
Manufacturer: Andrews McMeel Publishing
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0836210166 |
Books:
- Little Chapel on the River: A Pub, a Town and the Search for What Matters Most
- Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream
- Many Mansions: The Edgar Cayce Story on Reincarnation (Signet)
- Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman (Library of America)
- Mistress Bradstreet: The Untold Life of America's First Poet
- Mozart: A Cultural Biography
- Not Fade Away: A Short Life Well Lived
- Odyssey of an Eavesdropper: My Life in Electronic Countermeasures and My Battle Against the FBI
- On the Edge of Nowhere
- On the Ridge Between Life and Death: A Climbing Life Reexamined
Books Index
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- Period Costume for Stage & Screen: Patterns for Women's Dress, 1800-1909
- African Game Trails: An Account of the African Wanderings of an American Hunter-Natrualist
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Why New Orleans Matters
New Orleans, Mon Amour: Twenty Years of Writings from the City
New Orleans Stories: Great Writers on the City
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My New Orleans: Ballads to the Big Easy by Her Sons, Daughters, and Lovers
