A few articles about New Orleans and its past and future, as we all prepare for a weekend no doubt full of grim news about Katrina's aftermath:
"Letter from New Orleans," a moving reminiscence by Gridskipper editor Chris Mohney, who was born in the Metairie: "As I watch New Orleans physically and psychically disintegrate, I suddenly realize how much I love and miss it. No American city this large has ever died, and I don't believe New Orleans will, not really."
An interview with Rob Walker from last month. Walker's Letters from New Orleans sketches out "celebratory gunfire, rich people, religion, the riddle of race relations in our time, robots, fine dining, drunkenness, urban decay, debutantes, the nature of identity, Gennifer Flowers, the song 'St. James Infirmary,'" and other things that make the town what it is.
The Christian Science Monitor on New Orleans and its many literary ties
Just in time for Oprah's Summer of Faulkner, the house that the novelist lived in for decades, Rowan Oak, has been so carefully restored that you can almost smell the bourbon in the air.
The Guardian has posted a little bit from The Great Psychedelic Armadillo Picnic, Kinky Friedman's guide to Austin and its musical roots:
Sixth Street is frequented by the young and trendy. Fortunately for the rest of us, Sixth Street is also frequented by the old and the out of date (we prefer to call them retro), the rich and the famous, the exciting and the boring, the heroes and the scoundrels. You could find yourself pissing next to a Hollywood star, a rising politician, America's Most Wanted, or my future ex-wife. Be ready for anything.
Who knew Maine had such a history with the bibliophiles?
CNN outlines a literary trip through the Pine Tree state with author laden stops in Portland (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow), Bangor (Stephen King-yikes) and Moosehood Lake (Thoreau, but of course)...
Sometimes it's too damn hot to get in a car or on a plane. If you'd rather hang out at home and travel vicariously this summer, check out the LA Times' guide to new books on travel that are guaranteed to be cheaper then a four-day excursion and work well with your new AC too.
The Da Vinci obsession has officially reached its pinnacle-no, not another four-and-a-half hour "Behind the Code" revelation show on Primetime or Dateline-this might be even more irritating.
Chateau de Villette, the home of the screenplay's, er novel's, murderous art historian is now offering a 6 day/5 night tour of Paris, with lodging at the chateau and meals at the Ritz in Paris and a "Code" themed tour of the Louvre.
Appearances by Dan Brown, Tom Hanks, and Audrey Tautou not included.
The cost of the 6 day affair is $6,500 a head. Without airfare, but including meals and lodging. While joining a bookclub might be a more cost effective idea, our guess is the tour will do just fine.
Who knew Maine had such a history with the bibliophiles? 
Sometimes it's too damn hot to get in a car or on a plane. If you'd rather hang out at home and travel vicariously this summer, check out the 
