I’ve read many of Anne Rice’s novels. What I liked about them included her re-creation of the spirit of living in New Orleans.
Her op-ed piece in the NY Times captures it all, a piece that ends with:
But to my country I want to say this: During this crisis you failed us. You looked down on us; you dismissed our victims; you dismissed us. You want our Jazz Fest, you want our Mardi Gras, you want our cooking and our music. Then when you saw us in real trouble, when you saw a tiny minority preying on the weak among us, you called us “Sin City,” and turned your backs.
Well, we are a lot more than all that. And though we may seem the most exotic, the most atmospheric and, at times, the most downtrodden part of this land, we are still part of it. We are Americans. We are you.
Her statement and this one and this one and this one and this one all reinforce the fact that the Dumbya way of leading continues to lead us all — and not just Americans — into hell.