stories from the drowned city

[rm]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/magazine/30doctors.html

It'll take me weeks to read this article, although I will read it. Katrina remains the only news event that has ever caused me to need to step away from coverage. Four years later that hasn't changed; I can only deal with it in rationed pieces. I am deeply ashamed of this. The news is a civic duty; witnessing is a moral one. And I worked for the AP, and let me tell you, I saw stuff -- a lot of stuff -- that never, ever reached an audience because it was so graphic. But Katrina remains the one story I can't handle.

Comments

[cozzene.livejournal.com]

Miep and I were just talking about New Orleans today and the aftermath and the shame of those dikes not being rebuilt, yet. I still remember an article I came across about the hospital that never got evacuated because its name changed and emergency services basically didn't know it was there. It was written by one of the doctors who had to watch as they just all died around her. If I remember right she and another physician were accused of euthanasia when the news broke. I never heard what happened after that. It still chokes me to imagine all that catastrophe and no help.

[rm.livejournal.com]

The linked article is about the euthanasia accusations.

[cozzene.livejournal.com]

ty...I didn't get that far.

[cozzene.livejournal.com]

Yes, that is the doctor/hospital I was referring to. I can't even finish reading it...all too horrible, still.

[laufeyette.livejournal.com]

It's still too soon. I think it might always be too soon for me. *bookmarks*

[imaginarycircus.livejournal.com]

I can't get through stories like the one today about that poor woman they found who was kidnapped and forced to have children when she was 14.

[julesndairyland.livejournal.com]

Quite disturbing, not only for the story of what happened in NOLA but also for the ridiculous explanations in support of murder.

This is a diffucult story to witness.

[mystrys.livejournal.com]

I read this article in entirety today and I really don't have the words to express what I am feeling about it. I am shocked, horrified and not surprised among other things.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

I can't read about Katrina either -- much -- but I got through this one (if that helps you at all). It is worth it. The worst part was the sense of dread for the first five pages. I mean, the worst part was the whole horrible, hellish situation. But we know that.

[lovefromgirl.livejournal.com]

...probably shouldn't have read that before bed. But I did.

Save this for the morning, R.

I'm going to hug my mum and be thankful my aunt (a geriatric nurse) lives in a place that doesn't flood.

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

I finished it a little while ago, and went over and hugged my beloved fiercely.

[adjovi.livejournal.com]

it is weird--when it was happening, i couldn't tear myself away from the tv and other news sources. i lived there for 4 years, and had moved just one year before katrina. now, i find it difficult to read about. went to a talk a few weeks about disaster "management" (that's what i do, actually, but for foreign countries--like refugee situations), and one person was there from charity hospital, talking about things like "reverse triages" and stuff like that. god.

[roadnotes.livejournal.com]

It's a hard article to read; it took me two days.

If you're up for fictional love stories of New Orleans, afterwards (or before), you might try Poppy Z. Brite's three restaurant books: Liquor, Prime, and Soul Kitchen. They're sensual, loving, smartass stories about the city and restuarant work/cooking.