Chapters 7-8

    These chapters take place right after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.  Piazza tells how he goes back to his part of New Orleans to do a report on it and describes exactly what he sees.  He goes into deep detail about how all the neighborhoods are ruined and most of the houses are non-existent.  New Orleans is basically cleared out but there are some people still hanging on with hope who stuck around.  He tells us about how some of the people were selling food for free and people were gathered aroung talking as a community, like New Orleans always has been.
     In Chapter 8, Piazza talks about a camp called Black River Red Cross Camp.  This is where people who had no where to go went to stay while New Orleans was being fixed.  There were rumors going around that this city was going to be the next Las Vegas or more like Atlantic City. The author interviewed many people who were at this camp and asked if they will ever go back to New Orleans.  He got many mixed reactions; some people said they will never go back and others said they will go back no matter how long it takes to fix it up. As you can see, New Orleans natives are very dedicated to their city and are the people who know why New Orleans Matters. 

Book Club Chapters 4-6

       In the next three chapters I read in Why New Orleans Matters they again talked a lot about food but also Jazz Festival, Mardi Gras and other festivities.  Food seems to play in important role in the lives of New Orleans residents and even a bigger role when it comes to the festivals.  Piazza talks of the Jazz Festival he attended and all of the famous singers that came through New Orleans and some that he saw at the event.  He says that the main reason people come to the Jazz Festival is to "hear the local heroes."  As I was reading this I was wanting to be there because this even just seems like so much fun and a place where all people come together and can celebrate as one.
       After the chapter about all the fun they have, he gets more serious and starts talking about the rich and the poor.  In New Orleans, people are not separated as much due to their social status and how much money they have; mainly the people stick together.  I was confused on how he talks about how their is no separation between blacks and whites but in the next paragraph he tells us how blacks are treated and how it is not so nice.  To bring the mood back up, Piazza tells us about how New Orleans never changes, meaning the characteristics of it and the places.  Reading all three of these chapters made me realize that New Orleans is a place of unity and loves to go by tradition.

First 3 Chapters

In my book club, we had to read the introduction then the first 3 chapters.  The introduction was about the devastation that was happening during the hurricane and it was very detailed.  Reading this was very emotional because it described how people's lives were destroyed in minutes and how most people did not survive.  The chapters we read were about what life is like in New Orleans now and how it has always been.  Tom Piazza tells us about the many musicians that play here and what type of music there is.  Also, tells us about how food and music play an important role in the people of New Orleans' lives.  What I liked the most when I was reading was the part when he said that people from all over the city come to people's funerals, some for people they don't even know.  They just love being around people like them and listening to all different types of music and celebrating or grieving together.