New Orleans in the News is a blog dedicated to moments when the city is the focus in the national spotlight. From issues concerning culture to politics to corruption, we try to cull stories from national news outlets, blogs and all kinds of sources that talk about this great city. If you have a link that we'd be interested in, send it to webteam@wwltv.com.
Guardian speaks with HBO's David Simon
After the announcement last year that HBO would create a television series set in Treme in New Orleans, the collective New Orleans population gulped and feared of another K-Ville sham of a production. But then many saw the name attached to it, David Simon, and let out a sigh of relief.
Simon is the mind behind one of HBO's most critically acclaimed shows, The Wire, which like few other shows immersed its audience into a city at almost all levels: from the street-level dealings of criminals to the bosses who treat them like pawns, up to the highest ranks of the city and state government.
In an interview with The Guardian, Simon speaks of how the show is leaving the focus on crime and turning to one concerned on the beat and vibe of the city and its music.
"We're not trying to do a crime story or a political story. This is a story about culture and how American urban culture defines how we live," Simon said in the interview. "What is it about Americans that makes us Americans?"
Simon said he plans to stuff the show with inside jokes about New Orleans politics and culture. He said while the show will still work for a national audience, references to the music and culinary communities will be present.
Treme is set to premier on HBO on April 11.
MiamiHerald: New Orleans is recovering, and offering lessons for Haiti
The Miami Herald's Marc Caputo draws parallels between New Orleans and Haiti in an article for the paper, and how the latter can learn from the city ravaged by Hurricane Katrina over four years ago.
The article points to the Louisiana Recovery Authority and the city's Recovery School District as models for rebuilding in Haiti. The LRA's director, Paul Rainwater, also cautioned against decision-by-committee.
"There's a correlation with Haiti: Whoever is in charge needs to be in charge. It's extremely important to have one person,'' Rainwater said. "Committee just doesn't work very well.''
Rebuilding housing, as Caputo points out, is another daunting task. He says the Katrina cottages and Brad Pitt's nonprofit are good models, though building that infastructure took several years to materialize.
But one resident echoes the sentiment of many New Orleanians in the long slog back to recovery:
"You are on your own," said Lakeview resident Roy Arrigo. "Don't count on anybody else."
