Le Salon Annex

Cover shot by Kristin Fouquet Blink Ink #7 is here! Barr Bielinski, Randall D. Brown, Ashley Dean, Sarah Fiete, Amanda Gowin, Nick Johns, Peter LaBerge, Shea Newton, Robin Stratton, Susan tepper, Richard Thomas, Stephanie Thurrot, JJ Toner, Dale Wisely, Jim Wittenberg. www.blink-ink.com . Subscribe/Submit/Inquire.

While all book reviews are a matter of opinion, some subject matter is more personal for certain readers than others. James Lee Burke’s novel The Tin Roof Blowdown brought back one of the most tragic experiences of my life. I confess I have bypassed most books concerning or having Hurricane Katrina as a backdrop. The memory strikes like a raw nerve being hit repeatedly by a dentist’s drill. Some heartache never completely heals; we simply learn to live with it. The optimist in me wants to believe the major tragedies in people’s lives will be the zenith of suffering for them and they will live the rest of their days with renewed reward. However, life is not always so just. When many were beginning to comprehend the effects of Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita arrived, adding to the destruction and loss in the region. In my hometown New Orleans, throughout Louisiana, and along the Gulf Coast, we all suffered in some capacity. Visitors to our region, who understand and appreciate our cul...