The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story (20 page)

E
VEN THOUGH
I have lived off and (mostly) on in New Orleans for seventeen years, there were plenty of gaps in my knowledge about the place, and the following books provided invaluable background material;
New Orleans Yesterday and Today, A Guide to the City,
by John C. Chase, Walter G. Cowan, Charles L. Dufour, O.K. LeBlanc, and John Wilds;
New Orleans,
a Compass American Guide by Bethany Bultman;
The Romantic New Orleanians,
by Robert Tallant; and
The Booklover’s Guide to New Orleans,
by Susan Larson. Other books that provided background information and/or inspiration were:
The Most Southern Place on Earth,
by James C. Cobb, an excellent—and exhaustive—history of the Mississippi Delta where I grew up;
John James Audubon, The Makings of an American,
the wonderful biography by Richard Rhodes; and Library of America’s
Writings and Drawings of John James Audubon.

My assistant, Vasser Howorth, answered countless irritating research queries, transcribed all my interviews, and generally tried to keep the chaos in my office—and my head—from getting the best of me. She came to work for me three months after the storm with a wide-ranging portfolio, and has fulfilled all her duties, from running a fundraiser to looking after Henry, with good humor and aplomb. In ways too numerous to list, she made finishing this book possible.

As always, I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support and expert guidance of Jon Meacham, Michael Boodro, and Jason Epstein. Dr. Kenneth Holditch is a bottomless well of knowledge pertaining to all things literary and Southern, and is always gracious with his help. Keith Meacham was insightful and generous with her feedback, and is an even more insightful and generous friend. Peter Patout was instrumental in nurturing my love for New Orleans in the first place and offered up a constant stream of helpful tidbits during the writing of this book. Charles Modica supplied me with endless amounts of caffeine and just enough conversation (to keep me from going crazy) during my long weeks alone in Seaside. For kindnesses large and small I also want to thank Ken Smith, Ken Wells, and Egan Seward.

I owe a huge debt to my agent, Amanda Urban, whose consummate good judgment and wise counsel cannot be overstated. I couldn’t ask for a better champion than my editor, Lee Boudreaux, who is as smart and funny as she is patient and kind. She was an utter joy to work with, and I appreciate her spot-on advice as well as her compassion and friendship more than I can express. I also owe a great deal to her assistant, the astute Abigail Holstein, who (sweetly) whipped me into shape when I needed it most.

My parents are extraordinary people who have given me far more than sustenance and support, though in that they have been unstinting.

Finally, my husband, John, to whom this book is dedicated, not only served as a painstaking copy editor and fact checker, he is the reason the House on First Street is home.