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The Isle of Denial

Spent the night Uptown last night and woke to a different setting – a more typical New Orleans view of mansion sized houses and huge oak trees and the sounds of the streetcar rumbling along St. Charles Avenue. On the bayou, we call this place the Isle of Denial because when the storm hit the area remained remarkably unscathed and people returned to their houses only having to shake off the dust of having been…

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The intensity of women

I walked through the park this morning with Loca – we had to walk fast because I got up to the Cabrini bells but then fell back asleep and woke later than usual. My thoughts were a little spacey on our walk, but suddenly I started noticing things were coming in twos – there were two ducks chasing each other playfully in front of my house on the bayou, two squirrels causing a riot in…

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Difficult path ahead

My friends have told me about the intensity of women in love – but now I know what they mean. She’s here now – surrounding me with overwhelming feelings of joy and love and yet, very soon, she leaves for long periods of time for Europe. I’m trying to put her leaving out of my mind, but the intensity of now is coupled with the sorrow of separation – I’ll be wailing for my beasty…

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That’s how we do it

We had friends over the other night for some small bites and wine and conversation. It was an evening of warmth that came through in the food, the lighting, the music and the conversation. One of the topics that stayed with me was the subject of working styles. Academics are given job security, light loads, so that they can read, write, and think about their subjects – to always move towards in depth knowing. They…

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Ain’t gonna vote Republican, I said no, no, no

More than a few of my friends who vote along the Democratic party line have been growing suspicious lately that the polarizing effect of Clinton versus Obama is causing the country to look to McCain as our next president. I say no, no, no. I missed Barak’s speech on race – but read the transcript in the NYT – and I say again and again – it’s about us, stupid. It’s about poverty, lack of health care,…

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Grand Isle – Awakenings

A very last minute decision changed our agenda for the weekend to driving to Grand Isle with Loca to meet friends. The barrier island is at the mouth of Barataria Bay where it meets the Gulf of Mexico. During Katrina, there was five foot swells that destroyed many homes and buildings there, but today, you’d hardly notice. In the mornings, T and I would take long walks down the beach with Loca and the first night…

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