What It Means to Miss New Orleans

In two short essays and one long piece of reportage, author and screenwriter Mark Childress ("Crazy in Alabama," "One Mississippi," "Georgia Bottoms") explores New Orleans before, during, and after Katrina. Essays: "What It Means to Miss New Orleans" originally appeared in the New York Times, "Disaster Tourism" in Salon magazine, and "The Tragic City Laughs" in The Birmingham News. All proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity. Approximately 9000 words.


Mark Childress was born in Monroeville, Alabama and grew up in the Midwest and the South. After working as a reporter and editor for The Birmingham News, Southern Living magazine, and The Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Childress published the first of his seven novels: A World Made of Fire, V For Victor, Tender, Crazy in Alabama, Gone for Good, One Mississippi, and Georgia Bottoms. He also wrote the award-winning screenplay for the Columbia Pictures production of "Crazy in Alabama," and has written three books for children. His articles and reeviews have appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Times of London, San Francisco Chronicle, Saturday Review, Chicago Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, Travel and Leisure, and other national and international publications. He lives in Key West, Florida.