Michael Tisserand, who wrote the "Submerged" series about the evacuee experience in post-Katrina New Orleans, argues for a National Mardi Gras in the Jan. 24 issue of Gambit Weekly. "It's time to honor the dead and celebrate the living," Tisserand writes. The article is available to AAN member newspapers for reprint at no charge.
Gambit Weekly's annual "Best of New Orleans" issue was printed but never distributed, thanks to Hurricane Katrina. Gambit printed an abbreviated list of winners in October, but the paper received many requests for the full issue. The Gambit staff decided to sell the issue for $10 per copy, with proceeds benefiting The Foundation for Entertainment Development and Education, Inc., a nonprofit organization that funds projects and programs that acknowledge the importance of the performing arts to the New Orleans area. In a press release, publisher Margo DuBos said, "We hope that interested AAN members will run an ad promoting the sales of the issue on a space-available basis." The ad can be viewed here; for a different size or file format, contact Rebecca Thiel at rebeccat@gambitweekly.com.
According to the The Times-Picayune in New Orleans, Tisserand is one of four plaintiffs suing in federal court to overturn Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco's decision to postpone the city's mayoral and City Council elections indefinitely. Tisserand plans to relocate to the Chicago suburbs. He chronicled his post-Katrina experiences and decision to leave New Orleans in "Submerged," a series of articles commissioned by AAN.
Now that it has distributed a total of $2,797.71 to each of Gambit Weekly's 48 staffers, AAN has closed the relief fund designed to help the paper's employees overcome the blow delivered by Hurricane Katrina. In the 10 weeks since it was established, the Gambit Relief Fund received donations totaling $135,558 from 33 organizations and more than 240 individuals. A complete list of contributors appears at the bottom of the story.
Two months after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, the city's alt-weekly is hitting the streets with a new issue and a focus on the city's future. Given that those streets are still dominated by trash, debris and discarded refrigerators, Gambit's speedy return feels like a triumph. The 64-page issue is being distributed wherever people are returning to live and work, and publisher Margo DuBos says that she has been thrilled with the community's response.
Even though Hurricane Katrina left its office (pictured) submerged under more than two feet of water, co-owners Margo and Clancy DuBos always knew the paper would make a comeback. "We're about to celebrate our 25th anniversary [at Gambit]," says Margo. "How could I work that hard and get the company where it is and walk away from that?" The paper will initially operate from a temporary office space in Metairie, La., but it will have to do so without editor Michael Tisserand, who has made the difficult decision to relocate with his family to the Chicago area.
