Mourning Katrina: A Poetic Response to Tragedy

Description

This amazing collection of poems was born out of human suffering. It’s about devastation and grief, the politics of poverty and race, and the failure of society to act humanely. But it’s also about hope and healing.

When Hurricane Katrina ripped through the Gulf Coast, leaving over 1,800 dead and 1.3 million homeless, editor Joanne V. Gabbin was shocked and angry at the government’s slow response. Gabbin—a Professor of English at James Madison University—launched the Mourning Katrina project to help the victims sort out the disaster’s horrific events.

Mourning Katrina is the result of that literary outreach. More than 200 participants—young and old, neophytes and master poets alike—give voice to the rainbow that comes after the storm, the revival of spirit that comes out of the depths of tested faith.

Mourning Katrina is about anger, grief and hope, memory and music, accusations and prayer. “The voices in this poetry,” notes Lisa Tracy, author of Muddy Waters: The Legacy of Katrina, “may be the very best way to make sure we do not forget. Because it’s not over yet, and we must not forget.”