Customer Reviews

All on a Mardi Gras Day: Episodes in the History of New Orleans Carnival

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In All on a Mardi Gras Day, Reid Mitchell writes an outstanding book that approaches Mardi Gras from both a historical and cultural perspective. Mitchell's attention to historical details, his courage to make certain claims---and then supporting them by citing references---and his devotion to posing and answering questions using concise and clear paragraphs makes this book a joy to read and accessible to almost anyone!

Pssssst! Don't tell the author of this book, but Mardi Gras is actually FUN! Reid Mitchell makes it sound like one long dreary class war. And he gets his facts wrong. The chapter about gay Carnival, around p. 144 or so, is full of errors that anybody could have fact-checked for him, and total misunderstandings of the New Orleans community. For example, the Bourbon St. Awards had not been held "at Bourbon and St.Anne" for many and many a year prior to the publication of this book. But the author has axes to grind, and facts aren't going to stand in the way.

Skip the dour, depressing, politically correct social commentary and y'all come to the Mardi Gras, and see for yourself. You will have fun!!!!!!