French Quarter Fiction: The Newest Stories of America's Oldest Bohemia [Paperback]

Joshua Clark (Editor), James Nolan (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2003

Branching across every genre, from mystery and romance to flash fiction and prose poetry, this anthology features the best works by living writers on the heart of New Orleans, with one previously unpublished by Tennessee Williams. It features Ellen Gilchrist, Richard Ford, Robert Olen Butler, Andrei Codrescu, Barry Gifford, Poppy Z. Brite, Julie Smith, John Biguenet, Nancy Lemann, and Valerie Martin, among others. The characters in these works find themselves everywhere, from Sarajevo on the eve of the First World War to Algiers Point just across the Mississippi River, but their stories are all anchored in the French Quarter. They wander, from the 18th-century New World to a rooftop view of Bourbon Street on the cusp of the third millennium. Interspersed with the history of the city, these stories penetrate the standard cliches and reflect the true sense of the French Quarter - its sensuality, mystery, the life behind its walls - and lift the veils of privacy altogether. Whether surrealism or satire, these exceptional stories are beautiful, poignant, tragic, and comic.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A treasure . . . a gem . . . This marvelous anthology says, 'Breathe us in; let [us] make you one with the Quarter.’ -- The Clarion Ledger, Jackson, Mississippi

"A treat of a different kind . . . a labor of love and a present for the rest of us." -- Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World

"Conveys the heart and soul of the Quarter; having them assembled here is a remarkable act of scholarship and love." -- Michael Feldman, host of Public Radio International's

"The colorful and eccentric residents of the Quarter swarm through these stories like fire ants. . . . Enjoy the trip." -- The Advocate, Baton Rouge, Louisiana

"This book is more fun than a box of glue-huffing monkeys on St. Peter and Bourbon" -- John Goodman

"Whatever your taste in fiction, you will find a story in this book to inspire and enlighten you." -- Planet Weekly, Jackson, Mississippi

An unprecedented evocation of the haunted city responsible for America¹s Bohemian bent. Makes for a truly intoxicating experience. -- Parade Magazine

None has ever given us such an unabashed, intimate view into the mindset of Tennessee Williams in his later years. -- Alternatives

These stories are a distilled pleasure achieved through muscular and lyrical revelations. -- Yusef Komunyakaa

This book will be the first one the lit hounds pick up in search of ur-sounds. -- Where Y'at

From the Publisher

Two dollars from the sale of each copy of this book will be donated to KARES (The Katrina Arts Relief Emergency Support) fund.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Light Of New Orleans Publishing; First Edition edition (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971407673
• ISBN-13: 978-0971407671
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #321,817 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Variety about a Limited Locale, March 10, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: French Quarter Fiction: The Newest Stories of America's Oldest Bohemia (Paperback)

This fiction collection is a jam session of impressions and emotions with the rhythm and mystique of the French Quarter as the background. The established authors, Ford, Gilchrist, Tennessee Williams, et.al., stories are predictably wonderful, but most interesting are the new writers, notably Jason Wiese's "The Dive", with his fresh perspective on the uniquely "light/dark" aspects of the Quarter.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Real Treasure, December 28, 2003

By 

Betsy Gambrill (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: French Quarter Fiction: The Newest Stories of America's Oldest Bohemia (Paperback)

Tenessee Williams' previously unpublished piece, a thing of incomparable beauty, is the most harrowing autobiographical account I have ever read of him, providing unparalleled insight to his soul. Ellen Gilchrist's piece is joyful as an angel's whisper. This collection is one one to be savored time and again.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stronger than Katrina, October 20, 2006

By 

Jeff Dwyer "writer" (Fairfield, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: French Quarter Fiction: The Newest Stories of America's Oldest Bohemia (Paperback)

The array of writing styles, perspectives, insights, and entertainment make this book an absolute treasure. As an outsider looking into the ghostly history of the Crescent City, research for my book could take me only so far. Joshua Clark gathered up so much that is mystical, ethereal, and nearly transparent that would otherwise escape the notice of those of us who have limited time in New Orleans. In the aftermath of Katrina, this book becomes a greater treasure, enlivening the fadding echoes of the old neighborhoods, bars, back streets, and the lives of people we would otherwise never encounter.