Jealous Witness (Paperback)

by Andrei Codrescu (Author), New Orleans Klezmer AllStars (Contributor)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Born in Romania, Andrei Codrescu understands the spirit of his adopted New Orleans, a city that steadfastly "refuses to conform to anything that is known about it." When Hurricane Katrina blew through, the New Orleans landscape changed yet again and Codrescu, like his hero, "tolstoy exhausted having just written russia," recorded it all.

His "Maelstrom: Songs of Storm and Exile," performed by the New Orleans Klezmer AllStars on the accompanying CD, form the heart of this collection honoring the dispossessed and the artists, lovers, and cultural icons who have influenced his life. As John Freeman wrote in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, Codrescu's poetry sounds like what would happen if "Tom Waits and Muddy Waters collaborated on a book of verse" and shows why this celebrated National Public Radio commentator is such a memorable and fearless cultural critic.

Formed in 1991, the New Orleans Klezmer AllStars have fired up people of all ages with their funky, raucous interpretation of traditional Eastern European Jewish folk music. Featuring a lineup whose members all lead their own groups, the band's tremendous crossover appeal has kept audiences dancing in the aisles at jazz venues, punk rock clubs, retirement homes, and university performance halls.

About the Author
Writer and NPR commentator Andrei Codrescu was working on a film exploring life along the Mississippi, when Katrina slammed into his hometown. After hosting scores of refugees in his Baton Rouge home, Codrescu released his essay collection New Orleans Mon Amour, becoming one of the many important voices celebrating New Orleans culture, recording its devastation, and awakening America's conscience.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Coffee House Press (September 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566892171
• ISBN-13: 978-1566892179
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #322,043 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A collection of poetry from Romanian born Andrei Codrescu, who adopted the Big Easy as his home, October 10, 2008

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

Hurricane Katrina truly devastated New Orleans, leaving it so it'll never be the same again. "Jealous Witness" is a collection of poetry from Romanian born Andrei Codrescu, who adopted the Big Easy as his home when he immigrated there. The poetry focusing on the loss of their homes and the ongoing reconstruction of what was lost. Enhanced with a music CD from the New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, "Jealous Witness" is a grand blend of music and poetry, sure to please those who want a taste of the indomitable spirit of New Orleans. "Morning": sometimes when they shut off the faucets/i think of the Chinese mailmen/how they must feel holding/birds full of letters./i would like to walk with them/into the small/circumcisions/at the top of the houses/through which hands protrude waiting/for telegrams./because this is a country of telegrams/we emerge from holding shocked doorknobs/between our knees.