Stteelllllaaaaaaa!

"A high station in life is earned by the gallantry with which appalling experiences are survived with grace." — Tennessee Williams

How loudly can you scream the famous line from Tennesse Williams' "Streetcar Named Desire?" If you think you've got a fighting chance at competing with other Stella and Stanleys across the country, then you may want to book passage to the 20th anniversary Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival being held March 30 - April 2 in the Big Easy.

This is a power-packed literary feast the likes of which can only be found in such a great literary city like New Orleans. Wasn't sure if this event was even going to happen, but I just got the e-mail schedule of events and it looks to be pretty great.

Here's an excerpt from the letter by Board President Pat Brady.

Back before Katrina blew through and blew all our lives and plans away, the Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival began planning for our blowout 20th anniversary celebration in 2006. Since Aug. 29, we've all spent weeks or months in exile, communicating via e-mail and new cell phones. Once everybody was located from Marksville, Louisiana, to Kewanee, Illinois, from Houston to Richmond, Virginia, and elsewhere around the nation, we've scrambled and regrouped, faced overwhelming losses in income and uncertainty about location availability. But it all boils down to one simple thing — we're still here!

Rick Bragg, Nora Roberts and Elizabeth Berg are leading master classes. Stephanie Zimbalist and Rex Reed with be there. Esquire food columnist John Mariani is speaking and you can partake of a bevy of panels, conversations, dramatic readings, storytelling and performances. Wish I could be there for this special celebration.

Anyway, thought I'd share correspondence with Joe DeSalvo, owner of Faulkner House Books about how Katrina is affecting businesses even in the relatively untouched French Quarter.

Hello Wendy,

Thank you for your kind words and thoughtfulness. Our beloved New Orleans
has been badly wounded and those of us who have returned need all the help
we can get. Business has been mosly terrible. Do come visit soon.
You'll be shocked by the extensive devastation and desolation.

Sincerely,

Joe