Tuesday, August 30, 2005
I'm trying hard not to watch the news, the devastation of New Orleans. One official has described the city as "a nuclear holocaust without the radiation." Martial law has been declared, and at this hour, there are no civil rights in the city of New Orleans. There's also no electricity, no drinking water, and no sewage. The evacuation continues, though now there are fears it may not be possible to get everyone out of the city. Mayor Nagin has confirmed that overnight a 200-ft. wide breach opened in the levee holding back Lake Ponchartrain "at the city's 17th Street Canal — near the city's center." He has also been quoted as saying, "We probably have 80 percent of our city underwater, with some sections of our city, the water is as deep as 20 feet." (quotes via CNN.com). And the water's still rising. I am so grateful that Poppy got out on Sunday afternoon, that's she's safe in Mississippi, but...what the hell do you say at moments like this? That beautiful city. All those people. And that's just New Orleans. There's still Gulfport, Biloxi, Mobile. Fuck. I haven't talked with my mother in Birmingham since yesterday afternoon. I haven't been able to get her on the cell or landline. I'm sure she's safe, but it worries me, nonetheless. Here in Atlanta, it's still a little windy (gusts up to 26 mph) and some of the last cloud bands are racing across the sky. We had tornadoes yesterday, to the south, east, and north of the city. Carroll County seems to have been especially hard hit. If you're able to contribute to the American Red Cross, I urge to please do so now.
I spoke with Harlan last night. He'd been trying to contact me and Poppy, to be sure we were okay.
As for writing yesterday, it went better than on Sunday. I did 1,190 words on Chapter Eight and stumbled into an Unexpected Scene (which happens to me too, too often). There were numerous interruptions, but I wrote through them. Proofreading from Subterranean Press arrived (my two stories for the second issue of Subterranean magazine), which I have to get to tomorrow. I spoke with Bill Schafer, and it seems I somehow neglected to do the cover I'd said I would do for the Little Damned Book of Days chapbook that's being offered with the limited edition of To Charles Fort, With Love, and so I have to get to that after I write today.
But it's hard to think of much of anything but New Orleans...
11:25 AM
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