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| The Neighborhood Story Project is a nonprofit organization in partnership with the University of New Orleans. |
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| ABOUT THE PROGRAM Creative Nonfiction Seminar Fall 2007 Paul Chan & the Classical Theatre of Harlem Visit John Mac Exchange with the Mowanjum Youth Project in Derby, Western Australia Before the Storm: 5 Books About New Orleans, Written by High School Students at John McDonogh |
BEFORE THE STORM: 5 BOOKS ABOUT NEW ORLEANS, WRITTEN BY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT JOHN MCDONOGH Students at John Mac spent the 2004-2005 school year writing about their lives and interviewing friends, family, and neighbors in Mid-City, the Sixth Ward, Lafitte Public Housing Development, and the Upper Ninth Ward. At the end of the school year, students planned and promoted block parties to celebrate the publication of their books. At these parties, there was food, dancing, and readings. Everyone who participated in the project received free copies of the books. Students who successfully published their book received a $1,000.00 in advanced royalties. Below are excerpts from their book release reading in June 2005. |
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Ebony Bolding Before & After N. Dorgenois My book is about the 1200 block of Dorgenois right in the back of John Mac. It’s about growing up in the 6th Ward and how my neighborhood is changing. There are a lot of different parts of the 6th Ward and I try to get different perspectives. |
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Jana Dennis Palmyra Street Mid-City My book takes place in the heart of Mid-City between Broad and Jeff Davis, where the new streetcar line is. I hope you’ll reward me by buying my book Palmyra Street. |
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Waukesha Jackson What Would the World Be Without Women? Stories from the Ninth Ward It’s been a blast to write my book. It is a tribute to all of the wonderful women in it. It’s about women as caretakers throughout good times and bad, rough and easy. It covers how women deal with losses and how us women make things better. |
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Ashley Nelson The Combination The Lafitte Public Housing Development You look at the ghetto and you see a mess, We live in the ghetto and we see the best. The ghetto isn't always drug deals and gunfights, Most days it's parties, DJ's, and sunlight. |
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Sam & Arlet Wylie Between Piety & Desire St. Claude Avenue in the Upper Ninth Ward Sam: There were many times when I thought we would never finish our book. I looked at the stuff that needed to be done and all the problems I was going through and it felt pretty hard. But I kept my head straight up and just did what I needed to get done. My sister Arlet and I pushed each other to finish and I’m beyond proud of us. Arlet: I am so proud of my brother and myself. Writing this book only made us, and the rest of our family, closer. I want to send out a special thanks to my mother, Emelda Wylie, for being strong no matter what happened or how things went. She always stood on her own two feet. I hope I will be as strong as she is when I get older. |
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