“In the United States, failure is seen as a sin. In New Orleans we treasure our successes but we embrace life on its way down as well. Our failures come back home, and are afforded a respect they wouldn’t get anywhere else.” —John Biguenet

In this episode of Deviate, John Biguenet and Rolf discuss the first three centuries of New Orleans history and how history influences the city today (2:45); how Hurricane Katrina affected the city and its residents in 2005 and the months/years after (9:30); why so many locals decided to stay in New Orleans after Katrina, and what makes the city special (30:30); local and national institutional shortcomings, and lessons learned (and unlearned) after Katrina (38:20); and the social and environmental factors that will put New Orleans at risk in coming years (48:00).

John Biguenet (@JohnBiguenet) is an author, playwright, and social commentator. He is the author of ten books, including the short-story collection The Torturer’s Apprentice, and the novel Oyster. His poems, stories, plays, and essays have been reprinted or cited in The Best American Mystery Stories, The O. Henry Awards, The Best American Short Stories, Best Music Writing, and various other anthologies. He is currently the Robert Hunter Distinguished University Professor at Loyola University in New Orleans. Named a New York Times guest columnist after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, Biguenet chronicled his return to New Orleans amid efforts to rebuild the city.

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The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

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