Pirate's Alley, The Faulkner House, and Hearn

Just off Jackson Square (about which a later post), between the cathedral and presbytere, is Pirate's Alley. Amble along, admire the enclosed courtyard on the right and 19th century architecture on the left, but take care lest you miss:

Faulkner House, the ground floor of which is a delightful booksellers named, appropriately, Faulkner House Books. Now, if it is a volume about New Orleans you seek, you are likely to discover on the well-stocked shelves.

Chartres, Esplanade, and Slavery

At the end of Chartres St, where it intersects with Esplanade, the NO Jazz Museum (renovations underway- was it the Old Mint formerly?), a gay club

(called?) occupied the ground floor of the building opposite (pictured) that played great dance music in the late 80s and early 90s, when I frequented the area (often after too many Pimms Cups at the Napoleon House). On the off chance that any readers of this obscure blog can elucidate, よろしくね。

The Other Side: "12 Years a Slave" and the New Orleans French Quarter

Did you notice the invitation to peruse the other side, the darker side, as it were (if such a thing were possible) of the historical marker shown in the previous post? The one about New Orleans's role in that peculiar American institution called slavery? Dear Reader, I present you the continuation:

The Mississippi Riverwalk: Italian Immigration in New Orleans

Let us consider a sculptural installation commissioned by the NO Italian American Marching Club- (yes, you read that right)- commemorating Italian immigrants, immigration generally, and the crucial role 'outsiders', of whom Hearn was one, played in the city's history, heritage, and identity. (Hearn has a few colorful things to say about New Orleans's Italian community in "Ruffians in New Orleans- The Sicilian Vendetta"-More on that later) Because, and a very significant because it is, and lest we get all choked-up and teary-eyed about the message on the pedestal, Lest we forget, and we must never, ever do that...

River Traffic

Hearn rhapsodizes Mississippi River traffic along New Orleans's miles and miles of levee, a spectacle "so picturesquely attractive and so varied in its attraction": Begrimed tugs "like ugly water goblins... brightly-painted luggers from the lower coasts... bearing fragrant freight of golden oranges, and pomegranates, and bananas richly ripe; some bringing fishy dainties from the sea. Ocean steamers... deep-sea [square-masted] ships... barks and brigs, schooners and brigantines, frigates and merchantmen...German, Dutch, Indian, French, Spanish, West Indian... Look either way along the river with a strong glass!- the fringe of masts and yards appears infinitely extended...farther and farther yet, the fringe seems but a fringe of needle points and fine cobweb lines..." November 19, 1877 Today (3 March, 2026)

The sternwheeler City of New Orleans, offering river cruises Looking upriver, just past the barges, the Algiers Ferry serving Algiers Point and Jackson Square (oldest regular ferry service in NO, est. 1827

New Orleans Necropolis

Photos of Greenwood Cemetery. For Hearn's descriptions of the city's graveyards, see "New Orleans in Wet Weather", Cincinnati Commercial, 12/22/1887

Arrivee en Nouvelle Orleans

I located

with some difficulty the Hearn House, situated on Cleveland Street near Tulane University Medical School and the Louisiana Superdome (Remember the nightmare that unfolded there during Hurricane Katrina? Remember "Heckuva job" Brownie? I was in Japan at the time, but the images, news reports, and that phrase are indelible.) Anyhow, the house is, well, really old, and with the exception of electricity and plumbing, probably not terribly different from the Hearn years, 1882-87. One of the upstairs French doors was ajar and a chair on the balcony, and I noticed 4 electricity meters on the right side of the building.

Waiting for Demain: Yanase Takashi, the Creator of Anpanman

I'll be visiting Hearn's New Orleans in the morning, but first: Yanase Takashi's 80 sayings. Who was Yanase? The creator of one of Japan's most beloved characters, Anpanman. From the cover: "No matter how old you are, you can chase your dreams." (Yanase was 68 when Anpanman became a hit and Yanase a household name,) And, "There is someone (in the world) who values you for who you are"(You'll never be alone.) I'll be sharing more of his words to live by from time to time. Meanwhile, here's the famous Anpanman march song: https://youtu.be/TppPiyGfZhc?feature=shared

Revisiting Hearn's "Fairest City of the South"

Journey to New Orleans planned for tomorrow: a demain. Arrivee: Hearn House

Samurai Blues

Samurai culture: endlessly romanticized, the subject of countless historical dramas... Japan's men's soccer team 'Samurai Blue' and baseball team 'Samurai Japan'. However, you didn't want them as neighbors、not if you were a peasant farmer. Watch 七人の, from 1.29.00: the great Mifune Toshio, as Kikuchiyo, delivers an impassioned speech decrying the oppression of peasants by lawless samurai parasites.

Hearn, New Orleans Years: 1877-1886

In 'New Orleans in Wet Weather', published in the Cincinnati Commercial, December 22, 1877, Hearn describes the city's famous statue of Henry Clay,the statesman and slaveholder from Kentucky whose memorial was then located on Canal Street. Hearn is struck by the irony of an inscription on the memorial: "If I could be instrumental in eradicating this deepest stain, slavery, from the character of our country, I would not exchange the proud satisfaction which I should enjoy for the honors of all the triumphs ever decreed to the most successful conquerors. - Henry Clay" Hearn's appears to be the sole reference to the inscription on the east-facing surface of the statue's pedestal. Interesting page here: New Orleans Then and Now: Canal Street and Henry Clay’s Monument | Inside Adams https://share.google/nnQVwg1vRByALTE5T

Out with the Old

An anonymous donor has gifted the Osaka/ Yokoyama City water utility 21kg in gold bars valued at 566 million yen. Like many municipalities in Japan, Osaka's network of water mains and sewerage pipes is old, corroded, and in danger of collapse, which can result in sinkholes and costly property damage, if not fatalities. The benefactor、who made the donation under an assumed name、 requested the monies be spent on renovating the city's 水道管。I am reminded of a family resort at which I worked in Colorado, USA, which solicited donations from guests (the camp attracted the well-heeled) to fund construction of accommodations (cabins, lodges) and other facilities (resort library, playing fields, swimming pool, and the like). These donors insisted their names be emblazoned across their gifts. The reaction of the Yokoyama City mayor: "感謝しかない。とんでもない金額で言葉ない"。

Local Girl Nakai Ami Makes Good

in her first Winter Olympics, 17-year-old Japanese figure skater 中井亜美 leads the field after the short program. Ms Nakai is a native of Niigata City, completing primary school at Meike Elementary. The Niigata City Board of Education and her Alma Mater wish her well.