New Orleans Noir: The Classics (Akashic Noir)

“Explores the dark corners of our city . . . set both pre- and post-Katrina . . . harrowing reading, to be sure, but it’s pure page-turning pleasure, too.” —The Times-Picayune Residents of the Big Easy are proud of its unique history and character. Resourceful and resilient, they are survivors—of natural disasters, as well as everyday tragedies. For off the beaten path, where tourists never travel, is a city that revels in scandal, sin, and seduction. New Orleans Noir includes stories by Ace Atkins, Laura Lippman, Patty Friedmann, Barbara Hambly, Tim McLoughlin, Olympia Vernon, David Fulmer, Jervey Tervalon, James Nolan, Kalamu ya Salaam, Maureen Tan, Thomas Adcock, Jeri Cain Rossi, Christine Wiltz, Greg Herren, Julie Smith, Eric Overmyer, and Ted O’Brien. “A vivid series of impressions of the city in moments that brought out either the best or worst in people . . . a thrilling read and a harbinger of what should be an interesting stream of works.” —Gambit Weekly “When you’ve waded through these anguished pages, you can begin to understand why—as corrupt as it is, as broken as it is—so many of New Orleans’s refugees still long to go home.” —Mystery Scene “Excellent . . . Appropriately, Smith divides the book into pre- and post-Katrina sections, and many of the more powerful tales describe the disaster’s hellish aftermath.” —Publishers Weekly "[An] irresistible sequel to Smith's New Orleans Noir ....Anyone who knows New Orleans even slightly will relish revisiting the city in story after story. For anyone who has never been to New Orleans, this is a great introduction to its neighborhoods and history." -- Publishers Weekly , Starred review "Ten years after the publication of the original New Orleans Noir , Akashic's 'Noir' series returns with a follow-up....Each entry is strong, but the collection is worth reading alone for Poppy Z. Brite's 'Mussolini and the Axeman's Jazz,' a delirious and brutal ghost story....Strongly recommended for fans of the Akashic anthologies and Hard Case Crime mysteries and lovers of New Orleans fiction. Devotees of Southern gothic fiction (e.g., the works of Flannery O'Connor and Tom Franklin.) will also find much to enjoy." -- Library Journal , Starred review "Smith, who edited Akashic's original New Orleans Noir (2007), goes back for a second trip to the Big Easy." -- Kirkus Reviews "A riveting read." -- Back to Books "Eighteen diverse stories...capture the feeling of this fascinating city. New Orleans Noir: The Classics embraces the city's rich literature and spans two centuries, from the preCivil War era to post-Katrina." -- Underrated Reads "This anthology really has the feel of New Orleans....I enjoyed this batch of stories. Good ones all the way through. Give it a try." -- Journey of a Bookseller Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir . Each volume comprises stories set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. Classic reprints from: James Lee Burke, Armand Lanusse, Grace King, Kate Chopin, O. Henry, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, Shirley Ann Grau, John William Corrington, Tom Dent, Ellen Gilchrist, Valerie Martin, ONeil De Noux, John Biguenet, Poppy Z. Brite, Nevada Barr, Ace Atkins, and Maurice Carlos Ruffin. From the introduction by Julie Smith : "A glittering constellation of writers has passed through New Orleans--including Mark Twain, Sherwood Anderson, O. Henry, and even Walt Whitman, to name some of the not-so-usual suspects. Then there are the ones whose sojourns here are better known, the ones on whom we pride ourselves, such as Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Ellen Gilchrist, and James Lee Burke. It was an anthologist's feast--just about everybody who came to New Orleans wrote about it. But there were surprises as well... If you're from New Orleans, the neighborhood theme will resonate like Tibetan temple bells. And yet, surely every city has similar hoods, similar behavior patterns, similar travails--and has had them forever. 'Indeed,' wrote Voltaire, 'history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.'" "[An] irresistible sequel to Smith's New Orleans Noir ... Anyone who knows New Orleans even slightly will relish revisiting the city in story after story. For anyone who has never been to New Orleans, this is a great introduction to its neighborhoods and history."--Publishers Weekly, Starred review "Smith, who edited Akashic's original New Orleans Noir (2007), gus back for a second trip to the Big Easy."--Kirkus Reviews Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each volume comprises stories set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. Classic reprints from: James Lee Burke, Armand Lanusse, Grace King, Kate Chopin, O. Henry, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, Shirley Ann Grau, John William Corrington, Tom Dent, Ellen Gilchrist, Valerie Martin, O'Neil De Noux, John Biguenet, Poppy Z. Brite, Nevada Barr, Ace Atkins, and Maurice Carlos Ruffin. From the introduction by Julie Smith: "A glittering constellation of writers has passed through New Orleans--including Mark Twain, Sherwood Anderson, O. Henry, and even Walt Whitman, to name some of the not-so-usual suspects. Then there are the ones whose sojourns here are better known, the ones on whom we pride ourselves, such as Tennessee Williams, William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Ellen Gilchrist, and James Lee Burke. It was an anthologist's feast--just about everybody who came to New Orleans wrote about it. But there were surprises as well ... If you're from New Orleans, the neighborhood theme will resonate like Tibetan temple bells. And yet, surely every city has similar hoods, similar behavior patterns, similar travails--and has had them forever. 'Indeed, ' wrote Voltaire, 'history is nothing more than a tableau of crimes and misfortunes.'" Akashic Books Continues Its Award-winning Series Of Original Noir Anthologies, Launched In 2004 With Brooklyn Noir. Each Volume Comprises Stories Set In A Distinct Neighborhood Or Location Within The Respective City. This Sequel To The Original Best-selling New Orleans Noir Takes A Literary Tour Through Some Of The Darkest Writing In New Orlean History.-- A Marriage Of Conscience / Armand Lanusse -- The Little Convent Girl / Grace King -- The Story Of An Hour / Kate Chopin -- Whistling Dick's Christmas Stocking / O. Henry -- The Purple Hat / Eudora Welty -- Desire And The Black Masseur / Tennessee Williams -- Miss Yellow Eyes / Shirley Ann Grau -- Pleadings / John William Corrington -- Ritual Murder / Tom Dent -- Rich / Ellen Gilchrist -- Spats / Valerie Martin -- The Man With The Moon Hands / O'neil De Noux -- Rose / John Biguenet -- Mussolini And The Axeman's Jazz / Poppy Z. Brite -- Gdmfsob / Nevada Barr -- Jesus Out To Sea / James Lee Burke -- Last Fair Deal Gone Down / Ace Atkins -- Pie Man / Maurice Carlos Ruffin. Edited By Julie Smith. Akashic Books continues its award-winning series of original noir anthologies, launched in 2004 with Brooklyn Noir. Each volume comprises stories set in a distinct neighborhood or location within the respective city. This sequel to the original best-selling New Orleans Noir takes a literary tour through some of the darkest writing in New Orlean history.-- provided by publisher