The Houston Chronicle has been publishing a series of "personal essays" on survivors of Hurricane Ike. These creative entries serve as riveting recordings of what, for many, will become a red-letter date in Golden Triangle history.
This essay mourns the damage to a large acreage of gardens planted by Houston's famed benefactor, Ima Hogg (1882-1975).
"A city abhors the darkness. When we light up the night we can walk on the sidewalk with no fear."
Thus concludes David Kaplan in his selection on how one city pub has discovered for itself (and its patrons) a suddent, quiet ambience:
- ...Normally, the place is more of a sports bar, with games blaring on multiple TVs, he said. Working at a noisy sports bar night after night can wear you down, he said. On this night, though, the people were not as loud and "weren't acting up as much," John said. He felt like he was still on vacation. Behind the bar, Jesi and Charlotte served beer. Their faces glowed from candlelight. They could have been 17th-century waitresses. In Ike's wake, there was a feeling here at the bar: This is all we're left with, and this is all we need...
Two other essays in this series are linked below.
Glory, With Flick of Switch
Unplugged, and Oh, So Uneasy
The authors are city-desk and staff reporters, but here they respond to the challenge of injecting the personal into their otherwise just-the-facts style of composing. And they are more than up to the task.
1 comment:
I have been reading about Hurricane Katrina all weekend for my research. This is the research that has consumed my thoughts for over a year.
Your post has inspired me to look into the survivor stories from Hurricane Ike, I know that many New Orleans left for Houston during Hurricane Katrina--some never left. It will be painful to hear their stories of surviving two hurricanes in three years.
Post a Comment