Description
The anthology shares the poetic voices of many who were touched by the suffering experienced by the people of the Gulf Coast in the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina tragedy. The poetry represents a multitude of emotions and reactions, not unlike those evoked by the tragedy, such as anger, disillusionment, empathy, increased enthusiasm for philanthropy, volunteerism, and civic engagement. The poems fall under five sections: ‘Devastation,’ ‘Tragedy,’ ‘Social Distress,’ ‘Accountability,’ and ‘Reconstruction, Resolution, and Relief’. While the tragic events provided the impetus for this poetry, the mission of the Performing Arts for Effective Civic Education (PAECE), a civic engagement program, provided the guiding light for the creative project to take shape. This anthology is the first in a Hurricane Katrina Commemoration series, through which writers creatively express themselves and make lasting artistic contributions to the commemoration of the lives and experiences of both survivors and victims of the catastrophe.