[ilds] New Orleans

[Bruce Redwine]

Pamela Francis makes a persuasive case for holding OMG XVI in New Orleans.  Perhaps she, or someone else on the Executive Committee, should have made that argument much earlier.  Since being a member of the ILDS, I don't recall decisions about OMG sites having, in today's jargon, much "transparency."  I assume the Executive Committee chooses the sites, although I don't see this issue specifically addressed in the society's By-Laws, and those decisions are made during or subsequent to its business meetings, which are held at the biennial conferences or at such times as convened by the president of the organization.  I refer to the ILDS By-Laws, Article VIII:  Meetings.  Presumably the business meetings are open to the general membership.  It seems to me, however, that more needs to be done regarding "transparency" in the selection of conference sites.  Re this matter, I suggest the minutes of the Executive Committee be published on the ILDS List.  If this is done, then the membership can see the selection process at work, the advantages and disadvantages of proposed locations.  Feedback would be requested.  A final decision made and promulgated.  This need not be analogous to the Olympic Committee choosing its next city for the Olympics.  I'm advocating something much simpler, something that would avoid any "surprises."


Bruce


On Dec 1, 2009, at 12:01 PM, Pamela Francis wrote:

> Greetings, listserv posters--I've been overwhelmed with my American academic activities, so I have just now read a few of the posts concerning New Orleans as the host city for the next On Miracle Ground. Quite frankly, I'm shocked that the choice of New Orleans has garnered such discussion, given that a) OMG has not met in the USA for quite some time, and b) this infinitely fascinating city comports itself as if it were the product of Durrell's own imagination. 
>  
> Concerning "a"--hosting cities for a conference of this type require more than just a connection to Durrell. First, someone has to be willing to host the conference and contend with the logistics of moving a large number of people about and making sure that they get to eat and be entertained as well as informed by the actual papers, etc. of the conference. This requires someone "on the ground" who is familiar with both the ILDS and the hosting city. We have been fortunate to have had this in the past, and this year we have that as well, as both Don Kaczvinsky and I are familiar with the city (I lived there for some time and maintain numerous connections there) and have already planned a number of what we think will be exciting excursions and interesting events. In short, choosing a host city does not depend entirely on its literary relevance to Durrell's life.
>  
> But even as concerns "relevance" to Durrell, I believe many of our posters do not know enough about New Orleans to realize that, indeed, it has connections to LD. No, he never visited the city, but I know with all certainty, that had he visited, it would have become a favorite haunt. The similarities between Alexandria and New Orleans have been noted often, not least through the journal Meena (http://www.meenamag.com/) which addresses these connections through art and literature. But anyone who has visited the city will have noticed that the city has all the makings of a Durrell set-piece. Dark, narrow streets, a diverse population, both racially and religiously (including a large Coptic community--I met Pope Shenouda there when he came to dedicate a new church), late night cafes, and yes, dance clubs that employ any number of Melissas...Even after living there for five years, the city never lost its sense of mystery, and even post-Katrina, it still maintains a "nether-worldness" that I have no doubt would have appealed to LD. 
>  
> But the city has intellectual and cultural attractions as well. NO is well known as a sort of "proving ground" for writers, including William Faulkner, Lafcadio Hearne, O.Henry, Sherwood Anderson, Thornton Wilder, Jack Kerouac, and of course, Tennessee Williams (NO is the permanent home of the Annual Tennessee Williams Festival). Because of this literary heritage, New Orleans is home to dozens of used book stores (it was in one of these cavernous and seemingly disordered shops that I first learned of LD's death--and found a copy of the proceedings of one of the very first On Miracle Grounds, which, ultimately, led me to the ILDS). Perhaps the strongest connection, though, is through Henry Miller, whose The Air-Conditioned SKyscraper describes the city in great detail. Literature is not its only cultural aspect, though, as NOMA has hosted some very special exhibits, and was one of only a very few galleries selected to host the Monet exhibit in the 90's--they have also hosted an incredible Rodin exhibit that included the Gates of Hell, which I have never seen elsewhere. Magazine Street is lined with galleries that feature contemporary art as well as the masters, interspersed with antique and junk shops. The same goes for the French Quarter, which features a fascinating culinary arts antiques shop among its numerous other offerings.
>  
> I was very surprised to read a reference to Greek food as a reason to have OMG in a Greek location--not that I don't appreciate the offerings of the Mediterranean, but because I thought that New Orleans' culinary heritage was a matter of record. As a port city, it caters to a variety of tastes (in the 70's, a large part of the French Quarter was given over to Greek and Yugoslavian taverns--though many of these closed after the deportation of a very (in)famous Greek gangster-- and the Caribbean population continually contributes to the evolution of Creole cuisine; today you can find a number of African, Asian, Middle Eastern, and yes, Mediterranean restaurants) and one has the option of dining elegantly and luxuriously (Antoine's, for example) or in a dive where you can still get a full meal for $5 (my fav is a Puerto Rican hole in the wall, nestled underneath a hotel parking lot right of Canal). Fresh gulf oysters (and for that matter, all manner of seafood) are available in just about any dining establishment, and you have never experienced a roast beef sandwich (roast beast, as we like to call them) until you have had an open-faced roast beef po-boy at Mandina's. Much of NO's food has been influenced by its huge Italian population, and one of my fav places serves up a "Wop Salad" and feels no politically correct compunction in doing so. If you have any culinary interest at all, you will find yourself (nearly) overwhelmed by the city's gustatory options. I can only add that my first "Heraldic Dinner"--that is, my first meal shared with Durrellians--was at Bacco's in New Orleans, and I'm fairly certain everyone there was enormously pleased with their meal.
>  
> There are other considerations that make New Orleans a great location for OMG--as many have noted, OMG has been hosted outside of the US for several years. Furthermore, the city is still fairly inexpensive (though Katrina has changed that somewhat). Compared to other cities, especially places like London or Paris, it is dirt-cheap, and our conference rate for the Monteleone will allow us to stay in a historic grand hotel for half of what you might pay for such lodgings elsewhere. It is a city, that, unlike most American cities, especially in the South, is given to walking, and provides fun public transportation (I took the streetcar to Loyola everyday, and enjoyed an inexpensive and interesting commute that few Americans ever get to experience, even on vacation). Most of our activities will be in the Quarter, though we will venture Uptown (to see Lafayette Cemetery in the Garden District) and the Outer Ninth Ward as well (to see the new Musicians' Village). I don't need to even mention music, as I'm certain everyone is familiar with New Orleans as a musical Mecca, with venues providing every type of music, from Dixie Land jazz to Brazilian drumming (I sincerely hope Casa Samba will be playing somewhere while we're there!). 
>  
> But most of all, New Orleans is a place that LD would have truly loved--I've always imagined him at Napoleon House, holding court at an outdoor table, downing lots of plonk and leading us, his friends, in rousing renditions of songs with questionable lyrics. I have no doubt his spirit will do just that--and that we will all enjoy it immensely. So....I hope to see you all there--Sincerely, Pamela J. Francis
> 
> From: rwhedges at hotmail.co.uk
> To: ilds at lists.uvic.ca
> Date: Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:59:32 +0000
> Subject: [ilds] America
> 
>  Actually I'd love to go to America (Big Sur in particular). I had drunk some of Christs tears, an Italian white wine, when I last posted and it gave me a devilish drool. So sorry for being misinformed about such particulars. I really should study my Durrell study, studying the students who study the study of Durrell?
>  Sounds like something Gerry would like. Its all in the spirit of Plaice i'm sure. Beg pardon again. Glad I woke you all up from your Durrellian slumbers. Shame I cant make it with my 1940's fedora and "Read Henry Miller" badge but I fear I would only be a distraction and I have been known to hide bottles of champaigne behind curtains as a squirrel would his nuts. It is true though I must be one of Durrells laziest and silliest fans.....Good will to all++
>  RW
> 

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