Went, and came back. New Orleans was perfect and all is swell in Nancy's World. Photographed a jazz funeral yesterday for Ernie K. Doe and it was abso-fuckin-lutely grand with umbrellas in the air, bands marching, people dancing, oversized bills with K.Doe's face in them, and the grand marshal who I talked with as his cigar hung at the corner of his lip. Shot the whole thing in black & white. The conference was informative and it was rather surreal to have a load of people of the same genre in one space except we were, physically and mentally (as usual), divided into three very distinct groups: editorial, advertising, and design. And never the twainish trio shall meet. In the midst of photographing a Hindu/Western wedding day and I'm still pulling red rice out of my hair from the Hindu portion. One more thing about New Orleans: I love the insanity there and the city was not much changed from my last time there about fifteen or so years. ago. Didn't eat enough seafood. Did drink enough cocktails. Off to hydrate before round two of the wedding. French guests are off tomorrow...I brought them back jambalaya mix and hot sauce and my money's on them never using either product but politely displaying them in their home in case I ever darken their Lille doorstep again.

I'm filled with kid dread to tell my French guests that for three days I'm heading off to the Big Easy Bake Oven that is summertime New Orleans. Newspaper conference. This will be quite a trip as last time I was there I was chem-addled all the while during what they call Party Gras.
And all the while photographed the beauty of chaos.
And saw the universe's grandest palmetto bug.
This is my most secret astounding feature: I can be in a city one time and the feel of its streets is completely imprinted in my specialized Nancy memory. I've revisited cities and have been able to maneuver about deftly, maybe not knowing street names, but moving unlost by visual cues. And that, pal, is a true photographic memory.