Book Club Report Prep

My portion of the report will focus on the style of Why New Orleans Matters. Piazza uses a kind of disjointed style made up mostly of his own personal memories of New Orleans. He jumps from one subject to another in an attempt to convey the unique parts of New Orleans culture. Each chapter usually covers multiple topics. His tone is conversational and feels fairly laid back most of the time. The only exceptions are the beginning and end of the book when he is discussing the impact of Katrina. Appropriately, these sections have a more somber tone. Overall, the style of this book is best described as a jumpy recollection of what New Orleans has meant to Piazza. It is mostly a lighthearted memoir book-ended with a heart wrenching, insiders view of the tragedy of Hurricane Katrina.