Gleaning My Gutter

New Orleans is still a mess and almost two years later it looks like it may never fully recover from Katrina. Ian Hunter's recent release "Shrunken Heads" includes a song "How's Your House" which chronicles the rebuilding of the storm demolished homes in New Orleans. The song got me thinking about visiting New Orleans and Jazzfest and inspired me to reread "A Confederacy Of Dunces" by John Kenndy Toole. Toole killed himself leaving the unpublished manuscript with his mother. A dozen years after his death, his mother convinced Walker Percy to read the manuscript she swore was a brilliant masterpiece. Luckily, Walker Percy agreed. "A Confederacy Of Dunces" chronicles a New Orleans that may never exist again in a hilarious manner with a character, Ignatius J. Riley, that you'll never forget.

Somewhat tenuous musical connection: I remember reading an interview in which John Hiatt praised "A Confederacy of Dunces" as a great novel. If you listen to John Hiatt's music you know he can appreciate and write a great story. A Confederacy Of Dunces is another great story. Do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of this Pulitzer Prize winning novel this summer.