1 Dead in Attic

Chris Rose, the Author of 1 Dead in Attic, is a columnist for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans. In his book of mostly articles based on Hurricane Katrina, he writes of life after. Never once in my life would I expect to find such humble writings besides biblical. Based on his own observation, in his hometown of New Orleans, he writes a story that should be told to everyone…he writes history. History in the making, yes! But also that history, becomes our story, his story.

I was delighted and saddened by the very first pages of 1 Dead in Attic. Almost like a whisper and then a scream, the pages captured me. Hundreds of people lost their lives, but it was a house that read “1 Dead in Attic”, that inspired a great book. A lot can be learned from such an experience and writing.

In one of his articles he wrote, he explains about life and the things not often cherished. For instance: “Amid the devastation, you have to look for hope. Forward progress of any kind. Even the smallest of incidents of routine and normalcy become reassuring. Example, I was driving down Prytania, and at the corner of Felicity , the light turned red. Out of no where, in total desolation, there was a working stop –light. And the funny thing is, I stopped. I waited for it to turn green, and then I drove slowly on my way, even though there were no other cars anywhere and the likelihood of getting a ticket for running the only working traffic light in town seems very unlikely. Considering. Also on Prytania, there was a gardener watering the plants on Nicolas’ Cage front porch. I guess that’s a good sign, life goes on in small ways”.

Among the big name reporters and news stations huddled up in New Orleans, there stood a sound and reassuring voice. A voice the only one can have after seeing his home destroyed, Chris Rose. While all the other reporters honed in on devastation, he simply writes…”Today in New Orleans, a traffic light worked. Someone watered their flowers. It’s a start.”


I often thought that devastation was a bad story parents told children about. I did, however, see it first hand as a 10 year old, living in Florida. Somewhere, somehow, I relate to the people of hurricane Katrina. And in a lot of ways I absorb their culture and traditions. And no, I have yet to suck the juices from the head of a crawfish. That just seems gross!