title: Omega Mae
author: Sanchez, Anthony J., III
description: Omega Mae is a Creole of color born in New Orleans, Louisiana during the Great Depression. Her name, Omega, is the last letter in the Greek alphabet represented by the letter "O." Her mother chose the name Omega, knowing Omega Mae was to be an only child. Her middle name Mae was in honor of Mae Murray and Mae West, two actresses her mother admired. During her childhood in the Irish Channel "projects" of New Orleans, Omega Mae experiences a life of physical and mental abuse. After being orphaned, she turns to prostitution by the age of eleven. Her friends and clients are a cross-section of what makes New Orleans a cosmopolitan city of unique charm mixed with excitement, eroticism, and danger. Her chance meeting with a Sicilian mob boss changes her life forever. However, a mysterious event of great impact, forces her to make a life-changing decision.