Obituary Cocktail: The Great Saloons of New Orleans
"A collection of sumptuous, atmospheric images of the city's most famous taverns, [Obituary Cocktail] relates the history of the city itself through drink, an essential ingredient of New Orleans culture. . . . Informative and lovely, Obituary Cocktail is a treat for those who appreciate the fine art of drinking a smart cocktail in distinguished surroundings. " -Christina Masciere, New Orleans Magazine "Kerri McCaffety possesses an extraordinary eye and sensibility for the character of place. Her photographic studies of the Napoleon House resonate with an intimacy, as if they were taken from inside the object looking out rather than outside looking in. She has mastery over not only the technique of the photographic art but its soul as well. " -Michael Sartisky, president, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities "Her academic training in anthropology has lent to her lifetime training in the craft of photography, and to her natural and profound sense of beauty, a quick and true apprehension of the social, historical, and even mythological context of everything she sees." - Tom Piazza, author, Blues and Trouble "McCaffety's prints are startling, but for reasons having to do with dusky formal reductions we usually associate with the early photo-romantics Steichen, Genthe, or Imogen Cunningham. ... A stationary ballet of elegantly undulating luminosity." - D. Eric Bookhardt, Gambit New Orleans plays host to more "gin joints" than any other place in America. Almost two hundred luminous photographs provide a visual tour of the architectural and cultural treasures still operating in the city - many housed in some of the oldest buildings in the country. Preserved in their often tattered splendor, these saloons allow a walk directly into the past. Their histories are fleshed out by lurid tales and whispered secrets disclosed on worn bar stools. Stirred and poured together, they serve up the stories of New Orleans cultural stew along with the fabled origins of the world's first cocktail. Many original recipes for unique area favorites like the Sazerac, as well as historic drinks, such as the strange poison for which the book is named, are introduced with each bar featured. Take a visual bar tour of New Orleans with Kerri McCaffety as she dispels erroneous bar folklore and tells the often romantic true stories that prove even more fascinating. Kerri McCaffety is regarded as a top photographer and is a nationally recognized talent whose art hangs in galleries and museums throughout the country. She is the winner of the Society of American Travel Writers' Lowell Thomas award. McCaffety has lectured on historic New Orleans bars at the Louisiana State Museum, where her photographs are part of the permanent collection, and she is passionate about documenting her adopted city in photographs. She has done so in several Pelican titles including The Majesty of the French Quarter; The Majesty of St. Charles Avenue; Etouffee, Mon Amour: The Great Restaurants of New Orleans; St. Joseph Altars; and Napoleon House. She lives in New Orleans with her family. Romanian-born Andrei Codrescu immigrated to the United States in 1966. The author of several books, he won the Big Table Poetry Award for his first poetry book, License to Carry a Gun. He taught literature and poetry at Louisiana State University where he was MacCurdy Distinguished Professor of English from 1984 until his retirement in 2009. Codrescu has been a regular commentator on National Public Radio since 1983 and is a Peabody Award winner for the film Road Scholar of which he was both the writer and star. He resides in Louisiana.