Rosemary Laughlin

Degas in New Orleans: Encounters in the Creole World of Kate Chopin and George Washington Cable

Edgar Degas travelled from Paris to New Orleans during the fall of 1872 to visit the American branch of his mothers family, the Mussons. He arrived at a key moment in the cultural history of this most exotic of American cities, still recovering from the agony of the Civil War: the decisive period of Reconstruction, in which his American relatives were importantly involved. This was precisely the time when the American writers Kate Chopin and George Washington Cable were beginning to mine the resources of New Orleans culture and history. What was it about this war-torn, diverse, and conflicted city that elicited from Degas some of his finest paintings? And what do we need to know about New Orleans society to make sense of Degass stay? Benfey gives us the answers to these questions. Degass white relatives were among the leaders in some of the most violent uprisings in Reconstruction Louisiana, and his black relatives - whose existence this book is the first to reveal - were no less prominent.

Hillerman's Harmony

Our study of Thiefgave two very important assurances we needed at the time: (1) Individuals are capable of profound empathy and respect for different races. Hillerman presents the Navajo people and culture so realistically that many Navajos are amazed to find his works not written by a Navajo. In fact, the Navajo Tribe has given him its Special Friend award. (2) Hozro, the Navajo Way of walking in beauty, of trying to find ones own harmony with nature and life despite evil, disease, and death, is a fresh focus for meditating on our own behavior and attitudes.