Meanwhile At Jazz Fest
This week's writing ...
I’m in New Orleans this week for Jazz Fest, my first since 2012. When I lived in New York, my wife and I would often visit during the first week of December — it’s less crowded and the city’s beautifully decorated for the holidays. Our first drink together in the city was at the Old Absinthe House, and we make a point of returning each trip for a Hurricane.
Jazz Fest is a different vibe but worth it when you go with friends. There’s a lot of classic, old-school jazz to find, sometimes in climate-controlled tents with seats for the middle-aged. Last night, my friend and I saw Jazz Tent headliner Monty Alexander, who ended his performance with a version of the James Bond theme.
Saturday, Stevie Nicks plays on the main stage, which I can’t miss. Sunday, I’ll have to choose between Rod Stewart, David Byrne, and The Isley Brothers. Yes, that’s harder than you might think.
Wednesday night, I drank red absinthe at a French Quarter speakeasy with my wife and best friend. We’d just been on a walking tour where we’d discussed the infamous LaLaurie mansion.
I first heard about Delphine LaLaurie on a New Orleans ghost tour in 2007. LaLaurie was a 19th Century sadist and socialite (not an unusual combination at the time) who tortured enslaved people for her sick pleasure.
Delphine and her third husband, Louis LaLaurie, threw fancy parties for other wealthy people in their estate on Royal Street. On April 1834, her party was interrupted when a fire broke out on the premises. She reportedly took the party out onto the street, where the wine continued to flow, until the fire department arrived. Rescuers discovered an enslaved old woman chained to the stove in the kitchen. New Orleans had fairly “progressive” laws about enslavement — such as, you can keep people as slaves but you can’t chain them to the stove. It’s just not done.
Even among enslavers, LaLaurie was notoriously awful. She had nine enslaved people taken from her because of how she abused them, but she purchased them again through an intermediary. She didn’t just keep her elderly cook chained to the stove. She prevented others from feeding her.
The enslaved woman had set the fire deliberately, a perilous decision but a desperate one that exposed the depths of LaLaurie’s evil.
The fire fighters discovered a dozen enslaved people in a secret room, chained to the wall in a horrible condition. Some were strapped to makeshift operating tables, others were confined in cages intended for dogs. Human body parts littered the floor. Severed heads were stuffed in buckets, and human organs were stacked on shelves.
The New Orleans Bee reported that some women “ had their stomachs sliced open and their insides wrapped about their waists. One woman had her mouth stuffed with animal excrement and then her lips were sewn shut.”
The men were in even worse condition if you can imagine, which I don’t recommend. The prisoners were all tortured in ways to prevent a quick death. Some cried in pain when discovered and begged to be out of their misery.
Delphine LaLaurie fled New Orleans and any justice in this world. She died in exile in Paris, but that’s not what I’d consider a punishment.
The LaLaurie mansion stands today, having changed owners so often, it’s considered cursed. Nic Cage once owned the estate before losing it to bankruptcy.
Of course, the enslaved who LaLaurie tortured and killed were actual human beings. The murders were enabled by an oppressive system where the wealthy behave as if above even the most paltry rules of conduct. The mansion should stand as a public museum that documents this horrible history, a solemn place where the victims’ descendants in particular could connect with their past. Instead, it’s just another hunting lodge for rich weirdos.
Spring is here, though in New Orleans, it feels more like straight-up summer. If you haven’t already, please consider taking advantage of my “Spring Fling” subscription sale — 40 percent off the usual annual paid subscriber rate. That’s just $30 a year. Thanks to all who have upgraded to paid subscriber status recently.
Before I split town, I wrote about Dave Chappelle and how he’s apparently horrified to discover that anti-trans Republicans have weaponized his bigoted anti-trans “jokes.”
Prince left the physical plane 10 years ago on Tuesday.
Vice President JD Vance is on a glide path to the 2028 GOP presidential nomination — the ultimate booby prize.
Steward Beckham and Evan Stern returned for Part 2 of our discussion about The Bulwark and politics in general. Enjoy.
That’s it for this week. See you on Monday.
JazzFest is such a wonderful time in the city, I hope you really enjoy it. That mango ice treat is a favorite of mine, and if you happened to sneak a little rum into the festival grounds, they go quite well together.
I'm going to vote Isley. Probably less chances to see them in the future.