Each person (or nonprofit organization) had their own way of responding to Hurricane Katrina. The Neighborhood Story Project (NSP) – a local community documentary program— knew their contribution was to produce a publication celebrating the vitality of New Orleans neighborhoods. NSP was worried that in the plans for the rebuild, the local knowledge and places that make New Orleans' communities strong would be missed. In the months after Katrina, however, it became clear to Rachel Breunlin and Abram Himelstein, NSP co-founders, that New Orleanians wouldn’t let the vibrancy of their communities be overlooked. They decided to document New Orleanians as they returned to their homes and rebuilt the small businesses and meeting places that tie our city's neighborhoods together. The result was a collaboration with Cornerstones to produce a book featuring seven social and cultural landmarks that helped revive New Orleans after Katrina.

The Neighborhood Story Project, the publisher of Cornerstones: Documenting the Everyday Monuments and Gathering Places of New Orleans’ Neighborhoods, is a documentary book-making project in New Orleans, Louisiana supported by the University of New Orleans. Through writing, interviews, and photography, neighborhood writers create portraits of their places, then they edit the stories with the neighborhoods to make sure they get it right. The books are published with block parties to celebrate. Visit the Neighborhood Story Project website to learn more about our partner.

www.neighborhoodstoryproject.org

You can buy a copy of Cornerstones at the Neighborhood Story Project website or at local bookstores around New Orleans.