from New Orleans

"On Clouet Street, where a days-old fire continues to burn where a warehouse once stood, a man on a bicycle wheels up through the smoke to introduce himself as Strangebone. The nights without power or water have been tough, especially since the police took away the gun he was carrying - "They beat me and threatened to kill me," he says - but there are benefits to this new world."

"You're able to see the stars," he says. "It's wonderful."


— DAN BARRY, The New York Times 9-7-05