A year ago eight young vagabonds perished in a squat fire in New Orleans’ 9th Ward. Who were they? How did they end up in that place on that night? What forces drew them onto the rails, and what did they leave behind? My story, published in The Boston Review today, is an attempt to answer those questions.
10/5/93 – 12/28/10 Melissa Martinez was stunning, that was the one thing everyone who knew her said. She was lanky with long, shapely legs, and a trim, muscular body that reflected how much she loved the surfing, rock climbing and riding her horse. The standout feature among all of these was her face with her … Melissa Martinez
10/6/85 – 12/28/10 Although Sammy Thompson had lived the longest in New Orleans, he was the last one to be claimed at the coroner’s office after the fire. In many ways, Sammy had broken free of his family years earlier and replaced them with a family of the heart he found in the rutted streets … Sammy Thompson
2/11/87 – 12/28/10 Tony Zaleta’s mom Shelia doesn’t like to talk about her son’s death. Her silence is a reflection of her grief, but it’s also a tradition of her tribe. “We are Lakota Sioux,” Shelia wrote in response to a message. “Speaking of our dead is not ‘permitted’ if you will. That is our … Anthonie “Tony” Zaleta
7/13/89 – 12/28/10 Katie Simianer had a premonition she would die young, her mother Marty Goslee Jaramillo said, but no one thought that day would come before she turned 22. Katie was finishing her high school degree in the welding program at the Pine Ridge Job Corps near the Black Hills in 2009 when she … Katie Simianer
Jonathan Guerrero was a generous guy, an old soul in a young body, his aunt Tammy Watson said. He had a big heart for the down and out, the people who had no food, nor any place to stay. When he was 14, his mom Karen Guerrero started taking him to the Atlanta Bread Company … Jonathan Guerrero