As one who is far too frequently damned right, or even damned wrong, I’m trying to do better.

The most bizarre part of Higginbotham’s comments is that he seems to know he was being rude as revealed by this comment:

“It also doesn’t matter what my demeanor is, how polite or rude I am, etc. The facts will not change, although your reception of my comments will.”

That comment makes me wonder why he didn’t just alter the tone of his e-mail. It’s as if he would rather justify himself and go on being rude even though he knows it decreases his chances of being listened to. Unfortunately, he is not the first person I’ve seen in the blogosphere who seems to embrace the attitude that “As long as what I’m saying is truth/facts, it doesn’t matter how I say it.”

Yes, H. was right about the history of Storyville. It’s good to know. Not sure why he had to be so condescending, but oh well…

Thanks, Julio.

I believe, and anyone is free to correct me if I’m wrong, the term “Storyville” actually applies only to a part of town just outside the French Quarter that used to be well-known for its numerous brothels. And also served as the launching point for Louis Armstrong’s career who used to play for their patrons when he was very young. All the old buildings, unfortunately, have since been destroyed and replaced by apartment buildings.

And, I believe the first poster was right in that this red light district was facetiously named after a famed reformer.

Enjoy!

Julio

You wrote:”It’s easy to see why this town is called Storyville. … I had a few minutes to walk along the waterfront and check out some of the beautiful old riverboats. ”

The line about Storyville fits neatly into your paragraph and allows you to subsequently express your feelings and opinions about the city. Unfortunately the “Story” in Storyville comes from the name of reformer Sidney Story (http://www.jstor.org/view/00943061/di973915/97p12796/0) and has nothing to do with your usage.

As I care about facts, I’m grateful for this information. I was introduced to the term “Storyville” when I was much younger, and Robbie Robertson released an album with that title. Clearly, with the many stories he told on that record, he appreciated the double-meaning of the term. So that’s how I’ve always thought of it.

But, having never *studied* New Orleans, I have a lot to learn about it. I wish I had the opportunity while I’m here, but alas, I’m in town for an editors’ conference, and my sightseeing time is painfully short.

Higginbotham says:

Having read a number of your columns, I suspect you will say that this does not matter

Hmm. You must have seen the post about how “facts aren’t important” on some other blog. I’m actually quite fond of them. (See my comments on Hillary Clinton and James Frey.)

Higginbotham says:

… it is an impression of the city you are trying to convey, not an actual history. I feel that getting facts straight is more important.

I’ll try to refrain, then, from being snarky about the fact that your URL for the Storyville information is inaccurate. Apparently readers need membership to that site in order to access its pages. You see, even though you made a mistake, I’m still willing to believe that you think facts are important. Perhaps you could extend the same courtesy to me.

Yes, I was conveying an impression of the city. I have not studied its history much, so I suppose I might misunderstand a thing or two about it. I walked along the river for about fifteen minutes during the lunch break at this conference. Somehow I failed to absorb every fact about the history of that place. Please, find it in your heart not to hold this against me. I’ve only just arrived here after all.

I’m happy to learn about anything… from folks who can speak truth in kindness.

Higginbotham:

It also doesn’t matter what my demeanor is, how polite or rude I am, etc. The facts will not change, although your reception of my comments will.

Facts are important. So are grace, kindness, humility, and politeness. In my opinion.

And your demeanor, had it been different, might have changed this fact: I won’t be allowing any more of your comments unless your formidable grasp of the facts is accompanied by some grace.

Higginbotham:

Similarly, I fail to see how, on rereading, you are surprised when people react negatively to the wording of “Seems like at least one Hollywood celebrity is thinking for herself instead of just going with the general flow of “Pull the troops out immediately!”” in your question about Jolie’s opinion.

Take your comments on that thread back to that thread, please. I’m not interested in going back to that old conversation here in a post about how much I’m enjoying my trip.

[Also, none of the riverboats you see are old.]

I saw the boats as I walked by. They’re certainly appear old-fashioned, at least. But again, thanks for the lesson. If you ever seek to address me with a dash of respect, I might actually enjoy our conversation. Learning is a joy. Being scorned for not being a know-it-all… that’s not so joyous.

Now… the comments are open to well-mannered adults who would like to share their impressions of New Orleans. Facts are welcome. Maturity, respect, and a modicum of kindness are celebrated. Fight-picking… fuggedaboutit.

You wrote:”It’s easy to see why this town is called Storyville. …
I had a few minutes to walk along the waterfront and check out some of the beautiful old riverboats. ”

The line about Storyville fits neatly into your paragraph and allows you to subsequently express your feelings and opinions about the city. Unfortunately the “Story” in Storyville comes from the name of reformer Sidney Story (http://www.jstor.org/view/00943061/di973915/97p12796/0) and has nothing to do with your usage. Having read a number of your columns, I suspect you will say that this does not matter; it is an impression of the city you are trying to convey, not an actual history. I feel that getting facts straight is more important. It also doesn’t matter what my demeanor is, how polite or rude I am, etc. The facts will not change, although your reception of my comments will.

Similarly, I fail to see how, on rereading, you are surprised when people react negatively to the wording of “Seems like at least one Hollywood celebrity is thinking for herself instead of just going with the general flow of “Pull the troops out immediately!”” in your question about Jolie’s opinion. The wording clearly suggests that Hollywood celebrities in general do not think for themselves and detracts from your stated goal of getting responses to her column. This sentence was especially unnecessary given Jolie’s history of doing things her way. [Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt by the way have done and are doing a tremendous amount in rebuilding the city of New Orleans. I have only seen a few excerpts of Spike Lee's programs and was not impressed with either the attitude or the accuracy.]

[Also, none of the riverboats you see are old.]

j a higginbotham