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The Parish: An Americorps Story
Leo joined AmeriCorps to do something important with his life. When his team is sent to rebuild St. Bernard Parish after Hurricane Katrina, he believes he’ll finally make a difference in the world. But while other teams do the “real” work of gutting and rebuilding houses, Leo is assigned to the camp newsletter. His friends Snave, Cirelle, and Davy have Equally unglamorous minor jobs in the kitchen and supply rooms. Only Kiley, the girl Leo pines after, spends her days saving “da parish” from ruin. Frustrated, Leo and his friends chafe against authority and each other in a town longing for renewal. They’re all looking for something. Or running from something. Often, both. Inspired by the author’s own experience in the aftermath of Katrina, The Parish is a graphic novel about growing up and the tug-of-war between selfishness and service. In keeping with that spirit, Beating Windward Press donates $1 from each copy sold to the New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity.
118 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2015
2 people are currently reading
230 people want to read
About the author
Joel Smith
86 books5 followersJoel Smith is the Fisher Curator at Vassar College, a former fellow in the Department of Photographs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1995-1997), and the author of Edward Steichen: The Early Years (Metropolitan Museum of Art / Princeton University Press, 1999).
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
October 25, 2024
Disappointing.
There are thousands of good stories about AmeriCorps and service in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and other impacted areas. This is not one of them. I found it disjointed, hard to follow, and atypical of what I know about members’ service. I loved the idea of a graphic depiction of AmeriCorps, but this story was extremely disappointing.
There are thousands of good stories about AmeriCorps and service in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and other impacted areas. This is not one of them. I found it disjointed, hard to follow, and atypical of what I know about members’ service. I loved the idea of a graphic depiction of AmeriCorps, but this story was extremely disappointing.
February 6, 2021
I was so excited to read a book that reflected life as an AmeriCorps member, but this left me woefully disappointed. I didn't serve in this fashion so I'm sure it's different for others. However, I loved my service years, and I loved the people with whom I served. I just didn't like the characters and couldn't really tell anyone apart.
July 30, 2017
The Parish is a wonderfully illustrated look at what happened after Hurricane Katrina hit and the damage left, even years after the storm had moved on. The subtle descriptions and dialogue and the very shadowy artwork gives the reader of a hopeless environment, without it becoming a cliché horror look. It reminds you that this place was once lived in. I think it’s a great book for anyone from pre-teens learning about the event. To older adults who remember the event and just curious about what happened after the new vans left.
The Parish follows the story of Leo, and his team working to help rebuild the parts of Louisiana after hurricane Katrina. The story itself takes place almost two years after the storm hit. Leo works as an editor for the AmeriCorps camp paper, The Heat. Part of his job is to listen to other tell stories about their jobs and put it on paper. With that and the fact that several of his friends like to get into trouble, they get themselves into some interesting situations.
I enjoyed this book. It's somewhat a short read, but I think that really helps it. Perfect for killing an afternoon. I think the best part of this is the characters. They're beyond interesting. Each one has some fascinating ideas behind them. Just about all of them belong to this gang of misfits. Even small roles, like the cook, feel like they grabbed the oddest bunch they could find, and sent them to work.
I like that this story is more about a bunch of broken people, trying to help fix a broken community. It’s a very internal conflict story. This makes it feel very personal, which really helps highlight the subject matter. It’s not about the 800,000 homes destroyed. It’s about Miss Leola, who lost her house. And with her prosthetic leg, she needed more than just a standard house build. It reminds you that it isn't just numbers, but real people.
I think the stories biggest weakness is that there isn't a central antagonist. The closest thing to one is, Wayne. He's somewhat their boss, he’s a stickler for the rules. With a bunch of rule breakers, he isn't the most popular. I feel like if he was introduced in the story sooner, he could have played a more important role. However, because he shows up later, he doesn't feel like a 'final boss' or someone who needs to be beaten with a sword. Just a conversation.
Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was a good read and a great look at the aftermath of a storm.
The Parish follows the story of Leo, and his team working to help rebuild the parts of Louisiana after hurricane Katrina. The story itself takes place almost two years after the storm hit. Leo works as an editor for the AmeriCorps camp paper, The Heat. Part of his job is to listen to other tell stories about their jobs and put it on paper. With that and the fact that several of his friends like to get into trouble, they get themselves into some interesting situations.
I enjoyed this book. It's somewhat a short read, but I think that really helps it. Perfect for killing an afternoon. I think the best part of this is the characters. They're beyond interesting. Each one has some fascinating ideas behind them. Just about all of them belong to this gang of misfits. Even small roles, like the cook, feel like they grabbed the oddest bunch they could find, and sent them to work.
I like that this story is more about a bunch of broken people, trying to help fix a broken community. It’s a very internal conflict story. This makes it feel very personal, which really helps highlight the subject matter. It’s not about the 800,000 homes destroyed. It’s about Miss Leola, who lost her house. And with her prosthetic leg, she needed more than just a standard house build. It reminds you that it isn't just numbers, but real people.
I think the stories biggest weakness is that there isn't a central antagonist. The closest thing to one is, Wayne. He's somewhat their boss, he’s a stickler for the rules. With a bunch of rule breakers, he isn't the most popular. I feel like if he was introduced in the story sooner, he could have played a more important role. However, because he shows up later, he doesn't feel like a 'final boss' or someone who needs to be beaten with a sword. Just a conversation.
Overall, I really enjoyed this graphic novel. It was a good read and a great look at the aftermath of a storm.
August 29, 2017
I thought maybe this would be a take that wouldn't annoy me, but it was very annoying. Like it's volunteers drama while not helping people after hurricane Katrina.
Not well drawn, all the characters look the same. Calling New Orleans the Wild West and just doing cliche after cliche after cliche
Not well drawn, all the characters look the same. Calling New Orleans the Wild West and just doing cliche after cliche after cliche
February 25, 2021
I thought this book was going to be about the daily life of running a newsletter, but it was just about random drama between characters that blended together and were not fully developed. The text was also difficult to read, due to the font being really small.
October 18, 2017
Well-illustrated. A nice glimpse into part of the many people's lives impacted by Hurricane Katrina...just not my favorite. I wouldn't say the narrative was compelling, but it was still interesting.
February 13, 2024
didnt get a great sense of the personalities. middling.
June 19, 2016
When I heard about this book, it sounded intriguing. Americorps! I worked with an Americorps member and heard a bit about the various rules and regulations governing Americorps members, plus their sub-minimum wage salary. I figured this short graphic novel would feature more of the same, plus some interesting personal experiences and reflections about post-Katrina Louisiana.
NOPE. In the beginning we get a brief introduction to Hurricane Katrina that I suspect most people reading will already know most of, and then vignettes from the life of one Americorps member. Personally, I found these vignettes fairly hard to follow. The illustrations were nice, but it just wasn't clear to me when, for example, a character was having a flashback or whether a character was saying something in the moment, thinking something, or reflecting as a narrator. Sometimes I wasn't even sure, from one frame to the next, which character was speaking—although that may be due to the illustration style more than anything else.
None of the characters seemed particularly sympathetic or relatable until the end, when the overall cynicism about the program and their roles in it butted up against an authority figure. Finally, they had feelings and passions about something. It just took a heavy to bring it out of them. Overall, the work seemed really cynical about Americorps and the particular assignment—which would be a fine point of view, but it'd have been more interesting to me personally if there had been more on that front rather than interpersonal drama.
As for Americorps, there is a reference to the sub-par wage and visual reference to Americorps apparel, but the Americorps references seem shadowy. Perhaps just there for the people who recognize them? Was this a specific choice to stay out of trouble?
It seems like plenty of reviewers here enjoyed the work, I just don't think it was my thing.
NOPE. In the beginning we get a brief introduction to Hurricane Katrina that I suspect most people reading will already know most of, and then vignettes from the life of one Americorps member. Personally, I found these vignettes fairly hard to follow. The illustrations were nice, but it just wasn't clear to me when, for example, a character was having a flashback or whether a character was saying something in the moment, thinking something, or reflecting as a narrator. Sometimes I wasn't even sure, from one frame to the next, which character was speaking—although that may be due to the illustration style more than anything else.
None of the characters seemed particularly sympathetic or relatable until the end, when the overall cynicism about the program and their roles in it butted up against an authority figure. Finally, they had feelings and passions about something. It just took a heavy to bring it out of them. Overall, the work seemed really cynical about Americorps and the particular assignment—which would be a fine point of view, but it'd have been more interesting to me personally if there had been more on that front rather than interpersonal drama.
As for Americorps, there is a reference to the sub-par wage and visual reference to Americorps apparel, but the Americorps references seem shadowy. Perhaps just there for the people who recognize them? Was this a specific choice to stay out of trouble?
It seems like plenty of reviewers here enjoyed the work, I just don't think it was my thing.
February 3, 2016
"'This is not the story of Katrina, of flood waters rising and then receding,' the prologue of The Parish: An AmeriCorps Story lets readers know. One could argue that it’s not even 'An AmeriCorps Story' either. The Parish is a story of finding purpose and direction in a place that feels devoid of nearly everything—a story of finding purpose and direction in one’s self."
Full review on NewPages.
Full review on NewPages.
March 25, 2016
this isn't a book about heroic people doing heroic things or an expose of how corrupt the system is, it is a book about a guy (and the people he meets) who goes down to post Katrina New Orleans for mostly the right reasons and tries to help w/the clean-up. nicely drawn
this was won via a goodreads give away
this was won via a goodreads give away
December 3, 2015
I received this book as a goodreads giveaway. While it was more unique than I imagined, the illustration was beautiful, the writing was clear and it was a nice, easy read. Offers an inside look into the motives and behavior of one individual who volunteered in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina.
July 6, 2017
Beautifully illustrated but a little fast-paced for my taste. I really enjoyed the insight into the recovery efforts after Katrina, but wished I had a deeper understanding of the characters.
Full Disclosure: I am currently an intern for Beating Windward Press, the publisher of parish: An Americorps Story.
Full Disclosure: I am currently an intern for Beating Windward Press, the publisher of parish: An Americorps Story.
October 20, 2015
Goodreads win. This is a book about some friends who went down to the Parish in New Orleans to help rebuild houses still down after Hurricane Katrina. They are such humble and giving guys to do this work.
October 23, 2015
Goodreads win. Will read and review once received.
A good read that shows how sweet and humble some people are. Definitely worth the read.
A good read that shows how sweet and humble some people are. Definitely worth the read.
August 8, 2016
A bit hard to read, but I'm currently in the process of collecting all of the Hurricane Katrina graphic novels.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews