Quiet Conversations The Upstairs Lounge Arson Attack

My name is Arthur Severio, and welcome to Quiet Conversations: The Upstairs Lounge Fire.

I left home with a suitcase filled with dreams, a pack of brand-new Fruit of the Loom underwear, two pairs of 501s, and some shirts that weren’t exactly made for a fat kid like me. My mama had stuffed a twenty-dollar bill in my pocket just in case I wanted a snack and a Diet Coke from the vending machine for my ride into the Crescent City.

My brother met me at the downtown Greyhound bus terminal to take a United Cab back to his French Quarter apartment. It was 1983, and I was only 17. I was so happy because I had finally reached the place that I had dreamed about to get me through those endless days of doing little more than surviving. Soon I met Marcy Marcelle who was scheduled to perform that night at the Upstairs Lounge.
In these Quiet Conversations, I talk to people whose lives were touched either in their personal experience or using their artistic talents to describe that night.

Contributors

Host

Arthur Severio

Arthur Severio's story is one of artistic exploration and self-discovery in rural Louisiana during the 1970s. Growing up as an outsider in Livingston Parish, Severio found solace in the works of Tennessee Williams and the power of photography to reveal the harsh realities of Southern culture. However, it was not until he joined the vibrant LGBTQ+ community of New Orleans' French Quarter during the 1984 World's Fair that Severio fully embraced his identity as an artist and photographer.
Severio's artistry and journey serve as a testament to the power of artistic expression and the importance of embracing one's identity in the face of adversity.

https://www.arthurseverio.com