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.
Quiet Conversations The Upstairs Lounge Arson Attack
The Early Years in the French Quarter
On our first episode,you’ll get to meet me your host Arthur Severio and hear from author, Professor Alecia P. Long as we discuss what it was like to be a part of a community that was not only different but harassed for being themselves. She and I will discuss her book “Cruising For Conspirators: How a New Orleans D.A. Prosecuted the Kennedy Assassination as a Hate Crime.” and meet Tamara Chang of the documentary,“Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton’s Cafeteria.”
Lots of great guests with fantastic stories.
So plug in your ear buds and enjoy.
