Jazz in New Orleans provides accurate information about, and an insightful interpretation of, jazz in New Orleans from the end of World War II through 1970. Suhor, relying on his experiences as a listener, a working jazz drummer, and writer in New Orleans during this period, has done a great service to lovers of New Orleans music by filling in some gaping holes in postwar jazz history and cutting through many of the myths and misconceptions that have taken hold over the years. Skillfully combining his personal experiences and historical research, the author writes with both authority and...

The life of Stephan Sure, born John Gregory Suhor, began serenely and ended violently in New Orleans. He was both participant and voyeur in the city's middle class, upper class, and gay cultures, yet never found a true home in any of them, nor during his years in Florida, the Midwest, or his sporadic hitchhikes to nowhere. Throughout, Sure kept with him three notebooks comprising The Book of Rude: short lines ranging from insults and puns to social commentaries and cries for help. Born from these rude witticisms is this collection of poetry and short stories that in total represent the...