How much did the rich history of Storyville stimulate your imagination in writing Jass?
It was the research into the place that got me going on this. I just fell in love with the mythical mystery of it. The sordid excess, as one reviewer put it. Then all those characters: Anderson, Lulu White, and so on. Once I was able to bring them and my fictional characters to life, they took over. Storyville itself was such a bizarre experiment, Im really surprised that more people havent mined it. Im glad they didnt though, because its still fertile territory for me. Music sets the tone for the plot, a subtle theme for St. Cyr’s investigation into the apparently random murders of black Jass musicians. How significant was the power of this music in building your storyline? Almost everything I write has a soundtrack. Either I write about musicians, or music plays some role in the narrative. Because I believe that American music might be our most potent export. Its one thing that the whole world has in common, this fascination with American popular culture, but specifically our music.
