FIRE IN THE HOLE: The Spirit Work of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors

Please join us for a special evening celebrating FIRE IN THE HOLE - the new book from The Neighborhood Story Project. Editor Rachel Breunlin will facilitate a conversation with Big Chief Victor Harris, master sewer Jack Robertson, and master drummer Wesley Phillips of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors.

I came to a point where is said, 'I've got to undersdand why this is happening to me. I have to pray.' One night, I turned off all the lights. I kicked off the TV. I pulled the plug on the refrigerator so it wouldn't hum. I unticked the clock..."
-Victor Harris, the Spirit of Fi Yi Yi

In FIRE IN THE HOLE: The Spirit Work of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors, the Neighborhood Story Project weaves together the collective stories of one of the most influential Mardi Gras Indian tribes in New Orleans, and their long term relationship with the Backstreet Cultural Museum. The collaborative ethnography documents the deep friendships that emerge from thousands of hours with the thread and needle, the incredible artwork that is shared every Carnival, and transformation of tribe into a more African-inspired masking tradition accompanied by drums. Accompanying the history of the tribe are over 200 color photographs taken over 15 years by the the tribe's official photographer, Jeffrey David Ehrenreich, which capture the intimate, candid, and ecstatic moments of The Spirit of Fi Yi Yi and the Mandingo Warriors.

Rachel Breunlin is the co-director of the Neighborhood Story Project, a collaborative ethnography organization whose mission is "Our Stories Told by Us." She also teaches in the Department of Anthropology at the University of New Orleans where she shares her research interests in collaborative methods, the intersection of creative writing and ethnography, public culture, education, and the African Diaspora.

Event date: 

Tuesday, April 3, 2018 - 6:00pm

Event address: 

Octavia Books - 513 Octavia Street - New Orleans, LA 70115
Fire in the Hole: The Spirit Work of Fi Yi Yi & Mandingo Warriors By Fi Yi Yi, Rachel Breunlin (Editor), Jeffrey David Ehrenreich (Photographer) Cover Image
By Fi Yi Yi, Rachel Breunlin (Editor), Jeffrey David Ehrenreich (Photographer)
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ISBN: 9781608011537
Availability: Out of Print
Published: University of New Orleans Press - March 28th, 2018

During Mardi Gras, spectators wait for the approach of the Mardi Gras Indians, a sublime spectacle of dancing, chanting, and gorgeous hand-sewn costumes. But rarely are they shown the human stories behind this unique New Orleans tradition.


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