BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss., May 16, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- "No words can fully describe, nor news footage completely document, the true scope of loss in post-Katrina land," writes A.M. in the Morning! author Ana Maria Rosato. The Bay St. Louis native launched the blog to express her "shock and awe" upon returning to her Katrina-ravaged hometown on Mississippi's Gulf Coast to pay a surprise visit to her mother.
The surprise was on her.
After five years in fast-paced Silicon Valley, life in this tiny beach community 60 miles east of New Orleans felt like "walking through glue." Friends encouraged her to share her experiences of life's challenges at Katrina's "Ground Zero."
"Americans care deeply about what happened here," said Rosato, "Just look at their overwhelming response to American Idol Gives Back. Unfortunately, the media has moved on."
Angered at politicians who've abandoned her hometown, she calls Rep. Tom Price (R-GA) -- in a piece aptly called "Four Letter Words: FEMA, Bush" -- a member of "the Bush-Shill-and-Mouthpiece-Club." Gulf Coast Rep. Gene Taylor earns her praise for telling Price, "I wish you'd have the decency ... to come visit south Mississippi, and see what has happened" when Price sought to restrict housing reconstruction funds for low-income families.
"I'm also a big Molly Ivins fan. Her political spirit informs and inspires me. In turn, I hope to inform and inspire others to persuade Washington to allocate the resources necessary to restore the Gulf Coast to its former spirit and beauty."
Things are looking up. Tomorrow, Rosato joins family, friends and neighbors for Bridge Fest as two lanes of the new Bay Bridge open, reuniting Gulf Coast communities separated since Katrina -- and helping to heal hearts from "the heavy weight of post-Katrina mourning."
About Rosato
Ana Maria Rosato's grandparents sailed to America at the turn of the 19th century with thousands of Sicilian countrymen in search of a better life. Born and raised in New Orleans, her parents moved to Bay St. Louis in the early 1950s to raise five children. Rosato, the younger of two girls, graduated from Our Lady's Academy in 1977, then moved to Hattiesburg to earn bachelor's and master's degrees in political science at the University of Southern Mississippi. She held several government, political and tech management positions in Nashville, Tenn., Washington, D.C., and San Jose, Calif., and is currently on a break to help siblings restore their mother's Bay St. Louis home.
About A.M. in the Morning!
Not for the faint of heart, A.M. in the Morning! serves up on-the-ground Gulf Coast news in a style redolent of the region's famous cuisine -- hot, strong and spicy. Featuring often-scathing reports, Ana Maria Rosato's new blog describes everyday life post-Katrina, and dissects FEMA, politicians and more.
On the net: A.M. in the Morning! Web site: http://www.aminthemorning.blogspot.com
Photo of Rosato: http://aminthemorning2.blogspot.com/2007/05/photos-of-ana-maria-in-morning.html
CONTACT:
A.M. in the Morning!
Ana Maria Rosato
408-674-4338
aminthemorning@gmail.com