Katrina oral history series: Jane Trucksis

When we came back to New Orleans, I went back to my store, and I actually sent an email to the DM and said, “I’m coming back.” Apparently, with my lack of computer skills, it never got there. So my manager was astounded when I walked in.

“You’re back? We saw that story about you in the paper.”

I’d forgotten about that story. A couple of times, Rick had gone back to New Orleans when he was touring, and he brought me back The Times-Picayune. The Inside-Out section, which is the home section, has a part called Personal Space. It’s where you’d write about a room in your house. Well, after Katrina, that wasn’t working.

They wanted to know what little niche you carved out wherever you landed. I said, “We ought to write about our garage apartment.”

I think I ended up writing a letter. Then Renee Peck, who worked for the paper at the time, called back. She ended up interviewing Rick. We sent her some pictures, and our apartment in Monterey ran in the paper.

So the people who read this said, “Oh, there’s Jane, in Monterey.”

Jane Trucksis’s and Adam Roussell’s full stories will be airing on Friday, August 28th from 12:30-1:00 P.M. on WRBH, 88.3 F.M. The Oral History Project is an ongoing series, and in honor of the 10-year anniversary of Katrina, they will be highlighting personal stories from New Orleanians. If you miss the live broadcast, you can find recordings of the full stories on WRBH’s SoundCloud page. Check WRBH’s full schedule by visiting their calendar.