Buddy Zooka

Buddy Zooka brings the French Quarter to life like no one since Ignatius Reilly. In fact, if A Confederacy of Dunces were written by Lewis Carroll, Buddy would appear. Buddy is a happy-go-lucky musician in the French Quarter until one day he goes fishing and catches an alligator, Mardi Gator, who quickly decides to take up residence in Buddy's hat. Thrown off his usual carefree routine, Buddy loses his smile and starts to contemplate his world. Buddy's journey turns spiritual as faith healers show him how man has been degrading his environment and how the secret to our salvation resides within each one of us. Buddy's story is at turns zany and contemplative, and the lesson learned is a profound one that resonates in New Orleans like nowhere else. Buddy Zooka is targeted at readers of middle-school level and up. Tracey Tangerine, a.k.a. Tracey Davis, is an art teacher in New Orleans' public high schools and a native of the city. She wrote this fantastic tale while in exile from Hurricane Katrina in Portland, Oregon. She directs a musical version of Buddy's story with New Orleans students each Earth Day. One of her highlights, she said, was walking through the halls of a strange high school and hearing a student singing a tune from the play. Tracey is at work on a soundtrack for the book that includes some of the city's best-known musicians.