A Louisiana National Guard blackhawk flies over marshland on April 19, 2011 in route to Middle Ground in southern Louisiana.

Louisiana Doesn't Look Like What You Think It Looks Like

On the Media | Aug 26, 2016

According to a famous statistic, Louisiana is losing about a football field of land every hour due to coastal erosion. That's 16 square miles lost every year; between the 1930s and 2000, land mass equaling the size of Delaware disappeared.

So why hasn't the shape of the state changed? Why do we still see the iconic boot as the symbol of Louisiana? 

In 2014, Brett Anderson of the Times-Picayune wrote "Louisiana Loses Its Boot" for the website Matter. The piece proposes a radical reassessment of what we think of as "Louisiana," a new symbol that doesn't include marshland as solid land. Anderson talks to Brooke about why his map still isn't accurate, but why he hopes it'll start a conversation.

Song:

"It's Raining" by Irma Thomas

WNYC is funded by sponsors and member donations

Top Stories

Voter data shows lower turnout, but pockets of engagement boosted insurgent candidates

A total of 531,000 New Yorkers voted in this year’s primary, less than half of those who turned out for last year’s mayoral contest.
Gothamist |

Feds indict former Mayor Adams adviser Frank Carone in migrant housing bribery scheme

One of former Mayor Eric Adams' oldest and closest allies was arrested Wednesday on federal corruption charges, joining a growing roster of Adams aides facing prosecution.
Gothamist |

Primary Day Results

Brigid Bergin and Michael Lange talk about the results from New York's primary election.
The Brian Lehrer Show |

Inside the Trump White House

Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan talk about their new book and the inner workings of the Trump White House.
The Brian Lehrer Show |
YOU ARE ONLINE