The following version of this poem was used to create this guide: Nixon, Lauren K. “Meanwhile, in New Orleans.” Crow & Cross Keys, https://crowcrosskeys.com/2024/04/20/meanwhile-in-new-orleans-lauren-k-nixon.

Note that all parenthetical citations refer to the line number from which the quotation is taken.

“Meanwhile, in New Orleans” is a three-stanza free-verse poem by English poet Lauren K. Nixon, known for her speculative poetry and short fiction. The poem explores the unique culture, heritage, and ecosystem of the titular city, alluding to its mythos and cultural practices. It follows a speaker on an apartment hunt who may or may not be alive, and the restless spirits all around them.