My friend Sefi Atta lives in Meridian, Mississippi. I'm waiting to hear from her to see how she weathered the hurricane, and I find I keep thinking about her amazing short story, Toward the End, which takes place during a huge storm. The title alone gives me chills. From the online searching I've done, it appears that Meridian has lost power, but I'm not sure about the real extent of the damage there. Sefi, I hope you and your family are safe. I imagine Katrina will give you material for many more stories. Such wrenching stories are coming out of the Gulf Coast now...

Update: I just heard from Sefi. She and her family are doing okay. I'm so relieved.