ST. James Infirmary


In 1998, I listened to “St. James Infirmary,” performed by the Hot 8, in a bar in New Orleans. Since then, I have thought about the song a lot.

I wrote an essay about it that appeared on this site. People responded, from far-flung places, with additional thoughts and tips. I published a second version. After more responses, I published a third take, in the 2005 book Letters From New Orleans. That version of the essay was also published here.

The reactions and tips did not stop. So I started another site: nonotes.wordpress.com. There, I continue to write about “St. James Infirmary,” at what is, so far as I know, the world’s only one-song blog.