Managing Ignatius: The Lunacy of Lucky Dogs and Life in New Orleans

“A real-life Confederacy of Dunces.”—Kirkus Reviews
 
When Jerry Strahan became manager of the Lucky Dogs hot dog cart in 1970s New Orleans, he assumed leadership of the most misfit crew of hot dog vendors in the French Quarter.
 
In Managing Ignatius, Strahan recounts his two decades of hilarious dealings with outrageous characters including drifters, drunks, swindlers, transvestites, and the occasional college kid whose hawking refrain “don’t be a meanie, buy a weanie” still echoes through the French Quarter. As the straight man for the absurdity surrounding him, Strahan mediates disputes with loan sharks, pimps, and jealous lovers—and creates an unforgettable portrait of the delights and debauchery of the Crescent City.
 
“Frank and funny . . . Managing Ignatius is an entrepreneurial story that captures the year-round drama of doing business on the street and the seasonal rhythms of the French Quarter.”—The New York Times

"I love this book. It catches perfectly the sights, sounds, smells, and sins of the Quarter. From now on, whenever I'm asked what is the single best book to read for an introduction to the spirit of New Orleans, I'll reply, Managing Ignatius."-Stephen E. Ambrose, from his Foreword "Jerry Strahan is a storyteller in the first degree, and the tales he offers here, with much humor and affection, abound with the eclectic voices, the outlandish personalities, and the extraordinary lives of the men and women hawking hot dogs on the sidewalks of New Orleans."-Willie Morris