Conversations with Jason Berry offers an intimate look at the life and mind of one of Americas most fearless investigative journalists and cultural historians. Across twenty-three compelling interviews, Jason Berry (b. 1949) reflects on the forces that have shaped his workfrom uncovering corruption in the Catholic Church to chronicling the rich cultural and political landscape of Louisiana.
Berrys groundbreaking exposés on clerical abuse established him as a leading voice in investigative journalism, yet his journey is equally personala struggle with faith, institutional betrayal, and an unwavering commitment to the truth. Beyond journalism, Berrys deep love for his home city led him to become one of New Orleanss most celebrated historians. His critically acclaimed book City of a Million Dreams: A History of New Orleans at Year 300 cements his legacy as a vital interpreter of the citys contradictions, resilience, and enduring beauty.
This collection offers a rare glimpse into the mind of a writer whose work continues to shape public discourse, blending sharp inquiry with a profound understanding of the human condition.
Introduction
Chronology
Berry: Press Aide to Charles Evers
Mike Winship / 1971
The Catholic Quandary
Don Lee Keith / 1992
Point of Contact
The Dallas Morning News / 2006
Unholy Trinities
Clancy DuBos / 2006
Interview with Jason Berry
Charles Henry Rowell / 2006
Maciel, a Sexual Predator
Marisa Iglesias / 2007
Thinking About New Orleans #9: Jason Berry (Part I)
Jane Ciabattari / 2007
Thinking About New Orleans #9: Jason Berry (Part II)
Jane Ciabattari / 2007
Jason Berry with Allan Turner
Allan Turner / 2008
Jason Berry: Church Whistleblower
Judy Ball / 2011
"Tell Me About It"Jason Berry at the Tennessee Williams Festival
Mark A. Folse / 2011
Rockburn Presents: Jason Berry
Ken Rockburn / 2012
Questions for Jason Berry
Zach Czaia / 2017
In a Long Career, Writer Jason Berry Turns Homeward Again in City of a
Million Dreams
Susan Larson / 2018
Catholic History of New Orleans Highlighted During Its Three-Hundredth
Anniversary
Christopher White / 2018
The Triumph of New Orleans, the Tragedy of the Catholic Church: A
Conversation with Jason Berry
Christiaan Mader / 2019
The Jazz Writer: Jason Berrys Quest to Understand the Place Where Hes From
Tom Roberts / 2019
Grace Under Pressure
John Baldoni / 2021
City of a Million Dreams Fulfills Twenty-Five-Year Documentary Quest for
Jason Berry
David Johnson / 2021
Filmmaker 5 with Jason Berry: City of a Million Dreams
Kami Spangenberg / 2022
Questions for Research
Halley Jepson / 2022
Jason Berry Oral History
Mark Cave / 2023
Jason Berry with G. Howard Hunter
G. Howard Hunter and Adele Layrisson / 2023
Howard Hunter is a native of New Orleans and a history teacher of forty-two years. He is coauthor with James Gill of Tearing Down the Lost Cause: The Removal of New Orleanss Confederate Statues, published by University Press of Mississippi; has published articles on New Orleans and the Civil War for both academic and general audiences; and is past president of the Louisiana Historical Society.
