James Foreman

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Editor’s Note: This is the seventh entry in a new Dispatch series titled “Where I’m From.” Every Saturday, a writer shares a meditation on his or her hometown—a bustling metropolis, distant desert outpost, quiet suburb, or somewhere in between—and what makes it unique. The goal? Highlight voices—and good writing—from every corner of these United States.

When I lived in California and I told people I grew up in Louisiana, most of the time they would say, “Oh, like New Orleans!” and then either tell me they would love to visit there one day or that they love the city. “It’s so fun.” I’d smile and nod, happy to have a touchstone, but think to myself, “No, not like New Orleans, actually. Los Angeles somehow feels closer to New Orleans than where I grew up.” But that, I knew, would start a long conversation that inevitably ended with glassy eyes.