In I Want Magic, author C.W. Cannon examines New Orleans through the eyes of a native, exploring the tension between New Orleans's exceptionalism and Americanism, its identity since Katrina, and its role within the nation and South's racial consciousness. This collection of thirty-five essays-previously published over the last decade-highlights the differing ways in which the city is perceived by locals, visitors, distant onlookers, media creators, and scholars through a variety of New Orleans-specific topics, including Mardi Gras, crime, tourism, authenticity, gentrification, monument removals, and more. These thought-provoking essays reconsider New Orleans and its relation to the rest of the state, the South, and the country.