40. Interview with poet Mona Lisa Saloy, Part 1.

40.  Part 1 of our interview with Mona Lisa Saloy, Author & Folklorist, Educator, and Scholar.  An award-winning author of contemporary Creole culture in poems about Black New Orleans before and after Katrina, as a Folklorist, Saloy documents sidewalk songs, jump-rope rhymes, and clap-hand games to discuss the importance of play.  As a poet, her first book, Red Beans & Ricely Yours,  won the T.S. Eliot Prize and the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award and tied for a third. She's written on the significance of the Black Beat poets, on the African American Toasting Tradition, on Black & Creole talk, on conditions  and keeping Creole after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, and her new book, Second Line Home,  is a refreshing collection of poems that captures the day-to-day New Orleans speech, contemplates family dynamics, celebrates New Orleans, and all in a way everyday people can enjoy.

1. This week in Louisiana history. Feb 22-23, 1895.  Largest snowfall recorded in Lake Charles - 22 inches.
2. This week in Louisiana. 
   Cajun Country Mardi Gras
   Downtown Eunice, 300 S. Second St.
   Eunice, LA 70535
   337-457-7389 | Fax: 337-457-2565
   Five day celebration beginning the Friday before Mardi Gras Day. Jam sessions, street dances, cooking demos, Mardi Gras Exhibits and special Liberty Theatre show. Les Jeunes and Lil' Mardi Gras runs for children on the Saturday and Sunday. Old time boucherie on the Sunday. Mardi Gras Day activities include traditional Courir de Mardi Gras and downtown daylong celebration - live Cajun, Creole and Zydeco music and dancing,ff food, children's walking parade and return of revelers.

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39. Interview with Daniel Rasmussen, Author of American Uprising

39.  We talk to Daniel Rasmussen about the German Coast Uprising, January 1811.  It was the largest slave uprising in the United States history, with effects that are still felt.

1. This week in Louisiana history. February 16 1724 Gov. Beinville was recalled to France in disgrace. 
2. This week in Louisiana.  February 15, 2014
   Krewe of Janus Mardi Gras Parade
   Streets of Monroe/West Monroe, Monroe, LA 71201
   Family friendly Mardi Gras parade rolling through the heart of downtown West Monroe and crossing the bridge into Monroe.  The Krewe was established in 1984; by 2013, the crowd for the parade numbered around 175,000.   

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38 Interview With Reginald Owens, Part 2

38.  We finished talking to Dr. Reginald Owens, who was a student at Louisiana Tech during the early days of integration and the first African-American editor of the Tech Talk, Tech's student newspaper.  Now he has come full circle, having returned to Tech as the head of the Journalism Department. He is also the director of the news bureau at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston. He is an associate professor and holds the F. Jay Taylor Endowed Chair of Journalism. He teaches news writing, media and culture, advertising, public relations and civic journalism. He also works with The Tech Talk student newspaper and Lagniappe student yearbook. Research interests include the social history of the African-American press, race and diversity in the media, and African-American tourism.

1. This week in Louisiana history. February 8, 1898 Grandfather clause enacted for anti-voting purposes.Louisiana the first state to enact it. If your ancestor voted in 1867 or before, you didn't have to take tests or pay poll taxes.
2. This week in Louisiana. February 15, 2014
   Fasching Karneval & Parade
   Downtown Minden
   Minden, LA 71058
   318-371-4258
   Celebrating our German Heritage! "Fasching" is the German version of Mardi Gras. Karneval activities 10am until dark. Parade at 2:00pm. Enjoy German food, music, vendors and fun. 

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37 Interview With Reginald Owens, Part 1

37.  We talked to Reginald Owens, who was a student at Louisiana Tech during the early days of integration and the first African-American editor of the Tech Talk, Tech's student newspaper.  Now he has come full circle, having returned to Tech as the head of the Journalism Department. He is also the director of the news bureau at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston. He is an associate professor and holds the F. Jay Taylor Endowed Chair of Journalism. He teaches news writing, media and culture, advertising, public relations and civic journalism. He also works with The Tech Talk student newspaper and Lagniappe student yearbook. Research interests include the social history of the African-American press, race and diversity in the media, and African-American tourism.

1. This week in Louisiana history. February 1, 1929.  Ida B. Leboeuf became the first woman hanged in LA for murder--the murder of her husband in Franklin, LA.  Conspired with Dr. Thomas E. Dreher.  They hired hunter James Beadle.  
2. This week in Louisiana.  February 2, 2014
   Cajun Ground Hog Day
   102 W Main St
   New Iberia, LA 70560
   337-365-6773 | Fax: 337-367-9640
   Annual event where New Iberia's own version of the traditional groundhog, Pierre C. Shaddeaux, a native nutria, emerges to predict weather the weather for the next six weeks…either a long or short spring depending on if Pierre sees his shaddeaux or not. 

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36. Discussion of Judson's "Myths and Legends"

36.  We discuss Katharine B. Judson's Myths and Legends of the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes.  This 1914 anthology includes stories from all over the Mississippi valley.  We have included the ones from tribes in the Louisiana area: Biloxi, Choctaw, Chitimacha, and Natchez.  Stephen and Bruce discuss several of the stories, including Crawfish Creation.

1. This week in Louisiana history. January 26, 1699 (According to one account) Pierre LeMoyne, Iberville landed at Pensacola on his way to Louisiana.
2. This week in Louisiana.
   Springhill Krewe of Artemis Grand Bal'
   January 25, 2014
   101 Machen Drive
   Springhill, LA 70175
   
   Springhill Krewe of Artemis Grand Bal' will be held at the Civic Center at 101 Machen Drive in Springhill.  The gala features a night of good food, fun and entertainment.

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35. Interview with Lamar White, Jr., Part 2

35.  We finish our interview of Lamar White, Jr., writer and editor of the CenLamar Blog.  Lamar has been interested in local politics and history for many years, and his blog has a wide following.  He is currently attending the Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law, but he continues to report and comment on Louisiana politics on his blog. He has allowed the Louisiana Anthology to cross-post one of his articles, “Why 12 Years a Slave Will Always Matter to Louisiana,” discussing his personal connections to the story of Solomon Northup.  We encourage you to read his blog and learn more about life and politics in Louisiana.

1. This week in Louisiana history. January 18 1803. President Thomas Jefferson requests $2,500 to finance Lewis and Clark's west exploration. A week earlier, congress had approved $9,375,000 to purchase land near the French-held New Orleans - a move that led to the Louisiana Purchase.
2. This week in Louisiana. 4th Annual Mardi Gras Cluster Dog Show Every day From January 23, 2014 until January 26, 2014.  707 Second Street, Alexandria, LA 71301 The 4th Annual Mardi Gras Cluster dog show will be held at the Alexandria Riverfront Coliseum beginning Thursday, January 23 through Sunday, January 26, 2014.

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15. Interview with Wiley Hilburn.

15.  We were saddened to learn today of the passing of Wiley Hilburn, Ruston native and North Louisiana journalist.  We knew Wiley for years as both a friend and a colleague, and have watched his career as both a journalist and a teacher.  Equally comfortable talking to governors and regular people, Wiley wrote about what he knew, and he knew North Louisiana.  Last summer, Bruce and Steve caught up with Wiley at the Ruston Huddle House, and we talked to him about his youth, his career as a journalist, governors he interviewed from Uncle Earl Long to Bobby Jindal, moonshiners, voodoo, burning crosses, and his work teaching journalists at Louisiana Tech.  We are re-posting this podcast for folks who miss him and want to hear him tell his story in his own words. 

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