679. Marianne Rabalais Sulser

679. Can love and trust survive amid ethnic cleansing and imperial warfare? This week, we talk to Marianne Rabalais Sulser about her new novel, Like Snow Before Sun. Set in 1755 Acadia, it is the gripping tale of a woman torn between worlds, a desperate rescue mission, and an unlikely bond forged in the deep wilderness. Listen in for our full breakdown of this historical romance. Marianne Rabalais Sulser is a historical fiction author who specializes in bringing forgotten voices and histories to light. Drawing deeply from meticulous research, she writes narratives that explore shifting loyalties, survival, and the human spirit under the pressure of war. Like Snow Before Sun is her latest novel.

1. Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 222 years. Order your copy today!
2. This week in the Louisiana Anthology. Jennifer Reeser. The Lalaurie Horror.
      A red, infernal light glowed, magnified
   By lachrymosal glass and tavern fume
   As I awaited my belated guide;
      So tired of his delay ' though to resume
   My life within the world, without the wait
   Would seem like flight away, upon a broom.
      I did not wonder why my guide was late.
   Instead, I pondered life's approaching fringe,
   To close the life in back of me: a gate.
      Of iron this gate was wrought, pronged, with a hinge
   Constructed clean, but rusted through the springs
   And screeching, so to make a deaf man cringe;
      The kind to carve a stone floor, when it swings,
   Embedded in its plate, an oval brooch,
   The numerals of French and Spanish kings.
   
3. This week in Louisiana history. May 22, 1873. U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant finally offically recognizes Gov. Wm. Kellogg's Republican administration.
4. This week in New Orleans history. May 22, 1873: The "Battle of Liberty Place" occurred as the White League attempted to overthrow the integrated Reconstruction government in the city.
5. This week in Louisiana.
   Lake Claiborne State Park
   225 State Park Road
   Homer, LA 71040
   Open year‑round; ideal for late‑spring swimming, hiking, and lakeside recreation
   Website: lastateparks.com
   Email: info@crt.la.gov
   Phone: (318) 927‑2976
   Lake Claiborne State Park offers rolling pine forests, sandy beaches, and one of North Louisiana's clearest lakes, making it a perfect early‑summer getaway for families, paddlers, and anglers:
   
• Swimming & Beaches: A designated swimming area with a wide sandy shoreline.
• Trails & Wildlife: Miles of forested hiking paths with birding and nature‑watching opportunities.
• Boating & Fishing: Clear water ideal for kayaking, water‑skiing, and bass, crappie, and bream fishing.
6. Postcards from Louisiana. The Rock Block Band at Felix's Restaurant and Oyster Bar.

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678. Emily Zobel Marshall.

Episode 678. Emily Zobel Marshall comes on the podcast to discuss her research on trickster characters, particularly the ones in her book, American Trickster: Trauma Tradition and Brer Rabbit. Trickster characters. Emily Marshall’s concept of the American Trickster explores a unique archetype that evolved from the fusion of diverse cultural folklore—primarily African, Indigenous, and European—into a distinctly American figure.

677. Dustin Granger

677. This week, we talk to Dustin Granger about  Louisiana politics. As a seasoned financial advisor with over two decades of experience, Dustin Granger has built his career helping Louisiana families navigate the turbulent waters of the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recurring hurricanes that shape life on the Gulf Coast. A lifelong resident and LSU alumnus, Granger now serves as the Treasurer of the Louisiana Democratic Party. Granger is a leading voice for economic reform and climate resilience. He advocates for a "New Louisiana" that breaks away from traditional corporate-heavy investments to embrace renewable energy, fair taxation, and sustainable infrastructure.

676. Frances Kolb Turnbell, 2

676. Part 2 of our conversation with Frances Kolb Turnbell about Spanish Colonial Louisiana. Frances recently published an important history entitled, Spanish Louisiana: Contest for Borderlands, 1763–1803.  What happens when a fading French colony is handed over to a Spanish Empire determined to impose order? In this episode, we dive into Frances Kolb Turnbell’s landmark book, Spanish Louisiana. We explore a Mississippi Valley that was far more than just a line on a map—it was a "fluid zone" where Spanish governors, defiant French colonists, Indigenous diplomats, and enslaved people seeking manumission constantly negotiated the terms of their own freedom.

675. Frances Kolb Turnbell, 1

675. Part 1 of our conversation with Frances Kolb Turnbell about Spanish Louisiana. Turnbell has written the first history of the Spanish period of colonial Louisiana: Spanish Louisiana. Part 1. Contest for the Borderlands: 1763-1803. What happens when a fading French colony is handed over to a Spanish Empire determined to impose order? In this episode, we dive into Frances Kolb Turnbell’s landmark book, Spanish Louisiana. We explore a Mississippi Valley that was far more than just a line on a map—it was a "fluid zone" where Spanish governors, defiant French colonists, Indigenous diplomats, and enslaved people seeking manumission constantly negotiated the terms of their own freedom.

674. Leslie Bary, Part 2

674. Part 2 of our conversation about prison reform with returning guest Leslie Bary. In this episode, we discuss Leslie Bary’s recent article, “From Angola with Love: Activism, Academics, and the Abolitionist Future,” which chronicles her thirty-year journey providing post-conviction relief and solidarity for death row and maximum-security prisoners at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Leslie examines the intersection of praxis and theory, the limitations of the prison-industrial complex, and the evolving relationship between academic work and abolitionist activism.

673. Leslie Bary, Part 1

673. Part 1 of our conversation about prison reform with returning guest Leslie Bary. In this episode, we discuss Leslie Bary’s recent article, “From Angola with Love: Activism, Academics, and the Abolitionist Future,” which chronicles her thirty-year journey providing post-conviction relief and solidarity for death row and maximum-security prisoners at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Leslie examines the intersection of praxis and theory, the limitations of the prison-industrial complex, and the evolving relationship between academic work and abolitionist activism.