124. Mike Sledge, Part 1

124.  Part one of our interview with Mike Sledge. Mike lives and writes in Shreveport, Louisiana. He wrote the book Soldier Dead about what happens to the bodies of America's military personnel when they die in combat. He has also written a novel entitled Gerald's Star, which covers a long-dead astronaut in a decaying orbit around Earth.

1. Lily the Street Poet joins us from Kentucky for her segment. This week, she reads her poem, "Our Season's Penance."
2. This week in Louisiana history. October 1, 1800. Spain returns the Louisiana Territory to France October 1, having received it by the   Treaty of Paris in 1763. A secret agreement in the Treaty of San Ildefonso signed in 1796 has obliged her to return it; France guarantees not to transfer the territory to any power other than Spain.
   
3. This week in New Orleans history. Photographer Ernest J. Bellocq died in New Orleans on October 3, 1949 and is interred St. Louis Cemetery III on Esplanade Avenue near City Park.  Born in New Orleans in 1883, he operated studios in the city from 1909 until 1932, including locations at 840 Conti Street, 157 Baronne Street, 608 Canal Street, and 818 Ursulines Street. Bellocq achieved posthumous fame with the publication of Storyville Portraits, a selection of portraits which he made of prostitutes in the red-light district of New Orleans. The movie Pretty Baby (1978) is based loosely on that part of his life.
   
4. This week in Louisiana.
   60th Celebration of the Louisiana Art & Folk Festival
   October 10, 2015
   Downtown - Columbia, LA 71418   
   This is the longest running festival in the state of Louisiana. come and join in on the fun for the Louisiana Art and Folk Festival.

Listen in iTunes.

Listen in Stitcher.

The Louisiana Anthology Home Page.

Like us on Facebook.