241. Heather Nathans.

241. Heather Nathans tells us about Jewish dramas in the 19th century, especially as they relate to New Orleans drama. Her primary areas of scholarly interest include American theatre and drama, African American theatre, Jewish American theatre, musical theatre, 17th and 18th century French theatre, theatre historiography, English Restoration drama, and directing.

1. This week in Louisiana history. December 30, 1791. Gov. Carondelet takes control of Louisiana.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Storyland Dedication. December 30, 1956. Storyland in City Park was filled with Nursery Rhyme figures created by a young man who would become the most noted Mardi Gras float builder in the city; it was funded by an older man who owned and operated the most popular amusement park in the south.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   New Year's Eve in New Orleans
   In New Orleans, we celebrate New Year's Eve a little bit different from most places. Sure, we have funny hats and noisemakers (if you want them), but we add a little pizzazz to the occasion by ringing in the New Year our own way.  For the biggest party in the city, head down to Jackson Square – the Quarter is packed with festive partygoers eager to count down the time until the New Year arrives. And because New Orleans does everything a little differently, don’t expect your run of the mill New Years ball drop; instead “Baby New Year” drops from its perch on the top of Jax Brewery followed by a magnificent fireworks show over the Mississippi. Follow the crowds to Bourbon Street and party til’ the early morning, or break away from the group and find your own special spot to celebrate in.
   
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Bruce meets Eve the Rib busking on Royal St.

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240. Jack Bedell, part 2

240. Part 2 of our interview with poet laureate Jack Bedell. Jack has written nine books of poetry, and teaches creative writing to Southeastern students. He is a native of the Houma-Thibodaux area and joined the Southeastern faculty in 1992. In addition to teaching, he is editor of “Louisiana Literature,” a literary journal published by Southeastern, and serves as director of Louisiana Literature Press.

1. This week in Louisiana history. December 23, 1794. St. Louis Cathedral dedicated.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Wirthbru Beer was "created for New Orleans and the South" "Weigelstyle" (on the label) apparently refers to the Weigelwerk equipment used in the brewery which was, in fact, cutting edge in its day, allowing for quality control to produce a consistently good product. 
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Annual Greening of the Museum
   December 1st, 2017 - December 25th, 2017
   9:00 am - 4:00 pm
   Louisiana State Exhibit Museum
   3015 Greenwood Rd.,
   Shreveport, LA 71109
   318-632-2020
   Louisiana State Exhibit Museum
   Each year Louisiana State Exibit Museum invites third grade students from Caddo Parish schools to the museum for a day of holiday celebration. Students enjoy the traditional tree decorating contest in which classes from each school will decorate a tree in the years' theme with ornaments they have constructed in art class. After decorating their tree, students will enjoy a performance. The morning ends with the announcement of the holiday tree contest winners. The museum holiday tree and the students'trees will remain on display throughout the holiday season.
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Poet David Middleton reads "A Christmas Play."

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239. Jack Bedell, part 1

239. Part 1 of our interview with Jack Bedell, Louisiana's new Poet Laureate. Jack has written nine books of poetry, and teaches creative writing to Southeastern students. He is a native of the Houma-Thibodaux area and joined the Southeastern faculty in 1992. In addition to teaching, he is editor of “Louisiana Literature,” a literary journal published by Southeastern, and serves as director of Louisiana Literature Press.

1. This week in Louisiana history. December 16, 1935. Huey P. Long Bridge at New Orleans dedicated.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Beloved writer, cook, broadcaster, and lover of  New Orleans,  Frank   Joseph Davis passed away on December 9, 2013. He served New Orleans television station WWL-TV and its radio affiliate WWL-AM, from 1974 until his health-related retirement in 2011. Davis authored several cookbooks and other reference guides to the cuisine of New Orleans and to South Louisiana seafood. His culinary legacy included "bronzing," a toned-down version of blackening. He invented the "Strictly N'Awlins" series of seasonings. Davis's culinary papers were donated to the Southern Food and Beverage (SoFab) Culinary Library and Institute subsequent to his death.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Joe Krown Trio plus Seither's Seafood Crawfish Boil
   Sunday, December 3
   10:00 PM
   Venue information:
   Maple Leaf Bar
   8316 Oak St.
   New Orleans, LA 70118
   504.866.9359
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Bruce listens to the Big Dixie Swingers on Frenchman Street in New Orleans.

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238. Omar el Akkad, part 2

238. Part 2 of our interview with Omar el Akkad. American War is the first novel by Canadian-Egyptian journalist Omar El Akkad. It is set in a near-future United States of America ravaged by climate change in which a second Civil War has broken out over the use of fossil fuels. The story is told by Benjamin Chestnut about his aunt Sarat, and is told through narrative chapters interspersed with fictional primary documents collected by the narrator.

1. This week in Louisiana history. December 9, 1872. PBS Pinchback became first (& so far only) black governor of Louisiana.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Frank Davis Dies. December 9, 2013.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Holiday Tour of Homes - Natchitoches Historic Foundation
   January 18th, 2017
   Throughout Natchitoches
   780 Front Street, Ste. 100,
   Natchitoches, LA 71457
   800-259-1714 | 800-259-1714
   Website | Email
   Throughout Natchitoches
   Beautiful homes, seasonal decorations, refreshments and music. Candlelight and day tours in the City of Lights.
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Bruce listens to twins singing a duet on Decatur Street in front of St. Louis Cathedral.

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237. Omar el Akkad, part 1

237. Part 1 of our interview with Omar el Akkad. American War is the first novel by Canadian-Egyptian journalist Omar El Akkad. It is set in a near-future United States of America ravaged by climate change in which a second Civil War has broken out over the use of fossil fuels. The story is told by Benjamin Chestnut about his aunt Sarat, and is told through narrative chapters interspersed with fictional primary documents collected by the narrator.

1. This week in Louisiana history. November 2, 1981. Britney Spears born in Kentwood, Louisiana.
2. This week in New Orleans history. December 2, 1981,  the Rolling Stones checked into Royal Orleans hotel. Mick Jagger's paramour, Jerry Hall, was by his side. He was 38 years old.  After they dined at Broussard's, along with the band's financial adviser Prince Rupert Loewenstein, they strolled the French Quarter. A local writer who interviewed Jagger was quite taken by his diamond-studded right incisor.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Christmas on Caddo Fireworks Festival
   December 2nd, 2017
   Earl G. Williamson Park
   11425 LA Hwy. 1,
   Oil City, LA 71061
   318-631-0182
   Website
   Earl G. Williamson Park
   Fireworks festival on Caddo Lake with local entertainment, concessions, clowns, family fun and Santa, who gives a gift to every child. Booths open at 3:30 p.m. Fireworks at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free.
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Bruce listens to the Big Dixie Swingers on Frenchman Street in New Orleans.

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236. Matt Karp. "This Vast Southern Empire."

236. This week, we interview Matt Karp about his book, This Vast Southern Empire. For pro slavery leaders like John C. Calhoun and Jefferson Davis, the nineteenth-century world was torn between two hostile forces: a rising movement against bondage, and an Atlantic plantation system that was larger and more productive than ever before. In this great struggle, southern statesmen saw the United States as slavery’s most powerful champion. Overcoming traditional qualms about a strong central government, slaveholding leaders harnessed the power of the state to defend slavery abroad.

1. This week in Louisiana history. November 26, 1729. Natchez Indians killed 300 Frenchmen at Ft. Rosalie.
2. This week in New Orleans history. November 25, 1985 - Saints head coach O.A. (Bum) Phillips resigned as his son, defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, was named interim head coach, the 9th head coach in Saints' history
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Sounds of the Season with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra
   November 26th, 2017
   3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
   St Peters Church
   108 St Peter St.,
   New Iberia, LA 70560
   337-364-1603
   Website
   St Peters Church
   Free Christmas concert by the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra presented by Iberia Cultural Resources Association, featuring familiar Christmas songs as well as classical sections.
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Sarah Rose Marie, singer at Loosen the Bible Belt in Shreveport, November 6, 2017.

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235. Johnette Downing, part 2

235. Part 2 of our interview with Johnette Downing. Johnette is a New Orleans multi-award winning musician, singer and author presenting Louisiana Roots concerts and author visits for children, as well as keynotes and workshops for educators globally. Dedicated to celebrating childhood, nurturing cultural exchanges and fostering literacy through her music and books, Johnette has performed in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, Central America, North America and the Caribbean. Johnette’s presentations speak to a child’s interests in an engaging, interactive, thought-provoking, educational, entertaining and culturally respectful way; earning her a reputation for being the “Musical Ambassador to Children” and the “Pied Piper of Louisiana Music Traditions.”

1. This week in Louisiana history. November 20, 1829. U.S. Army established western boundary defense post on Lake Charles.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Isaac W. Patton became the 39th mayor of New Orleans on November 18, 1878.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Minden’s Old World Christmas Lights Spectacular
   November 18th, 2017 - January 5th, 2018
   5:00 pm - 12:00 pm
   Holiday Trail of Lights
   520 Broadway,
   Minden, LA 71055
   318-377-4240 | 800-264-6336
   Website | Email
   Holiday Trail of Lights
   The City of Minden kicks off this regional holiday event in historic downtown Minden on November 19 with fireworks at dusk. The switch will be flipped to illuminate thousands of Christmas lights throughout the city beginning the Old World Christmas Lights Spectacular. Over 100 life-size nutcrackers will be on display. Shop and restaurants open nightly. Historic homes decorated for tours.
4. Postcard from Louisiana. Bruce shops at a table in Jackson Square run by a woman named Kitty and a cat named Gannicus.

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Kitty and Gannicus

234. Johnette Downing, part 1

234. Part 1 of our interview with Johnette Downing. Johnette is a New Orleans multi-award winning musician, singer and author presenting Louisiana Roots concerts and author visits for children, as well as keynotes and workshops for educators globally. Dedicated to celebrating childhood, nurturing cultural exchanges and fostering literacy through her music and books, Johnette has performed in the Middle East, Asia, Africa, Europe, Central America, North America and the Caribbean. Johnette’s presentations speak to a child’s interests in an engaging, interactive, thought-provoking, educational, entertaining and culturally respectful way; earning her a reputation for being the “Musical Ambassador to Children” and the “Pied Piper of Louisiana Music Traditions.”

“Today is Monday.
Today is Monday.
Monday red beans
All you lucky children
Come and eat it up!”

1. This week in Louisiana history. November 12, 1977. Ernest Nathan Morial was elected the first black mayor of New Orleans, Louisiana.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Actor Nicholas Cage's property, the LaLaurie house ("Most Haunted House in America") named for former owner Delphine LaLaurie who mistreated her slaves, was foreclosed and sold at auction on November 12, 2009.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Southern Soul Food Showdown
   November 11th, 2017
   Mon Ami
   7304 Hwy 90 E,
   Jeanerette, LA 70544
   337-365-8185
   Website
   Finger licking Southern Soul Food cook-off. Family-oriented food festival, fais-do-do, arts and crafts, refreshments and more. Held annually on the second Saturday in November.

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233. Jeroen Dewulf, part 2

233. Part 2 of our interview of Jeroen Dewulf. Jeroen has a new book about New Orleans, From the Kingdom of Kongo to Congo Square: Kongo Dances and the Origins of the Mardi Gras Indians. Jeroen presents a provocatively new interpretation of one of New Orleans’s most enigmatic traditions—the Mardi Gras Indians. By interpreting the tradition in an Atlantic context, Dewulf traces the “black Indians” back to the ancient Kingdom of Kongo and its war dance known as sangamento. Enslaved Kongolese brought the rhythm, dancing moves, and feathered headwear of sangamentos to the Americas in performances that came to be known as “Kongo dances.” By comparing Kongo dances on the African island of São Tomé with those in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Louisiana, Dewulf demonstrates that the dances in New Orleans’s Congo Square were part of a much broader Kongolese performance tradition. He links that to Afro-Catholic mutual-aid societies that honored their elected community leaders or “kings” with Kongo dances. While the public rituals of these brotherhoods originally thrived in the context of Catholic procession culture around Epiphany and Corpus Christi, they transitioned to carnival as a result of growing orthodoxy within the Church.

1. This week in Louisiana history. November 4, 1811. The Territory of Orleans met for the Constitution Convention preceeding statehood.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Buddy Bolden Dies. November 4, 1931. Regarded by contemporaries as a key figure in the development of the New Orleans style of rag-time music which evolved into jazz, cornetist Charles Joseph "Buddy" Bolden's sound was never recorded but his horn was said to have been heard across the Mississippi River clear from Algiers.  Known for erratic behavior and as a heavy drinker, he was committed to Jackson State Asylum in 1907 after an altercation with his mother-in-law in their home.  He passed away on November 4, 1931.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   State Fair of Louisiana
   October 26th, 2017 - November 12th, 2017
   10:00 am - 10:00 pm
   State Fair of Louisiana
   3701 Hudson Ave.
   Shreveport, LA 71109
   318-635-1361
   Website | Email
   State Fair of Louisiana
   This is the official State Fair of Louisiana. It offers the largest livestock shows and carnival in the state. It boasts a large midway of rides, free daily circus shows, live entertainment and some of the most unique fair food in the nation. Carnival hours weekdays are 12 noon until close and weekends 10 a.m. until close.
4. Postcard from Louisiana.  Brian Hudson sings on the street in the French Quarter.

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232 Jeroen Dewulf, part 1

232. Part 1 of our interview of Jeroen Dewulf. Jeroen has a new book about New Orleans, From the Kingdom of Kongo to Congo Square: Kongo Dances and the Origins of the Mardi Gras Indians. Jeroen presents a provocatively new interpretation of one of New Orleans’s most enigmatic traditions—the Mardi Gras Indians. By interpreting the tradition in an Atlantic context, Dewulf traces the “black Indians” back to the ancient Kingdom of Kongo and its war dance known as sangamento. Enslaved Kongolese brought the rhythm, dancing moves, and feathered headwear of sangamentos to the Americas in performances that came to be known as “Kongo dances.” By comparing Kongo dances on the African island of São Tomé with those in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Louisiana, Dewulf demonstrates that the dances in New Orleans’s Congo Square were part of a much broader Kongolese performance tradition. He links that to Afro-Catholic mutual-aid societies that honored their elected community leaders or “kings” with Kongo dances. While the public rituals of these brotherhoods originally thrived in the context of Catholic procession culture around Epiphany and Corpus Christi, they transitioned to carnival as a result of growing orthodoxy within the Church.

1. This week in Louisiana history. October 28, 1768. Joseph Villere led a band of French colonists to overthrow Spanish Gov. Ulloa.
2. This week in New Orleans history. John William Corrington (October 28, 1932 – November 24, 1988) was an American film and television writer, novelist, poet and lawyer. He received a B.A. degree from Centenary College, in 1956 and his M.A. from Rice University in 1960, the year he took on his first teaching position in the English Department at Louisiana State University. While on leave from LSU, Corrington obtained his D.Phil. in 1965, from the University of Sussex and then moved to Loyola University New Orleans in 1966, as an Associate Professor of English, where he also served as chair of the English Department. Corrington graduated from Tulane University Law School in 1975. With his wife, Joyce Hooper Corrington, Corrington wrote numerous screenplays.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Bayou Civic Club, Inc.
   French Food Festival
   October 27th, 2017 - October 29th, 2017
   Larose Regional Park
   307 East 5th St,
   Larose, LA 70373
   985-693-7355
   Website
   Google Directions
   Larose Regional Park
   Features more than 30 Food Booths with Traditional Cajun Classic Dishes.
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Bruce talks to artist Jeanee Marie Hammett behind St. Louis Cathedral and buys some art. She'll be happy to sell you some, too! Write her at jeanee@gmail.com.

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231. Lamar White

231. Lamar White joins us to discuss the fall elections in Louisiana. He also gives us an update on his new project, The Bayou Brief. For more than eleven years, Lamar White, Jr. published CenLamar, one of Louisiana’s most acclaimed and well-known progressive blogs, attracting more than two million readers and repeatedly receiving recognition from national and international news organizations. The Bayou Brief expands the original scope of CenLamar to cover the entire state. For news that's both factual and progressive, follow The Bayou Brief.

1. This week in Louisiana history. October 22, 1971. 'Coozan' Dudley "Hadacol" LeBlanc died in Abbeville.
2. This week in New Orleans history. A letter from His Majesty, regarding the transfer of the Ursuline Nuns to Havana, was read at a meeting of the Cabildo on October 21, 1777, and it was agreed to comply with the agreement of August 22, 1777.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Dixie Maze Farms Fall Festival and Corn Maze
   September 23rd, 2017 - October 31st, 2017
   10:00 am - 12:00 am
   DixieMaze Farms
   9596 Sentell Rd.,
   Shreveport, LA 71107
   318-703-2870
   Website
   DixieMaze Farms
   Annual Fall Festival with pumpkin patch, corn maze, hay rides, pony rides, paintball games, arts and crafts and many other attractions.

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230. Andrei Codrescu

230. We interview poet Andrei Codrescu. He was born in Sibiu, Transylvania, Romania, and emigrated to the United States in 1966. He is the author of numerous books: poems, novels, and essays. He founded Exquisite Corpse: a Journal of Books and Ideas. He was a regular commentator on NPR’s All Things Considered. He taught literature and poetry at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Baltimore, and Louisiana State University.

1. This week in Louisiana history. October 15, 1802. Spanish king Charles IV ordered retrocession of Louisiana from Spain to France.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Beth Taylor (born October 14, 1954 in New Orleans, became Mississippi's first female television sportscaster when hired by WDAM-TV (an NBC affiliate) in Laurel-Hattiesburg, Mississippi.  Author of the book Bless Them Father, for They Have Sinned, which was published in the summer of 2012. As a child, Taylor experienced something so traumatic that her brain forced her to forget the events for more than 40 years. That event was clergy sexual abuse at the hands of member of the Catholic clergy. Taylor is also a  public relations practitioner and journalist.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Voodoo Fest 2017 will send high-octane music acts, interactive art installations and costumed revelers to City Park from Oct. 27 through Oct. 29.
       Here's your guide to all the nitty-gritty details, from how to score tickets to what to bring to the fest. The upcoming edition should continue to reflect updates made to the event in 2016 after Voodoo Fest was brought under the umbrella of major festival organizer C3 Presents. Among those changes were layout updates to prevent sound bleed and bathroom upgrades festival-wide.
   
4. Postcard from Louisiana. Carmen of Popup Jazz Band sings "House of the Rising Sun" on Royal St. in New Orleans.

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229. Richard Campanella

229. We talk to Richard Campanella about his book, Bourbon Street: A History. New Orleans is a city of many storied streets, but only one conjures up as much unbridled passion as it does fervent hatred, simultaneously polarizing the public while drawing millions of visitors a year. A fascinating investigation into the mile-long urban space that is Bourbon Street, Richard Campanella's comprehensive cultural history spans from the street's inception during the colonial period through three tumultuous centuries, arriving at the world-famous entertainment strip of today.

1. This week in Louisiana history. October 7, 1829. Gov. Derbigny suffers fatal accident when thrown from carriage.
2. This week in New Orleans history. On October 7, 1816 the Washington, built by Henry M. Shreve, was the first double-decker. steamboat to arrive in New Orleans and became the model for the classic style of Mississippi river boats — flat-bottomed, two stories, steam-powered paddle wheel mounted on the stern, two smoke-stacks. First used to carry cargo it was soon open for passenger transportation. The Washington moved at lightning speed compared to other boats on the rivers — 16 mph upstream and downstream at as much as 25 mph.
        Shreve launched the boat earlier that year on the Monongahela River just above Pittsburgh. Shreve's cleverly designed Washington had all the features that would soon come to characterize the classic Mississippi riverboat: a two-story deck, a stern-mounted paddle wheel powered by a high-pressure steam engine, a shallow, flat-bottomed hull, and a pilothouse framed by two tall chimneys. Perfectly designed for the often-shallow western rivers like the Mississippi and Missouri, the Washington proved itself on its inaugural voyage the following spring. Steaming upriver against the current with full cargo, the Washington reached Louisville in only 25 days, demonstrating that the powerful new generation of steamboats could master the often-treacherous currents of the mighty western rivers. Soon the Washington began to offer regular passenger and cargo service between New Orleans and Louisville.
   
3. Postcard from Louisiana. Isis Lovestone reads Bruce's cards in Jackson Square.

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228. Chris Trew

228. We interview Chris Trew, New Orleans comedian. Chris is a nationally touring comedian, rapper, actor, improv teacher and professional wrestling manager. He’s performed at tons of comedy festivals and is a founding member of The New Movement, owners and operators of comedy training centers and theater in Austin and New Orleans.

1. This week in Louisiana history. September 30, 1764. D'Abbadie acknowledges receipt of transfer of colony from French to Spanish.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Protest March. September 30, 1963. On September 30, 1963 more than 10,000 black New Orleanians, along with 300 white citizens, marched from Shakspeare Park to City Hall to protest the failure of city leaders to act against discrimination in the Crescent City.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Rebirth Brass Band
   Tuesday, October 3
   11:00 PM
   Venue information:
   Maple Leaf Bar
   8316 Oak St.
   New Orleans, LA 70118
   504.866.9359
4. Postcard from Louisiana. Buku Broux plays the Kora (the African harp) in Jackson Square. 

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227. Fatima Shaik

227. Our interview with Fatima Shaik. Fatima is an American writer of children’s and adult literature, and former journalist. Her literature explores the human spirit and the intersection of cultures, notably themes of family, community, and justice. Publishers Weekly described her as “knowledgeable and perceptive.” Her work across genres reflects her career as a journalist and fiction writer to use a variety of literary forms in order to explore contemporary social issues, especially that of the "African-American experience." Shaik’s continuing research on the Société d’Economie, the founders of the jazz incubator Economy Hall, has received support from the Louisiana Endowment of the Humanities and the Kittredge Fund.

1. This week in Louisiana history. September 23, 1810. In the early morning hours of Sept. 23, 75 armed rebels slipped into the Spanish fort at Baton Rouge, and in what was described as a "sharp and bloody firefight," subdued the garrison. They lowered the Spanish flag and raised the Bonnie Blue Flag — a single white star on a blue field — that had been adopted for the new nation they called West Florida.
2. This week in New Orleans history.  Allison Miner.Jazz Fest Founder. Born on September 23, 1949. When the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival first began [the second incarnation of it] in 1969, it was radical...founders Quint Davis, George Wein, and Allison Miner created a safe space for New Orleanians to come together, to hear each others’ music and to party -- together.  Eve Abrams brings us this profile of Allison Miner, a titan in New Orleans music, and the only person with a Jazz Fest stage named for her:
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Louisiana Sugar Cane Festival
   September 20th, 2017 - September 24th, 2017
   Various Venues
   New Iberia, LA 70560
   337-369-9323
   Website | Email
   Street fair, Fais Do-Do, Coronation of Queen Sugar, Blessing of the Crop, photo & art exhibits, boat parade, Louisiana Sugar Cane parade, children’s parade and much more.

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226. Anne Butler

226. This week's interview is with Anne Butler.  Anne is a native of St. Francisville and operates a bed and breakfast at the Butler Greenwood Plantation, which has been in her family since the 1790s. Motivated by her love of culture, she has reached a wide audience through articles published in the Los Angeles Times, Country Woman, New Orleans Magazine, and Country Road. She is also the author of Pelican's Audubon Plantation Country Cookbook, Bayou Plantation Country Cookbook, Acadian Plantation Country Cookbook, The Pelican Guide to Plantation Homes of Louisiana, and her memoir, Weep for the Living.

1. This week in Louisiana history. September 17, 1712. Antoine Crozat receives royal charter giving exclusive trading rights to Louisiana.
2. This week in New Orleans history. The Beatles at City Park Stadium. Wednesday, September 16, 1964. A sellout crowd of 27,000-plus New Orleanians, most of them young girls, filled City Park Stadium on Wednesday, September 16, 1964 to "meet" The Beatles.  General admission tickets sold for $5.00 ($4.32 plus taxes).  Opening the 8:00 P.M. show were New Orleans' own Frogman Henry, Jackie deShannon, and The Bill Black Combo.
         Mayor Victor H. Schiro issued a proclamation declaring the date “Beatles Day in New Orleans”.  Most news reports from the day fail to include that September 16,  1964 was Yom Kippur and many businesses were closed in observation of the Jewish holy day.  
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival
   September 15th, 2017 - September 16th, 2017
   Riverbank Stage
   Natchitoches Tourism,
   780 Front Street, Ste. 100,
   Natchitoches, LA 71457
   800-259-1714
   Website | Email
   Riverbank Stage
   This is the festival that celebrates Natchitoches' famous meat pies! Join us to celebrate these extremely tasty, hot homemade pies. Enjoy live music and dancing along the banks of the Cane River, kid activities, arts and crafts and more.
   
4. Postcard from Louisiana.  We listen to the Jackson Square All-Star Brass Band.

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225. Kent Wascom, part 2

225. Listen to part 2 of our interview with Kent Wascom. Kent has written The Blood of Heaven and Secessia. These are historical novels following a family from the Florida Parishes. They follow the adventures of Angel Woolsack, the son of a frontier Baptist preacher, and his descendants against the backdrop of Louisiana history.

1. This week in Louisiana history. September 10, 1935. Gov. Huey P. Long dies after assassination.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Hurricane Betsy was the first tropical cyclone in the Atlantic Basin to cause at least $1 billion (1965 USD) in damage.  It was the third tropical cyclone, second named storm, and second hurricane of the 1965 Atlantic hurricane season.  Betsy entered into the Gulf of Mexico and re-strengthened into a Category 4 hurricane on September 9. While approaching the Gulf Coast of the United States, Betsy peaked slightly below the threshold for Category 5 hurricane status. However, further intensification was halted after Betsy made landfall in Grand Isle, Louisiana later on September 9.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   4th Euro-Global Conference on Infectious Diseases
   September 7-9
   9:00 AM
   Venue information:
   Place de France Decatur Street and St. Philip Street New Orleans, LA 70116
   800-216-6499
   http://infection.conferenceseries.com/europe/
   Admission:
   http://infection.conferenceseries.com/europe/registration.php
4. Postcards from Louisiana. This week's postcard is from Alonda de Costa, street artist.

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224. Kent Wascom, Part 1

224. Listen to part 1 of our interview with Kent Wascom. Kent has written The Blood of Heaven and Secessia. These are historical novels following a family from the Florida Parishes. They follow the adventures of Angel Woolsack, the son of a frontier Baptist preacher, and his descendants against the backdrop of Louisiana history.

1. This week in Louisiana history.  September 2, 1772. The 'El Principe de Orange' "was struck by a hurricane...and wrecked at the entrance of the Mississippi River, where she quickly went to pieces, only six survivors."
2. This week in New Orleans history. On September 2, 1909, New Orleans was first linked by rail to Houston.  Amid celebrations and ceremonies the train left the New Orleans Terminal Station at 6:10 A.M.   On board were Ben R. Mayer representing the Mayor of New Orleans, F.B. McQueety, Secretery of the Baton Rouge Board of Trade representing the board, and other officials.  The first stop was at the Edenborn Depot (Gonzales. Louisiana) where large delegations from the board along with businessment in general awaited the train.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   82nd Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival
   August 31st, 2017 - September 4th, 2017
   Downtown Morgan City
   Downtown Morgan City
   715 Second Street,
   Morgan City, LA 70380
   985-385-0703 | 800-256-2931 | Fax
   Website
   Downtown Morgan City
   Tap your toes & tempt your taste buds at Louisiana's oldest state-chartered harvest festival. The four-day extravaganza of family entertainment includes continuous live music by local & national acts, a huge arts & crafts show and sale, a Childrens' Village, the Cajun Culinary Classic, the traditional Blessing of the Fleet and water parade . . . all with no gate fee!
4. Postcard from Louisiana. Bruce listens to street musician Ricky Paulin and chats about his music and stuff.

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Kent Wascom

Ricky Paulin

Ricky Paulin playing by the Cafe du Monde.
from B. Bryant Productions & Films on Vimeo.

223. Tanya Erzen on "God in Captivity"

223. We interview Tanya Erzen about her book God in Captivity, focusing on religion in Louisiana prisons and jails. It is by now well known that the United States’ incarceration rate is the highest in the world. What is not broadly understood is how cash-strapped and overcrowded state and federal prisons are increasingly relying on religious organizations to provide educational and mental health services and to help maintain order. And these religious organizations are overwhelmingly run by nondenominational Protestant Christians who see prisoners as captive audiences. God in Captivity grapples with the questions of how faith-based programs serve the punitive regime of the prison, becoming a method of control behind bars even as prisoners use them as a lifeline for self-transformation and dignity.

1. This week in Louisiana history. August 26, 1895. 'Uncle' Earl Kemp Long born.
2. This week in New Orleans history. August 26th, 1992 (Andrew): Andrew, a major hurricane, slammed into South Florida on August 24th before striking the Louisiana coastline August 26th. Seven people died and 94 were injured across Southern Louisiana during Andrew. Winds reached hurricane force from Lafayette eastward to the Atchafalaya
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   "I'll Be Your Medicine" new sculpture and video works by Marta Anna Rodriguez Maleck and Local Honey. (User Submitted)
   Friday, September 1 - Saturday, September 2
   12:00 PM - 5:00 PM CST
   Venue information:
   Good Children Gallery
   4037 St. Claude Ave.
   New Orleans, LA 70117
   413-478-2586
   http://www.goodchildrengallery.com
   Admission: Free
   New sculpture and video works by Marta Anna Rodriguez Maleck and Local Honey.
4. Postcard from Louisiana. Bruce interviews Laura Janelle McKnight about her reporting on crime in New Orleans.

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222. Tim Reid of Frank's Place, Jason Hackworth.

222. We interview Tim Reid, star of Frank's Place and Treme. Both series were groundbreaking in their approach, and both were unusual in their efforts to portray New Orleans accurately. Tim Reid was in the cast of both of these extraordinary series.
       Also, part 2 of our interview with Jason Hackworth on neoliberalism and the Christian response to Katrina. His book Faith Based explores how the Religious Right has supported neoliberalism in the United States, bringing a particular focus to welfare—an arena where conservative Protestant politics and neoliberal economic ideas come together most clearly. Through case studies of gospel rescue missions, Habitat for Humanity, and religious charities in post-Katrina New Orleans, Jason Hackworth describes both the theory and practice of faith-based welfare, revealing fundamental tensions between the religious and economic wings of the conservative movement.

1. This week in Louisiana history. August 18, 1779. A hurricane struck New Orleans, scattering a n entire Spanish fleet and distroyed or disabled all but one ship.
2. This week in New Orleans history. On August 19, 2014, Dr. John released his Louis Armstrong tribute album "Ske-Dat-De-Dat: The Spirit of Satch" on Concord Records.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Ride the Bull 8
   August 26th, 2017
   5:00 am - 10:00 pm
   Bridge Side Marina Grande Isle
   1618 LA-1,
   Grand Isle, LA 70358
   225-952-9200
   Website
   Bridge Side Marina Grande Isle
   Louisiana's and now World's Largest Extreme Kayak Fishing Tournament ​Ride the Bull 8. This relatively young competition is now the largest on the globe by a large margin. The reason? Wide arms and an easy, welcoming atmosphere!
4. Postcard from Louisiana. Bruce and Laura Janelle McNight finish the second line parade by stopping by Ms. Linda Green's porch for some of her award-winning ya-ka-mein. 

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