354. John Dufresne

354. We talk to John Dufresne. John is the author of six novels: Louisiana Power & Light, Love Warps the Mind a Little, (both New York Times Notable Books of the Year) Deep in the Shade of Paradise, Requiem, Mass., No Regrets, Coyote, and I Don't Like Where This Is Going.  He also wrote two short story collections: The Way That Water Enters Stone and Johnny Too Bad, as well as three chapbooks: Lethe, Cupid, Time and Love; Well Enough Alone; and I Will Eat a Piece of the Roof and You Can Eat the Window. He has two books on writing and creativity: The Lie That Tells a Truth: a Guide to Writing Fiction and Is Life Like This?: a Guide to Writing Your First Novel in Six Months.

1. This week in Louisiana history. February 29, 1904. Study reported that 50 automobiles were owned and operated in N.O.
2. This week in New Orleans history. February 29, 1824. OUDOUSQUIE, Charles, impresario.  Born, New Orleans, February 29, 1814 [sic]; son of Norbert Boudousquié and Marie Thérèse Héloïse de Chouriac. Succeeded Pierre Davis as director of the Théâtre d'Orléans (ca. 1853). Instrumental in construction of the new French Opera House, which opened December 1, 1859, and which he managed until the outbreak of the Civil War. 
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   New Orleans French Film Festival 2020.
   
   February 27th, 2020 - March 4th, 2020

   10:00 am - 11:00 pm
   Prytania Theatre

   5339 Prytania St.,

   New Orleans, LA 70115
   504-309-6633
   Website
   This year, right after Mardi Gras, Laissez les bons temps rouler watching French-language films at the Prytania Theatre! The 23rd New Orleans French Film Festival, one of the longest running foreign language festivals in the country, showcases excellence in contemporary and classic francophone Cinema for audiences of about 4,000 at the Prytania Theatre, the oldest single-screen movie house operating in Louisiana. All films will be screened with English subtitles.
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Accordion player on Royal Street.

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353. Bruce A. Craft, part 2

353. Part 2 of our interview with Bruce A. Craft (English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies). We talk about his presentation on “Redbone Rhetoric—Then and Now: An Exploration of the Literary and Historical Narrative of the Louisiana Redbones.” Bruce explores the history and culture of this tri-racial group living in western Louisiana.

1. This week in Louisiana history. February 22, 1819. In the Adams-Onís Treaty - Spain acknowledges the Sabine River as Louisiana's western boundary.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Happy Birthday Ernie K-Doe, "Emperor of the Universe," born on February 22, 1936 at Charity Hospital. “I’m not positive, but I think all music came from New Orleans.”
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Krewe of Bonne Terre
   February 25, 2020
   
   Montegut Parade Route

   Hwy. 55,

   Montegut, LA 70377
   985-868-2732
   Website
        Mardi Gras in Houma, Louisiana is a true Cajun celebration. With over a dozen parades full of colorfully themed floats, scores of marching bands and tons of great throws, Houma has one of the largest Mardi Gras celebrations in Louisiana. You’ll find that a Houma Mardi Gras is full of Cajun hospitality along with safe, economical, family-friendly events. So, plan to catch some throws, stuff yourself full of King Cake, and above all else, let the good times roll!
        The Mardi Gras celebration in Houma starts with the Krewe of Hercules and runs nearly non-stop until the Krewe of Kajuns.
   
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Band at the Funky 544.

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352. Bruce A. Craft, part 1

352. Part 1 of our interview with Bruce A. Craft (English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies). “Redbone Rhetoric—Then and Now: An Exploration of the Literary and Historical Narrative of the Louisiana Redbones.” Bruce explores the history and culture of this tri-racial group living in western Louisiana.

1. This week in Louisiana history. February 15 1956 Fed. Judge S. Wright orders desegregation of N.O. schools with "all deliberate speed."
2. This week in New Orleans history. Patent #2,341,866 was awarded to Andrew J. Higgins on February 15, 1944. Higgin's boats, built by New Orleanians and used during World War II, and particularly in the D-Day Invasion of Normandy, prompted Dwight D. Eisenhower to say, "Andrew Higgins...is the man who won the war for us...If Higgins had not designed and built those LCVPs, we never could have landed over an open beach. The whole strategy of the war would have been different." Hitler called Higgins "the "New Noah". 
   
3. Cajun Country Courir de Mardi Gras
   February 21-25, 2020
   
   Various Locations in Eunice, LA

   Downtown Eunice, 300 S. Second St.,

   Eunice, LA 70535
   337-457-7389
   Website
        This unique five day celebration is not your typical idea of Mardi Gras with beads and doubloons. In fact you won't find these trinkets in sight, but instead, men and women on horseback donned in hand crafted wire masks, tall hats called capuchons, and very distinctive costumes. This one of a kind celebration begins the Friday before Mardi Gras Day, but the main event is the Courir de Mardi Gras procession or "chicken run" which involves chasing a live chicken to collect for a community gumbo, and silliness by revelers all day. Don't wait till Fat Tuesday to join in the fun. Throughout the weeked, experience the town's rural traditions with jam sessions, street dances, cooking demos, Mardi Gras exhibits and a special Liberty Theater show. Les Jeunes and L'il Mardi Gras runs for children are on Sunday as well as an old time boucherie (hog butchering).
       The Eunice Courir de Mardi Gras dates back from when the town was first established in the late 19th century. The Courir was abandoned for a few years during World War II, but in 1946 a small band of riders revived the tradition. Today, the Eunice Courir de Mardi Gras has more than 2,000 participants on the run, and it continues to increase each year. 
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Craig plays on St. Peter St.

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351. Michael N. Henderson, part 2

351. Part 2 of our interview with genealogist Michael N. Henderson. In Got Proof! My Genealogical Journey Through the Use of Documentation, Lieutenant Commander Michael Nolden Henderson, USN retired, captures the attention of genealogists, historians, and others interested in the complex social structure that developed during the French and Spanish colonial periods in Louisiana. He explores the forbidden relationships from which evolved the unique Creole culture. Revealing original documents from as far back as the 1770s, Henderson uses his own experiences as a family history researcher, as well as the insight of noted scholars, to reveal the methods, standards, and techniques used to prove his ancestry.

      Lieutenant Commander Michael Nolden Henderson, United States Navy retired, is a family history researcher who began his genealogy journey almost thirty years ago. He is a native of Algiers, Louisiana, and a graduate of Xavier University. In 2010, he became the first African American in the state of Georgia inducted into the National Society Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). He later became president of the Button Gwinnett Chapter, Georgia Society SAR, and continues his research of colonial Louisiana. 

1. This week in Louisiana history. February 8, 1898. Grandfather Clause enacted for voting purposes.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Ground was broken for for the Notre Dame Seminary on Carrollton Avenue on February 8, 1922.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Tet Fest: Vietnamese New Year
   14011 Dwyer Blvd
   New Orleans, LA 70129
   Mary Queen of Vietnam Church
   02/07/2020 - 02/09/2020
   Location Mary Queen of Vietnam Church
   Time Varies
   Price Free
   Tet Fest occurs at Queen Mary of Vietnam Church during the Vietnamese New Year. New Orleans is home to a large Vietnamese population that celebrates the New Year with this beautiful festival featuring delicious, authentic Vietnamese cuisine, traditional dances, live music, and fun for the whole family.
   
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Wael Violin plays in Jackson Square.

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