408. Ron McFarland, "Evangeline," part 1.

408. Part 1 of our interview with Ron McFarland about Evangeline.
"Ye who believe in affection that hopes, and endures, and is patient,
Ye who believe in the beauty and strength of woman's devotion,
List to the mournful tradition still sung by the pines of the forest;
List to a Tale of Love in Acadie, home of the happy." 
Generations of readers have now accepted the call of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow to join his heroine Evangeline in her search for Gabriel, the lover she was separated from during the expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The Long Life of Evangeline: A History of the Longfellow Poem in Print, in Adaptation and in Popular Culture describes its reception in the weeks and months that followed the 1847 release, explains its continued popularity down through the years, and offers insights on its interpretation and relevance today. Ron McFarland teaches 17th-century British literature, modern British/American literature, global literature and poetry writing.

1. This week in Louisiana history. March 13, 1815. Gen. Andrew Jackson declares the end of martial law in New Orleans at the end of War of 1812.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Born on March 13, 1901 in Plaquemines Parish, Andrew Morgan played clarinet with the Imperial Band in the mid-1920s and then joined his brother Isaiah Morgan's band in 1925. Sam Morgan led this ensemble for its 1927 recordings. Andrew recorded in the late 1920s and 1930s with Kid Howard, Kid Rena, and Kid Thomas Valentine. He and Isaiah played together again in Biloxi, Mississippi in the 1940s, then Andrew moved back to New Orleans to play with Alphonse Picou, Kid Rena again, Herb Morand (1946–52), and Kid Clayton (from 1952). He played with the Young Tuxedo Brass Band from 1958 and led the group after 1964.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Los Adaes State Historic Site
   At this 300-year-old site that was once the capital of Texas, you’ll get an up-close look at battles waged between two global superpowers. To get an idea of Los Adaes Historic Site’s importance, it helps to go back — way back — to the earliest days of European settlement in Louisiana. In 1716, New Spain stretched from present-day southern Mexico to California. Northwest Louisiana was a sparsely populated outpost then, which was disputed territory claimed by France. Thanks to the founding of Natchitoches in 1714 by a French Canadian named St. Denis (whose story is told at Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site), Spain decided to send troops there, building their own fort and missions within just a few miles of Natchitoches and naming one mission Presidio Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Los Adaes.
   
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Demiurge plays on the levee.

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