424. Clint Bruce. Afro-Creole Poetry.

424. We interview Clint Bruce, author of Afro-Creole Poetry in French from Louisiana’s Radical Civil War–Era Newspapers:A Bilingual Edition. Collected here for the first time, seventy-nine poems published in the Civil War-era Afro-Creole New Orleans newspapers L'Union and La Tribune--most unavailable anywhere but in archives--bring to life a close-knit, politically progressive French-speaking community of artists and intellectuals whose cultural and legal legacies were monumental. The original French poems appear here alongside Clint Bruce's sensitive English translations, mindful of meaning, meter, and sound. A comprehensive introduction, biographies of the poets, and extensive annotations immerse readers in Civil War-era Louisiana. In his research for the volume, Bruce unearthed crucial issues of La Tribune long thought lost and discovered the extent of a poetic hoax undetected for nearly 150 years.

1. This week in Louisiana history. July 3, 1870. The riverboat Robert E. Lee defeated the Natchez in a race on the Mississippi.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Pierre Dewey LaFontaine, Jr. was born in New Orleans on White Street between Dumaine and St. Ann on July 3, 1930. As a child battling frequent respiratory infections due to weakened lungs, a local doctor advised his father to purchase a wind instrument -- Pete chose a clarinet. He took private lessons and played at McDonogh 28 school. After gigs with Monk Hazel and Al Hirt. he founded The Basin Street Six in 1950 with his longtime friend, trumpeter George Girard. He married Beverly Lang on October 27, 1951. National fame came when he  joined the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. Upon returning to New Orleans, he played with The Dukes of Dixieland, then began forming his own bands. The New Orleans Jazz Club declared "Pete Fountain Day" on October 19, 1959. He opened his club at 800 Bourbon Street in the spring of 1960. A founder of The Half Fast Walking Club and a true New Orleans character, he was awarded an honorary degree by Loyola University New Orleans in 2006. On March 18, 2007, Pete Fountain was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Louisiana Culinary Trails Map
   Use this map to discover Louisiana’s eight culinary trails and start planning your tasty journey. You’ll be dining like a Louisiana local in no time.
   
1. Creole Crescent
   Come taste why New Orleans is lauded for some of the most inventive and delicious food in America.
2. Tammany Taste
   A feast of fresh produce and seafood prepared by culinary icons
3. Capital Cravings
   Baton Rouge rallies local fare with worldwide flair
4. Bayou Bounty
   Make room for a spicy adventure
5. Seafood Sensation
   Riding the Gulf waters, Southwest Louisiana brings trails of fresh seafood and boudin
6. Prairie Home Cooking
   A scenic byway of vintage towns packed with homestyle cooking and dance halls
7. Red River Riches
   Clear your calendar for an epicurean journey and sample a global menu
8. Delta Delights
   Grab a map and head for the hills for a feast of southern delights
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Maude Caillot and the Afrodiziacs play at Dos Jefes Cigar Bar. 

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