546. Robin Roberts

546. We interview Robin Roberts about her new book, City of the Undead. "From its looming above-ground cemeteries to the ghosts believed to haunt its stately homes, New Orleans is a city deeply entwined with death, the undead, and the supernatural. Its location near the mouth of the Mississippi River grants it a liminal status between water and land, while its Old World architecture and lush, moss-covered oak trees lend it an eerie beauty. Complementing the city’s mysterious landscape, spiritual beliefs and practices from Native American, African, African American, Caribbean, and European cultures mingle in a unique ferment of the paranormal. A long history of enslavement and oppression have also produced fertile soil for stories of the undead. Focusing on three manifestations of the supernatural in New Orleans — Voodoo, ghosts, and vampires — Robin Roberts argues that the paranormal gives voice to the voiceless, including victims of racism and oppression, thus encouraging the living not to repeat the injustices of the past. Robin Roberts attended Mount Holyoke College, where the presence of its founder’s grave in the center of campus kindled her interest in the otherworldly. After receiving her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania, she taught undergraduate and graduate courses with a focus on popular culture and gender. She lives in New Orleans." (LSU Press)

1. This week in Louisiana history. Rebellion against Ulloa began with spiking of protective New Orleans cannons.
2. This week in New Orleans history October 27, 1768. Jazz is Legislated as a National American Treasure. November 4, 1987 In 1987, the US House of Representatives and Senate passed a bill proposed by Democratic Representative John Conyers Jr. to define jazz as a unique form of American music stating, among other things, "... that jazz is hereby designated as a rare and valuable national American treasure to which we should devote our attention, support and resources to make certain it is preserved, understood and promulgated." The bill passed in the House of Representatives on September 23, 1987 and in the Senate on November 4, 1987.
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Bayou Teche National Scenic Byway
   Distance: 183 miles
   Duration: Half-day to two days for self-guided tour
   The Bayou Teche National Byway has long been recognized as a travel corridor to and through important cultural, historic, natural, recreation and scenic environments. It is located in a three-parish area of Louisiana that exists along the beautiful Bayou Teche west of the Atchafalaya Basin from Morgan City through Franklin, New Iberia, St. Martinville, Breaux Bridge and on to Arnaudville. Primary access to the Bayou Teche Byways occurs from Interstate 10 and US 90.
   
4. Postcards from Louisiana. TBC Brass Band & Hasizzle at Satchmofest in the Old Mint in New Orleans. 

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