554. Derby Gisclair, Part 2

554. Part 2 of our interview of Derby Gisclair about his newest book, New Orleans Steamboat Stories – The Brief Lives of Mississippi Riverboats. "Steamboats shaped America’s future, its economy, and its culture while expanding trade and expanding the country’s footprint into new territories.

553. Derby Gisclair. Mississippi Riverboats, Part 1.

553. We chat with Derby Gisclair about his newest book, New Orleans Steamboat Stories – The Brief Lives of Mississippi Riverboats. "Steamboats shaped America’s future, its economy, and its culture while expanding trade and expanding the country’s footprint into new territories.

552. Doug Duffey

552.  Today we talk with Doug Duffey, North Louisiana blues musician. "Blues musician.Doug Duffey is a singer, songwriter, pianist, bandleader, music arranger, record producer, music publisher, poet, diarist, photographer and visual artist. From Monroe, Louisiana, Doug Duffey was inducted into the "Louisiana Hall of Fame" in April, 2001 and inducted into the National Blues Hall of Fame in 2009" (Wikipedia).

551. Shane K. Barnard, part 2.

551. Part 2 of our conversation with Shane K. Barnard about his research into Tabasco Sauce and Bayou Teche. Holding a Ph.D. in history, Bernard has served as historian and curator to McIlhenny Company for over twenty-five years. He is the author of Tabasco: An Illustrated History and several books about Cajun and Creole history. Teche: A History of Louisiana's Most Famous Bayou.

550. Shane K. Bernard, Part 1

550. Part 1 of our conversation with Shane K. Barnard about his research into Tabasco Sauce and Bayou Teche. Holding a Ph.D. in history, Bernard has served as historian and curator to McIlhenny Company for over twenty-five years. He is the author of Tabasco: An Illustrated History and several books about Cajun and Creole history.

549. Alison Pelegrin, Poet Laureate

549. This week we're happy to have Louisiana's current poet laureate Alison Pelegrin visiting us. 'Alison was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. She received an MFA from the University of Arkansas. Pelegrin is the author of Waterlines (Louisiana State University Press, 2016); Hurricane Party (University of Akron Press, 2012); Big Muddy River of Stars (University of Akron Press, 2007), which received the 2006 Akron Poetry Prize; and The Zydeco Tablets (Word Press, 2002).

548. The New Orleans Writers' Workshop

548. We talk with Allison Alsup and Jessica Kinnison, who run the New Orleans Writers’ Workshop. "Since its founding in Spring 2017, the New Orleans Writers Workshop has aimed to affordably meet the need for quality creative writing classes in the New Orleans community.

547. Isabelle Jacopin

547. This week to caught up with Isabelle Jacopin, an artiste peintre born in France, who has been drawn to the world of art since her early childhood. In 1998, her artistic path led her to New Orleans, where she delved into pastel painting, using the vibrant city as her muse. She sketched the lively streets, vibrant clubs, and distinctive elements that make New Orleans so unique.

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.

545. Stefan Schöberlein.

545. This week we chat with Stefan Schöberlein about his book, Walt Whitman's New Orleans: Sidewalk Sketches and Newspaper Rambles  Whitman in NOLA. "Walt Whitman’s short stint in New Orleans during the spring of 1848 was a crucial moment of literary and personal development, with many celebrated poems from Leaves of Grass showing its influence.

544. David Ervin

 544. We chat with David Ervin, creator of the drive-thru daiquiri stand. "The humble history of the drive-thru daiquiri dates back to 1981, when David Ervin first opened the Daiquiri Factory in Lafayette, Lousiana. Ervin got the idea from a liquor store he frequented during his college days, which had a frozen drink stand on the side.

543. Elista Istre Part 2

543. Part 2 of our interview with our friend Elista Istre. Elista has written a new book entitled, Josette and Friends Cook a Gumbo. “This beautifully written and illustrated children’s book is a brilliant blend of Louisiana’s culture and cuisine.”— Chef John Folse "Cool fall days and warm, cozy friendships bring Josette and her friends together to cook a delicious gumbo bursting with flavor.

542. Elista Istre, part 1

542. Part 1 of our conversation with our friend Elista Istre. She has written a book entitled, Josette and Friends Cook a Gumbo. “This beautifully written and illustrated children’s book is a brilliant blend of Louisiana’s culture and cuisine.”— Chef John Folse "Cool fall days and warm, cozy friendships bring Josette and her friends together to cook a delicious gumbo bursting with flavor.

541. Audrey Gibson

541. We talk to Audrey Gibson about her book, Tempêtes et Éclairs, a collection of Louisiana French poetry by Adolphe Duhart. "'Duhart, a Louisiana Creole who wrote poetry in French for the first Black daily newspaper in the United States. Duhart, who lived in New Orleans, was also a teacher in the 1850s and fought in the Civil War.

540. Candice Battiste.

540. We talk to Candice Battiste about redistricting in Louisiana. “Candice Battiste is the North Louisiana Organizer for the Power Coalition for Equity and Justice where she is committed to building voices and power in traditionally disenfranchised communities and bringing together groups across North Louisiana.”

539. Bob Mann

539. We talk to Bob Mann about his new book, Kingfish U: Huey Long and LSU. Huey Long & LSU. "No political leader is more closely identified with Louisiana State University than the flamboyant governor and U.S. senator Huey P. Long, who devoted his last years to turning a small, undistinguished state school into an academic and football powerhouse.

538. Jared Fishman

538. This week we talk to Jared Fishman about prosecuting the case of a post-Katrina police cover-up in New Orleans.  Jared, a "former federal prosecutor and founder of Justice Innovation Lab tells the story of his struggle to unravel the cover-up of a police shooting, and subsequent incineration of the shooting victim, in Hurricane Katrina–era New Orleans...

537. Ed Abraham

537. Ed Abraham talks to us about trans rights in LA.  "Ed Abraham of the Real Name Campaign said “it was people like us and everyone here whose activism made our ‘representatives’ know that we wouldn’t allow them to attack us or to attack trans children.”

536. Johnette Downing and Scott Billington

536. We chat with Johnette Downing and her husband, Scott Billington. "Musician and author Johnette Downing and three-time Grammy® winner Scott Billington are the foremost children’s music performers from New Orleans.

535. Chris Finan

535. We talk to Christopher M. Finan about his book, How Free Speech Saved Democracy. "Free speech is not an obstacle to change: it is the way change happens... To those who see free speech as a threat to democracy, Finan offers engaging evidence from a long and sometimes challenging history of free speech in America to show how free speech has been essential to expanding democracy.

534. Johnny Armstrong

534. We talk to Johnny Armstrong about his new book, Rescuing Biodiversity The Protection and Restoration of a North Louisiana Ecosystem. According to the LSU Press website, "Restoration ecology is a vital tool to mitigate the crisis caused by the global destruction of biodiversity, one of the most powerful existential threats to future generations.

533. Seth Pevey

533. We talk to author Seth Pevey about his life and his writing. Seth is a Louisiana native who has worked as a teacher and journalist around the world, and now writes both fiction and non-fiction from his country home outside of New Orleans.

532. Eli Langley, part 2

532. Part 2 of our conversation with Eli Langley, a member of the Coushatta Tribe and a graduate of Harvard. “Eli Langley ’21 grew up in a family devoted to safeguarding the culture, history, and language of the Coushatta Tribe. His father, a tribal cultural adviser, and his mother, an anthropologist and tribal historian, nourished him with Native folktales and inspired him early on to take pride in his roots.

531. Eli Langley, part 1

531. Part 1 of our conversation with Eli Langley, a member of the Coushatta Tribe and a graduate of Harvard. “Eli Langley ’21 grew up in a family devoted to safeguarding the culture, history, and language of the Coushatta Tribe. His father, a tribal cultural adviser, and his mother, an anthropologist and tribal historian, nourished him with Native folktales and inspired him early on to take pride in his roots.

530. Katy Morlas Shannon

530. Katy Morlas Shannon returns to talk about her children's historical fiction, Sharcropper's Daughter. "Born a sharecropper’s daughter on a Louisiana plantation, Frances Darbonne wonders if she will ever escape the rural poverty that has plagued her family for generations.

529. The Ursuline Correspondence

529.  Stephen and Bruce give their presentation over the Ursuline Correspondence. In the summer of 1804, the Mother Superior or the Ursuline Convent, Therese de St. Xavier Farjon, wrote a petition signed by all the nuns in the convent to President Jefferson, asking his assurance that their property be protected by the Unites States government, so that they could continue their mission of educating girls in New Orleans.

528. Nicholas Lehmann on the Colvax Massacre.

528. We talk to Nicholas Lemann, a journalist who grew up in Louisiana, about his book, Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War. "Nicholas Lemann opens this extraordinary book with a riveting account of the horrific events of Easter 1873 in Colfax, Louisiana, where a white militia of Confederate veterans-turned-vigilantes attacked the black community there and massacred hundreds of people in a gruesome killing spree.

527. Cheryl White.

527. Cheryl White joins us to discuss her research into the Yellow Fever outbreak in Shreveport in 1873, and the priests who died while ministering to patients suffering from the fever. Dr White recently unveiled a report on the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1873 and the COVID outbreak of 2020.

526. John Holland, part 2

526. Part 2 of our conversation with John Holland about his work writing comic books. "Die Bold Comics is the home of the words of John Holland and an assortment of fantastic artists. I've been very fortunate over the years to work with some amazing artists.

525. John Holland, Part 1.

525. Part 1 of our conversation with John Holland about his work writing comic books. "Die Bold Comics is the home of the words of John Holland and an assortment of fantastic artists. I've been very fortunate over the years to work with some amazing artists.

524. Anniversary Episode with Lamar White, Jr.

524. Anniversary Episode with Lamar White, Jr. Lamar joins us once again, and we catch up on our projects. The Louisiana Anthology is happy to announce that we have be selected for a $5,000.00 grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities, as well as a $500.00 grant from Wal Mart #23 in Ruston.

523. Diana M. Greenlee and Jenny Ellerbe.

523. We talk to Diana M. Greenlee and Jenny Ellerbe about their book, Poverty: Revealing the Forgotten City. "The settlement of Poverty Point, occupied from about 1700 to 1100 BC and once the largest city in North America, stretches across 345 acres in northeastern Louisiana.

522. Charlotte Bentley, part 2.

522. Part 2 of our conversation with Charlotte Bentley about New Orleans French opera. "New Orleans and the Creation of Transatlantic Opera, 1819–1859 explores the thriving operatic life of New Orleans in the first half of the nineteenth century, drawing out the transatlantic connections that animated it. 

521. Charlotte Bentley, Part 1.

521. Part 1 of our conversation with Charlotte Bentley about New Orleans French-language opera." New Orleans and the Creation of Transatlantic Opera, 1819–1859 explores the thriving operatic life of New Orleans in the first half of the nineteenth century, drawing out the transatlantic connections that animated it.

520. Joshua Trosclair, part 2

520. Part 2 of our conversation with Joshua Trosclair, a progressive activist.  "HousingLOUISIANA is a statewide initiative aimed at meeting Louisiana's housing needs and create a statewide network of regional housing alliances to ensure better collaboration across the state.

519. Joshua Trosclair, part 1

519. Part 1 of our conversation with Joshua Trosclair, housing activist. "HousingLOUISIANA is a statewide initiative aimed at meeting Louisiana's housing needs and create a statewide network of regional housing alliances to ensure better collaboration across the state.

518. Sam Irwin on Jazz

518. We talk to Sam Irwin about his new book on jazz history. "Why did Louis Armstrong choose the Fourth of July as his birthday? What did Independence Day mean to southern Blacks in 1901? How did jazzman Joe Darensbourg of Baton Rouge, the musician who played clarinet on Louis Armstrong’s 1963 smash hit “Hello, Dolly,” encounter not one, but two serial murderers in his long career?

517. Windy Counsell Petre, part 2. Corrected.

517. Part 2 of our interview with Windy Counsell Petre about Louisiana author Grace King. “Grace King was an American author of Louisiana stories, history, and biography, and a leader in historical and literary activities.

517. Windy Counsell Petrie, part 2

517. Part 2 of our interview with Windy Counsell Petre about Louisiana author Grace King. “Grace King was an American author of Louisiana stories, history, and biography, and a leader in historical and literary activities.

516. Windy Counsell Petrie, part 1.

516. Part 1 of our interview with Windy Counsell Petre about Louisiana author Grace King. “Grace King was an American author of Louisiana stories, history, and biography, and a leader in historical and literary activities.

515. Robert Collins.

515. We talk to Robert Collins, a Dillard University Professor of Urban Studies and Public Policy and the Conrad N. Hilton Endowed Professorship. Robert tells us how black mayors have won a Hollow Prize when they get elected as a mayor of a city. "Black mayors taking office was the culmination of many political efforts undertaken during the civil rights movement. 

514. Jacqueline Couti, Part 2.

514. Part 2 of our conversation with Jacqueline Couti about her research into Creole folktale, "Djabe's Marriage." "Jacqueline Couti works in the area of French and Francophone Studies. Her research and teaching interests delve into the transatlantic and transnational interconnections between cultural productions from continental France and its now former colonies.

513. Jacqueline Couti, Part 1

513. Part 1 of our interview with Jacqueline Couti, about the Creole folk tale, "Djabe's Marriage." "Jacqueline Couti works in the area of French and Francophone Studies. Her research and teaching interests delve into the transatlantic and transnational interconnections between cultural productions from continental France and its now former colonies.

512. Danielle Romero, part 2.

512. Part 2 of our interview with Danielle Romero about her documentary, Finding Lola. Danielle lives in Nashville, Tenn., but has deep roots in Natchitoches Parish. A filmmaker, she is documenting the search for her great-grandmother, Lola Perot, who passed away before Romero was born. “She left the Natchitoches area of Louisiana in the 1930s and changed her name and race to hide her identity and attempted to pass as white in New York where I was born,"

511. Danielle Romero, Part 1

511. Part 1 of our interview with Danielle Romero about her documentary, Finding Lola. Danielle lives in Nashville, Tenn., but has deep roots in Natchitoches Parish. A filmmaker, she is documenting the search for her great-grandmother, Lola Perot, who passed away before Romero was born. “She left the Natchitoches area of Louisiana in the 1930s and changed her name and race to hide her identity and attempted to pass as white in New York where I was born,”

510. Mona Lisa Saloy

510. Mona Lisa Saloy returns to the porch to talk about her service to the state as Poet Laureate of Louisiana 2021-2023. We spend a lot of time talking about her poem, "Louisiana Log." Author & Folklorist, Educator, and Scholar, Mona Lisa's work appears in many anthologies and journals.

509. Ruth Laney

509. We talk to Ruth Laney about her biography of Ernest Gaines: Cherie Quarters: The Place and the People That Inspired Ernest J. Gaines.  "Cherie Quarters combines personal interviews, biography, and social history to tell the story of a plantation quarter and its most famous resident, renowned Louisiana writer and Pulitzer Prize nominee Ernest J. Gaines.

508. Andrew Wegmann, part 2

508. Part 2 of our interview with Andrew Wegmann. Andrew has traced the introduction of concepts of whiteness, purity of blood and legitimacy of kin under the Spanish caused a transformation within the New Orleans colored community. As generations of mixed-race men and women emerged from interracial families established during the late French Period, Spanish social and legal practices permeated the New Orleans cultural landscape.

507. Andrew Wegmann, Part 1

507. Part 1 of our conversation with Andrew Wegmann. Andrew believes that the introduction of concepts of whiteness, purity of blood and legitimacy of kin under the Spanish caused a transformation within the New Orleans coloured community. As generations of mixed-race men and women emerged from interracial families established during the late French Period, Spanish social and legal practices permeated the New Orleans cultural landscape.

506. Tim Wise, part 2, Corrected

506. Part 2 of our interview with Tim Wise. Tim is a civil rights activist who worked in Louisiana. "Tim Wise, whom scholar and philosopher Cornel West calls, 'A vanilla brother in the tradition of (abolitionist) John Brown,' is among the nation’s most prominent antiracist essayists and educators...

506. Tim Wise, part 2

506. Part 2 of our interview with Tim Wise. Tim is a civil rights activist who worked in Louisiana. "Tim Wise, whom scholar and philosopher Cornel West calls, 'A vanilla brother in the tradition of (abolitionist) John Brown,' is among the nation’s most prominent antiracist essayists and educators...

505. Tim Wise, Part 1

505. Part 1 of our interview with Tim Wise. Tim is a civil rights activist who worked in Louisiana. 'Tim Wise, whom scholar and philosopher Cornel West calls, “A vanilla brother in the tradition of (abolitionist) John Brown,” is among the nation’s most prominent antiracist essayists and educators....

504. T. R. Johnson, Part 2. — Corrected.

 504. Part 2 of our interview with T. R. Johnson. T. R. is the editor of New Orleans: A Literary History, and the author of the new book, New Orleans: A Writer’s City. "The neighborhoods of New Orleans have given rise to an extraordinary outpouring of important writing. Over the last century and a half or so, these stories and songs have given the city its singular place in the human imagination.

504. T. R. Johnson, Part 2

 504. Part 2 of our interview with T. R. Johnson. T. R. is the editor of New Orleans: A Literary History, and the author of the new book, New Orleans: A Writer’s City. "The neighborhoods of New Orleans have given rise to an extraordinary outpouring of important writing. Over the last century and a half or so, these stories and songs have given the city its singular place in the human imagination.

503. T. R. Johnson. New Orleans writers, part 1.

503. Part 1 of our interview with T. R. Johnson. T. R. is the editor of New Orleans: A Literary History, and the author of the new book, New Orleans: A Writer’s City. "The neighborhoods of New Orleans have given rise to an extraordinary outpouring of important writing. Over the last century and a half or so, these stories and songs have given the city its singular place in the human imagination.