601. Cherry Levin, Part 1

 601. Part 1 of our conversation with Cherry Levin about her research into Antebellum weddings in Louisiana Creole plantations. She wrote a dissertation at LSU entitled, “Wedding Belles and Enslaved Brides: Louisiana Plantation Weddings in Fact, Fiction and Folklore.” “Along with rites of passage marking birth and death, wedding rituals played an important role in ordering social life on antebellum Louisiana plantations, not only for elite white families but also for the enslaved. Autobiographical accounts of plantation weddings written by Louisiana women yield considerable insights on the importance of weddings for Louisiana plantation women before and especially during the Civil War. Moreover, information contained within the Louisiana Writers’ Project narratives reveal various types of wedding ritual used to unite the enslaved on Louisiana plantations despite laws and codes that prohibited slave unions. In contrast to these historical accounts, plantation weddings in the fictional imagination reveal that the figure of the bride reflects careful authorial negotiation of racialized and gendered ideologies.” (Levin).  “A distinguished graduate of the Association of Bridal Consultants’ Professional Development Program, Cherry has planned and coordinated over two hundred weddings throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, the Wine Country and Lake Tahoe. She has also planned weddings in San Luis Obispo, Texas and locations throughout southeastern Louisiana from Baton Rouge to New Orleans” (Retrospect Images).

1. Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy. The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in print for the first time in 220 years. Order your copy today!
   
2. This week in Louisiana history. November 24, 1721. First census of New Orleans taken
   
3. This week in New Orleans history. November 23, 1955. Mary Loretta Landrieu was born in Arlington, Virginia on November 23, 1955, the daughter of Moon Landrieu and the sister of Mitch Landrieu. She was raised in New Orleans and attended Ursuline Academy. She graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge in 1977. She eventually became a United States Senator.
   
4. This week in Louisiana.
   Now Open For 2024 Season!
   Dark Woods Adventure Park
   4343 University Pkwy
   Natchitoches, LA 71457
   Website
        Adventure awaits at Dark Woods Adventure Park in Natchitoches. This family-friendly outdoor park features a variety of activities and attractions to enjoy, including Lost Treasure Mining Company, Louisiana’s only outdoor gem and fossil mining attraction, delicious food, and the new Bear Factory at Dark Woods. With a mini-golf course in development and scheduled opening soon, this park will surely be a hit with visitors of all ages!
        Additionally, special seasonal events like Happy Easter Hop Along, Dark Woods Haunted Attraction, and Dark Woods Christmas, retail shops, an ice cream shop, and great food make Dark Woods Adventure Park a popular destination for a day of exploration and adventure from March to December.
        Whether you’re looking for a day of fun or a weekend getaway, Dark Woods Adventure Park is sure to have something for everyone!
   
5. Postcards from Louisiana. Aislinn Kerchaert writes and reads the poem, “Thanksgiving in New Orleans.”

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