645. Part 2 of our interview with David Ballantyne about post
Civil-War Reconstruction of the Red River Valley. He has given the history on the area in his book, Fractured
Freedoms: Reconstruction in Central Louisiana. “Fractured Freedoms is a riveting history of
central Louisiana from the 1860s to the 1890s, focusing on
majority-Black Rapides Parish during Reconstruction. Using the
region as a case study, Ballantyne reveals what is, in part, a
rural Reconstruction success story, emphasizing the resilience
of Black politics and the persistence of significant divisions
among white residents that allowed the Republican Party to gain
and maintain power there. It was only with the collapse of
state-level Republican power in 1877 that Democratic forces in
the parish were able to dismantle local Republican political
control and gradually constrict Black freedoms" (LSU
Press).
- 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 221 years. Order your copy today!
- This week in the Louisiana
Anthology. Rebecca van Laer, "First Date."
She orders oysters, of course I don’t know how to do this,
to slip a three-pronged fork under the white flesh of some mollusk
and wiggle soft globes of muscle from the black mass
of shell, the lemongrass broth the dense gem swims in —
how to pop it
out and into my mouth and then suck, savor the dense slip of it,
then again:
a sequence of teasing, eating, repeating, and this is only
our appetizer. I’m gulping
My glass of pinot grigio, wet fingerprints along the stem
because I can’t pronounce the name of a single entrée,
meet her eyes across a candelabra with the weight
of a fresco above her head, ridiculous
cherubs entreating with their fat blue eyes. Beside,
the dark drapes and the billowing shapes of tablecloths curtain
off any eaves this conversation could fade into, so it’s spotlight
perspective, precarious. She’s tongue
tumbling into me, an outpouring of asks until I spill
sauce, a thin line of it down the buttons
on my blouse — she dabs
at me with her burgundy napkin, freshly dampened
for the task. I shut my eyes and feel
the whirl of the room, the orangey angels and her dry palms pressed
against my chest, wonder if I’ll open up full-mouthed and mind-tied. - This week in Louisiana history. September 27, 1902. N.O. streetcar employees strike for 8-hr days and 25 cent per hr. minimum wage.
- This week in New Orleans history. The historic Saenger Theater reopened for the first time since Hurriane Katrina on September 27, 2013 with three performances by comedian Jerry Seinfeld; one on September 27 and two on September 28. The opening gala would be held October 3-6.
- This week in Louisiana.
La Fête des Vieux Temps
OCT 03 - 05, 2025
Friday 6PM
Saturday 10AM
Sunday 9AM
4484 Hwy 1,
Raceland, LA. 70394
985-637-2166
Called the "Festival of Old Times" this event features a celebration of music, dancing, Cajun food, and arts & crafts show. This long standing event is a local favorite and showcases the true authentic Cajun culture of Lafourche Parish. - Postcards from Louisiana. Royal Street Band.
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