645 David Ballantyne, Part 2.

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).

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 221 years. Order your copy today!
2. 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.  
3. This week in Louisiana history. September 27, 1902. N.O. streetcar employees strike for 8-hr days and 25 cent per hr. minimum wage.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Postcards from Louisiana. Royal Street Band.

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