678. Emily Zobel Marshall.

Episode 678. Emily Zobel Marshall comes on the podcast to discuss her research on trickster characters, particularly the ones in her book, American Trickster: Trauma Tradition and Brer Rabbit. Trickster characters. Emily Marshall’s concept of the American Trickster explores a unique archetype that evolved from the fusion of diverse cultural folklore—primarily African, Indigenous, and European—into a distinctly American figure. Unlike traditional European tricksters who often serve as moral foils or agents of chaos, Marshall’s American trickster is defined by survival and subversion. This figure often operates within systems of extreme oppression, using wit, "masking," and linguistic dexterity to outsmart more powerful adversaries. Emily is a Professor of Postcolonial Literature at Leeds Beckett University. She is of French-Caribbean and British heritage and grew up in the mountains of Snowdonia in North Wales. An expert on the trickster figure in the folklore, oral cultures and literature of the African Diaspora, she has published widely in these fields, including her books Anansi’s Journey: A Story of Jamaican Cultural Resistance (2012, UWI press) and American Trickster: Trauma Tradition and Brer Rabbit (2019, Rowman and Littlefield). She develops her creative work alongside her academic writing and her collection Bath of Herbs was published by Peepal Tree Press in 2023.

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 222 years. Order your copy today!
2. This week in the Louisiana Anthology. Louis Charles Roudanez.
   'Is the Black Code Still in Force?'
       'Sec. 9. If any slave shall strike a white person, for the first and second offense he shall receive such punishment as the jury shall think proper, but for the third offence the said slave shall suffer death; and whenever any slave shall have grievously and willfully wounded any white person, although it prove to be the first offense, such slave shall suffer death; provided the blow, wound, mutilation or bruises are not made or committed in defense of the person or property of his master.'
       Does any sane person living in New Orleans today believe that such a law would, could or should be enforced by any civil power in this city under existing circumstances? Yet there it stands, printed in the 'Revised Statutes of Louisiana,' under the head of the 'Black Code,' and if we are to be guided by 'high authority' in legal matters, a judge in one of our anomalous courts would be derelict in his duty not to pronounce the sentence of death on a colored person, convicted under this statute, who had heretofore been held as a slave, and had never been manumitted according to the laws of Louisiana.
3. This week in Louisiana history. May 15, 1915. Huey Long admitted to the Louisiana Bar as "a full fledged lawyer." 
4. This week in New Orleans history. May 15, 1921: The first scheduled commercial flight arrived in New Orleans, marking the beginning of the city's modern aviation era.
5. This week in Louisiana.
   Gonzales Jambalaya Festival
   May 15, 2026
   Lamar‑Dixon Expo Center, 9039 S. St. Landry Avenue
   Gonzales, LA 70737
   Held annually on Memorial Day Weekend; the 2026 festival is coming up later this month
   Website: jambalayafestival.net
   Email: info@jambalayafestival.net
   Phone: (225) 647‑9569
   The Gonzales Jambalaya Festival is a South Louisiana tradition featuring world‑champion jambalaya, live music, carnival rides, and cooking competitions throughout the long Memorial Day weekend:
   
• World Champion Jambalaya: Daily servings from top cooks competing for the festival title.
• Live Music & Entertainment: Multiple stages with regional bands and family‑friendly performances.
• Carnival Rides & Activities: A full midway, games, vendors, and community events across the festival grounds.
6. Postcards from Louisiana. Molly Ringwalds. My Sharona. Kenner Italian Festival. 

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