120. Dixon Hearne Update Interview

120.  We talk again with writer Dixon Hearne, who teaches and writes in the American South. In recent months, he has moved back home to Louisiana.  He's now in Sterlington, LA, near Monroe.  Much of his writing draws greatly from the rich images in his daily life growing up along the graceful river traces and bayous in West Monroe, Louisiana. After many years of university teaching and writing for research journals, his interests turned toward fiction and poetry—and the challenge of writing in a different voice. The Louisiana Anthology now has some of Dixon's stories for you to enjoy, and links to more.

1. This week in Louisiana history. September 6, 1717. John Law's Company of the West chartered.
2. This week in New Orleans history. De La Sallle High School, operated by the Christian Brothers, opened the doors to 76 Catholic freshman boys on Tuesday, September 6, 1949 in an old house on Pitt Street.  The brothers added a new class level each year, operating in several other old structures on the property spanning the 5300 block of St. Charles Avenue, between Valmont and Leontine streets, which the Archdiocese of New Orleans had purchased in April 1949 for $312,000. On Sunday, February 17, 1952 at 2 p.m., Archbishop Rummel officiated the formal dedication of the current De La Salle high school building which had been constructed at a cost of $375,000 to accommodate 750 students. 
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Lydia Cajun Food Fest
   September 11 - 12, 2015
   Weeks Park - Lydia, LA 70569
   Cajun Food Cook‑off, Food Court, Carnival, Arts & Crafts, Poker Run, Refreshments, Music.
   Cajun food certainly has its followers. On menus nationwide, you’ll find things like “Blackened Chicken Salad” or “Cajun Popcorn Shrimp.” As a general rule, these things are usually pale derivatives of the real thing. If you’re interested in the real thing, you’d be wise to be in the small town of Lydia, Louisiana, in September for its annual Cajun Food Fest.

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119. Interview with J. Dawn, Part 2

119.  Part 2 of our interview with J. Dawn, the author of Ashes of Betrayal in The Magicis Chronicles series. J. Dawn is the author of a growing series of books called the Magicis Chronicles. These books are set in the near future, where magic forces that have always been among us have become public.  New Orleans is one of the centers of magic, so the characters will be making their way to the Big Easy at some point in the next book.  Join us as we talk to J. Dawn about her magic series.

1. This week in Louisiana history. August 29, 1962. Heaviest rainfall in 24 hour period, 22 inches at Sabine Wildlife Refuge
2. This week in New Orleans history.   August 29, 2005.  Katrina breached the levees.  The city and metropolitan area were underwater in the aftermath of the hurricane.  This date should never pass without a pause to honor the memory of all who were lost that day.  And to remember or try not to remember all else that was lost.  Near  the bottom of this page is a time-line of the events which occurred on August 29, 2005.  If you choose not to "go there" (literally or figuratively) stop reading when you reach the bottom section.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   September 4-5, 2015
   Cane River Zydeco Festival & Poker Run
   August 29 - 30, 2014
   Downtown Riverbank
   Natchitoches, LA 71457
   All musical events are held on the downtown stage in the historic district. Poker Run events will cover specified routes throughout Natchitoches Parish.
   Phone: Melvin Holmes 318-471-9960 or 354-0899
   Harman Winters 318-652-0079 or 354-1077

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118. J. Dawn, author of the Magicis Chronicles. Part 1.

118.  We interview J. Dawn, the author of Ashes of Betrayal inThe Magicis Chronicles series. J. Dawn is the author of a growing series of books called the Magicis Chronicles. These books are set in the near future, where magic forces that have always been among us have become public.  New Orleans is one of the centers of magic, so the characters will be making their way to the Big Easy at some point in the next book.  Join us as we talk to J. Dawn about her magic series.

1. This week in Louisiana history. August 22, 1701. Jean Baptiste Le Moyne Bienville succeeds Ensign de Sauvolle (Sauvolle's first name is unknown) as commandant of Louisiana.
2. This week in New Orleans history. On August 22, 1947, a hurricane passed offshore Grand Isle. Sabine Pass reported a 3.6 foot storm surge as the storm hit the Upper Texas coast September 19th, 1947: Hurricane force winds first reached the Mississippi and Louisiana shores at 6 a.m. and New Orleans at 8 a.m.. Gusts to 125 m.p.h. were estimated at Moisant International Airport (highest gust measured was 112 m.p.h.) and the pressure fell to 28.57".  A fifteen foot storm surge overcame the Bay St. Louis seawall. Ostrica saw an 11.5 foot surge and Shell Beach experienced an 11.2 foot storm surge. Water was 6 feet deep in Jefferson Parish. The air fields at Moisant were under 2 feet of water, closing the airport during its second year of operation. This storm demonstrated the dire need for tidal protection levees for New Orleans. Much of the city was flooded, and $100 million in damage was produced. The storm claimed 51 victims, 12 in Louisiana.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   39th Annual Gueydan Duck Festival
   August 27-30, 2015
   The first festival was held in November of 1977 and has grown considerably each year. Held originally on blocked-off streets in Gueydan, the Duck festival moved to its own grounds in 1980 when the Atlantic-Richfield Company donated 7 acres to the Gueydan Duck Festival and the Vermilion Parish Police Jury.  Early in 1996, the Gueydan Duck Festival Association purchased a 10 acre tract of land adjacent to the existing festival grounds complete with lighting and metal buildings for all the festival activities.
   P.O. Box 179 
   Gueydan, LA. 70542
   404 Dallas Guidry Rd
   Gueydan, LA. 70542
   Phone: 337-536-6456
   Fax: 337- 536-9997

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117. Sandy Rosenthal

117.  Today we interview Sandy Rosenthal, the founder of Levees.org.  She founded the website and the group as a response to Katrina to advocate for stronger levees and other flood defenses.  Following the government failures surrounding Katrina, Sandy began leading citizens to hold agencies like the Army Corps of Engineers accountable, to correct misrepresentations of what happened, and to demand better protection for New Orleans and other coastal cities. Now she has been named a Hero of the Recovery by the Editors of New Orleans Magazine. 

1. This week in Louisiana history. August 16, 1814. US gunboats attack Barataria, destroying all ships and pirate contraband.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Jazz drummer, cornetist and melophone player Arthur "Monk" Haze was born Harvey on August 15, 1903. He played with Emmett Hardy, Stalebread Lacombe, Abbie Brunies (the Halfway House Orchestra), and Tony Parenti. Monk led his own Bienville Roof Orchestra (which played for atop the Bienville Hotel at Lee Circle, and made recordings in 1928) and then spent time in New York playing with Johnny Wiggs, Jack Pettis and with his own group (1929–31). Hazel was in Hollywood for a period (working with Gene Austin) but eventually came back to New Orleans, performing with Joe Caprano (1937) and the Lloyd Danton Quintet. Hazel spent 1942-43 in the Army and then worked for a time outside of music. However during his final 20 years, Hazel was once again quite active in New Orleans, performing with Sharkey Bonano, George Girard, Mike Lala, Santo Pecora and virtually every other important name in New Orleans jazz. 

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Sandy Rosenthal

116. Gary Joiner, Part 2

116.  Part 2 of our interview with Gary Joiner.  Gary grew up in Farmerville, La., the only child of Rudy and Dillard Joiner. As a small boy visiting Civil War battlefields, he was inspired to learn more about history and, while he did not know what a historian was at that time, he considered that to be his ultimate career goal. Following graduation from high school, he attended Louisiana Tech University, earning a bachelor’s degree with a double major in history and geography. He earned a master’s degree from the same institution, focusing on military history. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy Degree from St. Martin’s College, Lancaster, England.

1. This week in Louisiana history. September 9, 1965. Hurricane "Betsy" hits Louisiana.
2. This week in New Orleans history.  While playing second base for the New Orleans Pelicans on August 8, 1916, Henry Antone "Cotton" Knaupp became the only player in the history of the Southern Association to turn an unassisted triple play. With the bases loaded and Knaupp playing 2nd base in a game against the Chattanooga Lookouts, he caught a line drive hit by shortstop Joe Harris, tagged Jake Pilter who was running from first to second base, and stepped on 2nd base to put out Bob Messenger before he could return to second base.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Hot August Night
   August 14, 2015
   Downtown Development District Hammond
   Hammond, LA
   (985) 277-5681 ext 2
   The Hammond Downtown Development District presents the 19th Annual Hot August Night 
   Friday, August 14, 2015 - 6pm to 10pm
   Join us in Historic Downtown Hammond.
   Get ready for a wine stroll, art everywhere, retail stores brimming with great stuff, restaurants & bars.

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115. Gary Joiner Interview, Part 1.

115.  Part 1 of our interview with Gary Joiner.  Gary grew up in Farmerville, La., the only child of Rudy and Dillard Joiner. As a small boy visiting Civil War battlefields, he was inspired to learn more about history and, while he did not know what a historian was at that time, he considered that to be his ultimate career goal. Following graduation from high school, he attended Louisiana Tech University, earning a bachelor’s degree with a double major in history and geography. He earned a master’s degree from the same institution, focusing on military history. He earned his Doctor of Philosophy Degree from St. Martin’s College, Lancaster, England.

1. This week in Louisiana history. August 3, 1918. Louisiana ratifies 18th Amendment to US Constitution (Prohibition).
2. This week in New Orleans history. On Aug. 1, 1952, at exactly 8 p.m., a New Orleans landmark was lit for the first time. The Falstaff Brewing Company, located at 2601 Gravier St., installed a 126-foot tower with an electrical sign on top of its new brewery. Joining Dr. Cline for this auspicious occasion was New Orleans Mayor de Lesseps “Chep” Morrison. Falstaff’s advertising to the metropolitan New Orleans area informed the locals that the tower would forecast the next day’s weather. The changing colors of the massive ball on top of the sign were: GREEN – fair weather. RED – cloudy. RED FLASHING – rain.  WHITE – showers. RED AND WHITE FLASHING – approaching storms.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Delcambre Shrimp Festival
   August 12 - 16, 2015
   Delcambre Shrimp Festival Building
   Delcambre, LA 70528
   Food and Drinks
   The Delcambre Shrimp Festival is home to one of the best 5-day festivals in South Louisiana. The festival has gained it's popularity by providing a variety of delicious dishes and top notch entertainment including National Recording Artists. Enjoy signature shrimp dishes like boiled shrimp, fried shrimp, shrimp sauce piquante, shrimp salad and many more. Each and every shrimp dish consumed at the festival is prepared by volunteer members of the festival association.

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114. Katie Bickham interview, part 2

114.  Part 2 of our interview with Katie Bickham.  Katie Bickham is an award-winning poet and teacher from Shreveport, Louisiana.  She is proud to announce her forthcoming first book of poetry, The Belle Mar, winner of the Lena-Miles Wever Todd Poetry Prize. Katie grew up believing she wanted to write novels, but somewhere along the way, brevity took hold, and she decided it was poetry or bust.  Katie earned her BA in English Literature and MA in Liberal Arts from LSU Shreveport.  Then, knowing that one cannot write about a place until one leaves it, she enrolled in the Stonecoast MFA program at the University of Southern Maine, where she met the people who would pull the truly good work out of her.

1. This week in Louisiana history. July 26, 1810. Rebellion of West Florida Parishes.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Born in New Orleans on July 25, 1899, musician Johnny Wiggs (Born John Wigginton Hyman) started his music career on the violin, then the cornet.  In the late 1920s he took a job as a teacher, adopted the stage name "Johnny Wiggs"), and moonlighted in New Orleans jazz clubs at night. He made his first recordings as "John Hyman's Bayou Stompers" in the late 1920s.  In the 1940s he quit teaching (after having trained a young Pete Fountain), led several bands, made some recordings, and became an an important figure in the revival and preservation of the local music by founding the New Orleans Jazz Club.  Hyman remained active until the 1970s.  He passed away on in New Orleans on October 10, 1977.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Satchmo SummerFest
   July 31st, 2015 - August 2nd, 2015
   Old U.S. Mint & Historic French Quarter
   400 Esplanade Ave., New Orleans, LA 70116
   504-522-5730
   Website
   Old U.S. Mint & Historic French Quarter
   Each year, this weekend-long festival celebrates his life, legacy and music. The festivities include a seminar series, jazz exhibits, a jazz mass and second-line parade, fantastic food and a host of star-studded performers.

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