209. Ambata Kazi-Nance

209. We interview New Orleans writer Ambata Kazi-Nance. Ambata writes from the perspective of an African-American woman who is also Muslim, living in a city and a culture that don't always know what to make of these characteristics.
       "The mistake often made by well-meaning people is to say that we’re all the same. We are all the same, in the sense that we’re human beings, but we’re all also different. The objective isn’t to erase the differences nor always highlight them, just to acknowledge they exist and not pass judgment based on them. We are as God created us to be. As my four-year-old son lovingly proclaimed one day while we were out walking, 'God made us all from clay, and then He painted us different colors!' Or like a friend who said, observing a newborn baby, 'God never runs out of designs.'”

1. This week in Louisiana history. May 20, 1835. The Planters Hotel in New Orleans collapsed killing 25.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Jazzland Opens  May 20, 2000. It later became a 6 Flags, and never reopened after Katrina.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Rendez-vous des Cajuns
   January 21st, 2017
   6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
   337-457-7389
   Website
   The Liberty Theatre
   Bring your dancing shoes to "Rendez-vous avec des Cajuns," a live radio show in the Grand Old Opry/Louisiana Hayride/Prairie Home companion format. The emcee hosts the program in Cajun French with enough English spoken so that everyone can enjoy this unique and one-of-a-kind experience. The entire family is welcome so make this event your Saturday night plan. $5 admission charged. Temporarily taking place at Rocky's Cajun Kitchen until renovations are complete!
4. Postcard from Louisiana.
   We talk to Karen Riley Simmons, Sherry Bovey, and Michelle Riggs from the Sankofa Cultural Collective of Alexandria. The Collective promotes, preserves, and encourages the visual, performance and cultural arts and heritage of people of African descent by providing cultural arts programming for youth and families in Central Louisiana.

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Ambata Kazi-Nance

Karen Riley Simmons, Sherry Bovey, & Michelle Riggs

208. Sam Irwin. Crawfish, part 2

208. Part 2 of our interview with Sam Irwin. Sam is the author of  Louisiana Crawfish: A Succulent History of the Cajun Crustacean. Sam Irwin is a freelance photojournalist living in Baton Rouge. He is a native of Breaux Bridge, the Crawfish Capital of the World, and spent much of his childhood in Henderson, Louisiana at Amy's Fisheries, his grandfather's fish and crawfish market. Sam is the former press secretary of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry and a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He has also been a history teacher, a Cajun music dancehall operator and the owner of a record store.

1. This week in Louisiana history. May 13, 1864. Alexandia burned to the ground by Union troops.
2. This week in New Orleans history. May 13, 1921. It took 8  pairs of mules to haul away this 24 ton door for the Hibernia Bank and Trust's new vault door, built by the Mosler Safe Company.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Fidelity’s Concerts in the Park: Swing in the Pines
   Saturday, May 13
   6:00 PM
   Venue information:
   Bogue Falaya Park
   213 Park Drive
   Covington, LA 70433
   504.523.6530
   Guest conductor Ankush Bahl leads the LPO in Fidelity’s annual Concerts in the Park series at beautiful Bogue Falaya Park in Covington! Bring your lawn chairs, refreshments, and the entire family for this annual celebration of popular musical favorites from the past and present.

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207. Sam Irwin. Crawfish, part 1.

207. Part 1 of our interview with Sam Irwin. Sam is the author of  Louisiana Crawfish: A Succulent History of the Cajun Crustacean. Sam Irwin is a freelance photojournalist living in Baton Rouge. He is a native of Breaux Bridge, the Crawfish Capital of the World, and spent much of his childhood in Henderson, Louisiana at Amy's Fisheries, his grandfather's fish and crawfish market. Sam is the former press secretary of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture & Forestry and a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He has also been a history teacher, a Cajun music dancehall operator and the owner of a record store.

Recipe for Crawfish Bisque.
From Cooking in Old Creole Days.
Take two or three dozen crawfish, throw them in boiling water for a minute or two, clean them thoroughly. Take off the heads, empty them, and clean them and wash them, keeping the fat part of the tails. Put them on a chopping board with the fat, a little chicken or veal, a little stale bread, chop it all fine together, flavor with pepper, red or black, a laurel leaf, or put in a bouquet of aromatic herbs for a few minutes, having tied it with a thread so as to pull it out. Brown all this in a saucepan with a spoonful of lard. Stuff the crawfish heads tight with this. Put them in a saucepan to simmer with a quart of bouillon for an hour or more, until you have a good soup. Serve hot.

— Mme. Josephine Nicaud,
Who has been for over forty years in Ambassador Eustis’ family.

1. This week in Louisiana history.
   
• May 7, 1862. The Union Army captures Baton Rouge during the Civil War
• May 7, 1863. Alexandria captured by Union troops during the Civil War
2. This week in New Orleans history. On May 6, 1770, the Cabildo attorney requested soliciting  the establishment of a body of horse police.
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Bobby Love and Friends Thursday, May 11
   5:00 PM CST
   Venue information:
   Vaso's 500 Frenchmen St. New Orleans, LA 70116
   504.272.0929

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206. Lake Douglas, part 2

206. Part 2 of our interview with Lake Douglas. Lake is an associate professor of landscape architecture and associate dean of research and development at the LSU College of Art & Design. He wrote Gardens of New Orleans: Exquisite Excess with Jeanette Hardy and pictures by Richard Sexton. The book was named the 2001 book of the year by New Orleans-Gulf South Booksellers' Association. In his work Public Spaces, Private Gardens: A History of Designed Landscapes in New Orleans,  Lake employs written accounts, archival data, historic photographs, lithographs, maps, and city planning documents — many of which have never before been published--to explore public and private outdoor spaces in New Orleans and those who shaped them. The result offers the first in-depth examination of the city's landscape history. Douglas presents this "beautiful and imposing" city as a work of art crafted by numerous influences. His survey from the colonial period to the twentieth century finds that geography, climate, and, above all, the multicultural character of its residents have made New Orleans unique in American landscape design history. French and Spanish settlers, Africans and Native Americans, as well as immigrants from Germany, Ireland, Italy, and other parts of the world all participated in creating this community's unique public and private landscapes.

1. This week in Louisiana history. April 29, 1820. Gov. Henry Watkins Allen was born in Prince Edward County, Va. The parish "Allen" will later be named for him. He fought in several Civil War battleas and served as Gov in 1864.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Percy Robert Miller (born April 29, 1970 in New Orleans better known by his stage name Master P or his business name P. Miller, is an American rapper, actor, entrepreneur, investor, producer, and former professional minor league Basketball player. He is the founder of the popular label No Limit Records, which went bankrupt and was relaunched as New No Limit Records through Koch Records, followed by Guttar Music Entertainment, and No Limit Forever Records. He is the founder and CEO of P. Miller Enterprises, an entertainment and financial conglomerate and Better Black Television.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival
   May 5th, 2017 - May 7th, 2017
   1290 Rees St.,
   Breaux Bridge, LA 70517
   337-332-6655
   Website | Email

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205. Lake Douglas, part 1

205.  Part 1 of our interview with Lake Douglas.  Lake is associate professor of landscape architecture and associate dean of research and development at the LSU College of Art & Design. He wrote Gardens of New Orleans: Exquisite Excess with Jeanette Hardy and pictures by Richard Sexton. The book was named the 2001 book of the year by New Orleans-Gulf South Booksellers' Association. In his work Public Spaces, Private Gardens: A History of Designed Landscapes in New Orleans,  Lake employs written accounts, archival data, historic photographs, lithographs, maps, and city planning documents — many of which have never before been published--to explore public and private outdoor spaces in New Orleans and those who shaped them. The result offers the first in-depth examination of the city's landscape history. Douglas presents this "beautiful and imposing" city as a work of art crafted by numerous influences. His survey from the colonial period to the twentieth century finds that geography, climate, and, above all, the multicultural character of its residents have made New Orleans unique in American landscape design history. French and Spanish settlers, Africans and Native Americans, as well as immigrants from Germany, Ireland, Italy, and other parts of the world all participated in creating this community's unique public and private landscapes.

1. This week in Louisiana history. April 23, 1831. Pontchartrain Railroad opened, first west of Alleghenies.
2. This week in New Orleans history. From April 22 to 26, 1970, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was held at Beauregard Square (now Armstrong Park) and the Municipal Auditorium.  Music was performed noon to midnight.  Duke Ellington, Mahalia Jackson, Pete Fountain, Al Hirt, the Preservation Hall Band, and "Hundreds of Others" were scheduled, according to advertising posters.  The festival was produced by George Wein.  Tickets were available at Werlein's, 605 Canal Street.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Senga Nengudi: Improvisional Gestures
   March 16-June 18
   "Senga Nengudi: Improvisational Gestures," sculpture retrospective
   When: Through June 18
       Contemporary Arts Center
           900 Camp St., New Orleans Warehouse District
           phone (504) 528-3800
           www.cacno.org
       In 1975, artist Senga Nengudi began a series of sculptures, entitled R.S.V.P., which evoke the elasticity and durability of the human body.
        Made of everyday materials, such as pantyhose and sand, the works invite viewers to not only respond but to engage with them physically. Stretched and twisted, knotted and looped, the works occupy their space in the gallery much as a figure does—by projecting outward and reaching into the space of the viewer in unexpected ways. Improvisional Gestures includes works from the 1970s to the present, and is the first museum presentation to examine these sculptures together and in such depth.
       Senga Nengudi: Improvisional Gestures is organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver and the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs Gallery of Contemporary Art.

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204. Dylan Waguespack, part 2. Corrected

204. Dylan Waguespack interview, part 2. Dylan is the Outreach and Communications Coordinator at Louisiana Budget Project working on tax reform for a fair, adequate and sustainable state budget. A young professional with a background in state government relations and communications strategy, Dylan has worked to advance state and federal policies which expand opportunity for people impacted by homelessness and hunger.

1. This week in Louisiana history. April 16, 1718 Official date of founding of New Orleans.
2. This week in New Orleans history. The Greater New Orleans (GNO) Bridge opened for traffic on April 15, 1958. Construction on the GNO Bridge No. 2 (called the Crescent City Connection) began in March 1981. Traffic first crossed over the second span in September 1988.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Corney Creek Great Outdoors Festival
   April 21st, 2017 - April 22nd, 2017
   5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
   Bernice High School, US 167 SOUTH @ LA. 2 WEST,
   Bernice, LA 71222
   318-368-5300
   The Corney Creek Great Outdoors Festival is the 3rd weekend in April. It last two days. Starts on Friday evening at 5:00 pm and goes to 11:00 pm. On Saturday it starts at 9:00 am goes to 11:00 pm. Food booths, arts and crafts, music, poker run and many other events take place. Good entertainment for the whole family.

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204. Dylan Waguespack, part 2.

204. Dylan Waguespack interview, part 2. Dylan is the Outreach and Communications Coordinator at Louisiana Budget Project working on tax reform for a fair, adequate and sustainable state budget. A young professional with a background in state government relations and communications strategy, Dylan has worked to advance state and federal policies which expand opportunity for people impacted by homelessness and hunger.

1. This week in Louisiana history. April 16, 1718 Official date of founding of New Orleans.
2. This week in New Orleans history. The Greater New Orleans (GNO) Bridge opened for traffic on April 15, 1958. Construction on the GNO Bridge No. 2 (called the Crescent City Connection) began in March 1981. Traffic first crossed over the second span in September 1988.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Corney Creek Great Outdoors Festival
   April 21st, 2017 - April 22nd, 2017
   5:00 pm - 11:00 pm
   Bernice High School, US 167 SOUTH @ LA. 2 WEST,
   Bernice, LA 71222
   318-368-5300
   The Corney Creek Great Outdoors Festival is the 3rd weekend in April. It last two days. Starts on Friday evening at 5:00 pm and goes to 11:00 pm. On Saturday it starts at 9:00 am goes to 11:00 pm. Food booths, arts and crafts, music, poker run and many other events take place. Good entertainment for the whole family.

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The Louisiana Anthology Home Page.

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