355. Laura D. Kelley on Margaret Haughery

355. We interview Laura D. Kelley about Margaret Gaffney Haughery for Women's History Month. We talked to Laura in Episodes 156 and 157 about the history of the Irish in New Orleans. Today she comes back to discuss Margaret Gaffney Haughery, commonly called the Mother of Orphans. She immigrated to New Orleans in 1835, but soon lost her husband and child. The nuns took her in, and she began to work with orphans, donating much of her earnings to their support. She became a successful business woman, first in dairy and later in a bakery. As she became more financially successful, she expanded her support of orphans and led others in donating to them also.

1. This week in Louisiana history. March 7 1830. Gov. Jacques Villere died on his plantation south of N.O.
2. This week in New Orleans history. According to the New Orleans Public Service Riders' Digest, the Knights of Electra first used electricity, in a Carnival parade on March 7, 1889.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   New Orleans Bourbon Festival.
   March 11-14, 2020
   10:00 am - 11:00 pm
   New Orleans Riverside Hilton & Contemporary Arts Center
   2 Poydras Avenue, New Orleans, 900 Camp St, New Orleans,
   New Orleans, LA 70119
   504-905-0726
   Website
   New Orleans Bourbon Festival’s mission is to provide our attendees with an opportunity to enjoy exceptional Bourbon and cuisine surrounded by the charm and culture of New Orleans.
   
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Steve Mignano Band

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354. John Dufresne

354. We talk to John Dufresne. John is the author of six novels: Louisiana Power & Light, Love Warps the Mind a Little, (both New York Times Notable Books of the Year) Deep in the Shade of Paradise, Requiem, Mass., No Regrets, Coyote, and I Don't Like Where This Is Going.  He also wrote two short story collections: The Way That Water Enters Stone and Johnny Too Bad, as well as three chapbooks: Lethe, Cupid, Time and Love; Well Enough Alone; and I Will Eat a Piece of the Roof and You Can Eat the Window. He has two books on writing and creativity: The Lie That Tells a Truth: a Guide to Writing Fiction and Is Life Like This?: a Guide to Writing Your First Novel in Six Months.

1. This week in Louisiana history. February 29, 1904. Study reported that 50 automobiles were owned and operated in N.O.
2. This week in New Orleans history. February 29, 1824. OUDOUSQUIE, Charles, impresario.  Born, New Orleans, February 29, 1814 [sic]; son of Norbert Boudousquié and Marie Thérèse Héloïse de Chouriac. Succeeded Pierre Davis as director of the Théâtre d'Orléans (ca. 1853). Instrumental in construction of the new French Opera House, which opened December 1, 1859, and which he managed until the outbreak of the Civil War. 
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   New Orleans French Film Festival 2020.
   
   February 27th, 2020 - March 4th, 2020

   10:00 am - 11:00 pm
   Prytania Theatre

   5339 Prytania St.,

   New Orleans, LA 70115
   504-309-6633
   Website
   This year, right after Mardi Gras, Laissez les bons temps rouler watching French-language films at the Prytania Theatre! The 23rd New Orleans French Film Festival, one of the longest running foreign language festivals in the country, showcases excellence in contemporary and classic francophone Cinema for audiences of about 4,000 at the Prytania Theatre, the oldest single-screen movie house operating in Louisiana. All films will be screened with English subtitles.
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Accordion player on Royal Street.

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353. Bruce A. Craft, part 2

353. Part 2 of our interview with Bruce A. Craft (English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies). We talk about his presentation on “Redbone Rhetoric—Then and Now: An Exploration of the Literary and Historical Narrative of the Louisiana Redbones.” Bruce explores the history and culture of this tri-racial group living in western Louisiana.

1. This week in Louisiana history. February 22, 1819. In the Adams-Onís Treaty - Spain acknowledges the Sabine River as Louisiana's western boundary.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Happy Birthday Ernie K-Doe, "Emperor of the Universe," born on February 22, 1936 at Charity Hospital. “I’m not positive, but I think all music came from New Orleans.”
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Krewe of Bonne Terre
   February 25, 2020
   
   Montegut Parade Route

   Hwy. 55,

   Montegut, LA 70377
   985-868-2732
   Website
        Mardi Gras in Houma, Louisiana is a true Cajun celebration. With over a dozen parades full of colorfully themed floats, scores of marching bands and tons of great throws, Houma has one of the largest Mardi Gras celebrations in Louisiana. You’ll find that a Houma Mardi Gras is full of Cajun hospitality along with safe, economical, family-friendly events. So, plan to catch some throws, stuff yourself full of King Cake, and above all else, let the good times roll!
        The Mardi Gras celebration in Houma starts with the Krewe of Hercules and runs nearly non-stop until the Krewe of Kajuns.
   
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Band at the Funky 544.

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352. Bruce A. Craft, part 1

352. Part 1 of our interview with Bruce A. Craft (English, Foreign Languages, and Cultural Studies). “Redbone Rhetoric—Then and Now: An Exploration of the Literary and Historical Narrative of the Louisiana Redbones.” Bruce explores the history and culture of this tri-racial group living in western Louisiana.

1. This week in Louisiana history. February 15 1956 Fed. Judge S. Wright orders desegregation of N.O. schools with "all deliberate speed."
2. This week in New Orleans history. Patent #2,341,866 was awarded to Andrew J. Higgins on February 15, 1944. Higgin's boats, built by New Orleanians and used during World War II, and particularly in the D-Day Invasion of Normandy, prompted Dwight D. Eisenhower to say, "Andrew Higgins...is the man who won the war for us...If Higgins had not designed and built those LCVPs, we never could have landed over an open beach. The whole strategy of the war would have been different." Hitler called Higgins "the "New Noah". 
   
3. Cajun Country Courir de Mardi Gras
   February 21-25, 2020
   
   Various Locations in Eunice, LA

   Downtown Eunice, 300 S. Second St.,

   Eunice, LA 70535
   337-457-7389
   Website
        This unique five day celebration is not your typical idea of Mardi Gras with beads and doubloons. In fact you won't find these trinkets in sight, but instead, men and women on horseback donned in hand crafted wire masks, tall hats called capuchons, and very distinctive costumes. This one of a kind celebration begins the Friday before Mardi Gras Day, but the main event is the Courir de Mardi Gras procession or "chicken run" which involves chasing a live chicken to collect for a community gumbo, and silliness by revelers all day. Don't wait till Fat Tuesday to join in the fun. Throughout the weeked, experience the town's rural traditions with jam sessions, street dances, cooking demos, Mardi Gras exhibits and a special Liberty Theater show. Les Jeunes and L'il Mardi Gras runs for children are on Sunday as well as an old time boucherie (hog butchering).
       The Eunice Courir de Mardi Gras dates back from when the town was first established in the late 19th century. The Courir was abandoned for a few years during World War II, but in 1946 a small band of riders revived the tradition. Today, the Eunice Courir de Mardi Gras has more than 2,000 participants on the run, and it continues to increase each year. 
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Craig plays on St. Peter St.

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351. Michael N. Henderson, part 2

351. Part 2 of our interview with genealogist Michael N. Henderson. In Got Proof! My Genealogical Journey Through the Use of Documentation, Lieutenant Commander Michael Nolden Henderson, USN retired, captures the attention of genealogists, historians, and others interested in the complex social structure that developed during the French and Spanish colonial periods in Louisiana. He explores the forbidden relationships from which evolved the unique Creole culture. Revealing original documents from as far back as the 1770s, Henderson uses his own experiences as a family history researcher, as well as the insight of noted scholars, to reveal the methods, standards, and techniques used to prove his ancestry.

      Lieutenant Commander Michael Nolden Henderson, United States Navy retired, is a family history researcher who began his genealogy journey almost thirty years ago. He is a native of Algiers, Louisiana, and a graduate of Xavier University. In 2010, he became the first African American in the state of Georgia inducted into the National Society Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). He later became president of the Button Gwinnett Chapter, Georgia Society SAR, and continues his research of colonial Louisiana. 

1. This week in Louisiana history. February 8, 1898. Grandfather Clause enacted for voting purposes.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Ground was broken for for the Notre Dame Seminary on Carrollton Avenue on February 8, 1922.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Tet Fest: Vietnamese New Year
   14011 Dwyer Blvd
   New Orleans, LA 70129
   Mary Queen of Vietnam Church
   02/07/2020 - 02/09/2020
   Location Mary Queen of Vietnam Church
   Time Varies
   Price Free
   Tet Fest occurs at Queen Mary of Vietnam Church during the Vietnamese New Year. New Orleans is home to a large Vietnamese population that celebrates the New Year with this beautiful festival featuring delicious, authentic Vietnamese cuisine, traditional dances, live music, and fun for the whole family.
   
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Wael Violin plays in Jackson Square.

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350. Michael N. Henderson, part 1

350.  Part 1 of our interview with genealogist Michael N. Henderson. In Got Proof! My Genealogical Journey Through the Use of Documentation, Lieutenant Commander Michael Nolden Henderson, USN retired, captures the attention of genealogists, historians, and others interested in the complex social structure that developed during the French and Spanish colonial periods in Louisiana. He explores the forbidden relationships from which evolved the unique Creole culture. Revealing original documents from as far back as the 1770s, Henderson uses his own experiences as a family history researcher, as well as the insight of noted scholars, to reveal the methods, standards, and techniques used to prove his ancestry.

      Lieutenant Commander Michael Nolden Henderson, United States Navy retired, is a family history researcher who began his genealogy journey almost thirty years ago. He is a native of Algiers, Louisiana, and a graduate of Xavier University. In 2010, he became the first African American in the state of Georgia inducted into the National Society Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). He later became president of the Button Gwinnett Chapter, Georgia Society SAR, and continues his research of colonial Louisiana.

1. This week in Louisiana history. February 1, 1929. Ida B. LeBoeuf became first woman hanged for murder in LA.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Actor and comedian Garrett Morris was born in New Orleans on February 1, 1937.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus
   Date 02/01/2020
   Time 7:00 PM
   Price Free
   The Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus is a Mardi Gras parade organization for the most revelrous Star Wars Freaks, Trekkies, Whovians, Mega-Geeks, Gamers, Cosplayers, Circuit Benders, Cryptozooligists, UFO Conspiracy Theorists, Mad Scientists, and all the rest of Super Nerdom. Krewe members include science fiction lovers who will parody everything from Star Wars to Monty Python.
   
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Adrienne plays the mandolin and harmonica by the LA Supreme Court.

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349. Nathan Rabalais, part 2

349. Part 2 of our interview with Nathan Rabalais about his documentary, Finding Louisiana. Louisiana French, folk tales. Nathan earned his Ph.D. in French Studies from Tulane University and a Doctorat en Langues et littératures from Université de Poitiers. His research focuses primarily on literatures, cultures, and oral tradition of Francophone North America (primarily Louisiana, Acadia, and Quebec). Professor Rabalais's courses include The Craft of Writing, Heroes, French and Creole Louisiana, and Pop Culture of Francophone North America. His most recent publications and feature-length documentary Finding Cajun (2019) focus on the intersection of language and identity in Louisiana and Acadian communities of Canada. His original poetry has been featured in several literary journals and in his book Le Hantage: un ouvrage de souvenance (2018). He is currently completing a monograph, Folklore Figures of French and Creole Louisiana, forthcoming with LSU Press.

1. This week in Louisiana history. January 26, 1861. Louisiana's Secession Convention overwhelmingly votes to secede from the Union and become the Republic of Louisiana.
2. This week in New Orleans history. Today we celebrate the first edition of The Picayune on Wednesday, January 25, 1837.  It contained 4 pages, few graphics, and was distributed by two carriers who sold 800 of the 1000 copies that had been printed from the office at No. 38 Gravier Street. The following day, January 26, 1837, 2,000 copies were printed and sold. It was the first New Orleans newspaper to sell for less than a dime.  A picayune (a Spanish coin) equalled about 6 1/4 cents.
   
3. This week in Louisiana.
   King Cake Festival
   When: January 26; 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
   Where: Champions Square
   What: Taste the many King Cakes from the city’s best bakeries, enjoy live music, and support pediatric programs and the Ochsner Hospital for Children at this annual festival presented by Ochsner.
    Presented by Ochsner Medical Center, King Cake Festival is an annual celebration of one of New Orleans sweetest treats: King Cake! Bakeries from across the Crescent City and beyond will serve their special twists on this New Orleans classic for fest-goers to try every January in Champion Square. Taste dozens of king cakes from bakeries, groceries and restaurants across the New Orleans area!
   King Cake Competitions
   You can watch the friendly competition among bakeries as they compete for a number of coveted King Cake titles. Categories such as Best Presentation, Most Unique, Best Traditional, People’s Choice and more are up for grabs.
   Fest Activities
   Benefitting Ochsner Hospital for Children, King Cake Festival usually has a number of family-friendly and heart-healthy activities. Come energized and ready to exercise with games for all ages. Live music performances also take place within Champion Square.
   Admission
   This event is free and open to the public. To taste the king cakes, tickets must be purchased. Usually, it is $20 for 10 tickets and 1 ticket per sample. Since the event is a fundraiser for Ochsner Hospital for Children, donations are highly recommended and greatly appreciated.
   
4. Postcards from Louisiana. Milly Raccoon sings on Royal St.

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