660. Brian Fairbanks

660. Today we’re joined by writer and cultural historian Brian Fairbanks, author of “Wizards: David Duke, America’s Wildest Election, and the Rise of the Far Right.” In this book, Fairbanks delivers a vivid account of David Duke’s 1991 run for governor of Louisiana — a campaign that shocked the country and revealed how extremist politics could slip into the mainstream. Through sharp reporting and a storyteller’s eye, he reconstructs the chaos, the media frenzy, and the deeper social tensions that made that election a turning point in modern American politics.

659. John Rodrigue.

659. John C. Rodrigue joins us to discuss his research on the Civil War and Reconstruction. John is a prominent historian specializing in the U.S. Civil War and Reconstruction, known for his deep focus on slavery, emancipation, and the Lower Mississippi Valley, with key books like Reconstruction in the Cane Fields and Freedom's Crescent, exploring how the war transformed Southern society and Lincoln's evolving views on Reconstruction. He's recognized for meticulous research and contributions to understanding the complex transition from slavery to free labor, earning awards like the 2024 John Nau Book Prize for his 2023 work.

658. Scott Tilton, Part 2

658. Part 2 of our conversation with Scott Tilton. Scott is the Co-Founder and Director of the Nous Foundation, a platform for exchange between Louisiana and the French-speaking world. He lived the past several years in Paris where he worked as a consultant at Ernst & Young France on projects for the European Union, the UN, and the French Government. While in Paris, Scott launched and spearheaded an initiative that saw Louisiana become the first U.S. state to join the International Organization of the Francophonie (La Francophonie).

657. Scott Tilton, Part 1.

657. Part 1 of our conversation with Scott Tilton. Scott is the Co-Founder and Director of the Nous Foundation, a platform for exchange between Louisiana and the French-speaking world. He lived the past several years in Paris where he worked as a consultant at Ernst & Young France on projects for the European Union, the UN, and the French Government. While in Paris, Scott launched and spearheaded an initiative that saw Louisiana become the first U.S. state to join the International Organization of the Francophonie (La Francophonie).

656. Joseph Makkos, part 2.

656. Part 2 of our conversation with Joseph Makkos. Joseph is an archivist who manages a rare collection of some 30,000 historic New Orleans Times Picayune newspapers dating from 1880s-1929. Joseph has worked as a printmaker and preservationist, having salvaged and restored historic printing equipment from over a dozen print shops to date. Using these resources he actively runs a design studio in New Orleans that focuses on artful print production and independent book publishing.

655. Joseph Makkos, part 1

655. Joseph Makkos returns to the porch to talk about his work and an archivist and researcher. He manages a rare collection of some 30,000 historic New Orleans Times Picayune newspapers dating from 1880s-1929. 

654. Liberty in Louisiana Presentation

654. Today we post our presentation on Liberty in Louisiana at the 2025 Louisiana Studies Conference. Liberty in Louisiana by James Workman is the oldest known extant play about Louisiana. Workman wrote the play in 1803 with the goal of supporting the impending Louisiana Purchase.