This year marks the beginning of 150th anniversary of the
American Civil War. For history buffs, re-enactors and those wanting to know
more about war, there’s been a rush of new titles.
Lyons Press has published a handy
“The Civil War 150: An Essential To-Do List for the 150th Anniversary” by the
Civil War Trust, a non-profit battlefield preservation organization. The book
is comprised much like a travel guide, with references to the battlefields open
to the public throughout the United States. In Louisiana, there’s Port Hudson,
for instance, the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River. Port
Hudson fell after learning that Vicksburg surrendered after a 47-day siege by
Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. The Vicksburg National Military Park, naturally, is also
included in the book. The book is not a comprehensive guide, however. The
authors trimmed a list of more than 1,000 places to an essential 150. Mansfield
State Historic Site, for instance, is not included.
“My ultimate goal was to assemble
150 things that every Civil War enthusiast should do encompassing a topical and
geographic variety that would appeal to an array of people, and I hope I
succeeded,” writes Gerry Adelman in the book’s introduction, director of history
and education for the Civil War Trust.
Regardless, it’s an excellent
reference guide, with a fun check-off list in the back for those who want to
document their travels. There’s also a quick reference guide, a “books to
bullets” section that explains the elements of the era and things you can do
while visiting historic sites, and handy maps. The authors hope the book will
help inspire visitors to these battlefields and monuments to help preserve them
for future generations.
New Releases
Maya Seymour of New Orleans was named after her mother’s
favorite author, Maya Angelou, a good sign if your ambitions are to be writer.
This year Seymour has published her debut novel, a love story between a black
attorney and a white judge with ties to the Klan, titled “Gray Love: A Black
and White Affair.” The book is published by Booklocker Inc. and is available
online from Amazon and www.barnesandnoble.com.
The skies are darkening and animal
are heading to Noah’s Ark, but two snails are slowly inching forward in the
children’s book “Why Snails Are Slow” by Lafayette’s Terry L. Bethea,
illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz. The book is published through Tate Publishing,
www.tatepublishing.com, (888)
361-9473. For an autographed copy (and the only place to purchase a hard-back edition), visit the author's web site at www.thearkseries.com.
Ron Usry of Mississippi has set a
captivating mystery in Louisiana, the first in his “Houseboat Thriller” series.
In “Return to Justice,” Tool O’Bear leaves Stonewood, Louisiana, after being framed for raping a rich
girl. He is given the choice of going to prison or enlisting in the military.
He chooses the latter and ends up a happy man in New Hampshire, until he gets a
call 22 years later informing his sister has gone missing. Now Tool must face
his past and solve a mystery. For information, visit http://houseboatthrillers.com.
Two new cookbooks incorporating
fresh ingredients into fun, healthy dishes are “Cucina Povera: Tuscan Peasant
Cooking” by Pamela Sheldon Jones and “Plum Gorgeous: Recipes and Memories from
the Orchard” by Romney Steele. Both books offer a smaller, square format,
complementing recipes with stories, anecdotes and beautiful photography. And
both authors agree that it’s time to slow down and enjoy the pleasures of
eating well with good company. Bon appetite!
FOW Contest
The Festival of Words student writing contest, open to
Acadiana students in grades 6-12, is now on for poetry, fiction or creative
nonfiction. Students may enter one piece from those three categories by Oct.
15. First, second and third place winners will receive certificates at an
awards ceremony at the South St. Landry Parish Community Library at 5:30 p.m.
Nov. 3. There will be readings by guest poets and an open mic that evening as
well. For a copy of the guidelines and entry forms, visit http://festivalofwords.homestead.com/ or
email me at chere@louisianabooknews.com.
Wordshops
The Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library will
host five creative writing WordShops at the State Library of Louisiana, the
Capitol Park Welcome Center and the Capitol Park Museum on Oct. 28, the day
before the eighth annual Louisiana Book Festival. WordShops focus on writing
styles including memoir, poetry and creative nonfiction. Registration is
$40 for half-day WordShops and $75 for full day. The fee for attending
both a morning and afternoon WordShop is $75. To register, call Charlene Moore
at (225) 219-0946 or download the registration form at www.LouisianaBookFestival.org.
Book events
The Writer’s Guild of Acadiana meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept.
27, at Barnes & Noble, 5707 Johnston St. in Lafayette.
The film “The Milagro Beanfield
War” will be shown at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 29, at the South Regional Branch
Library, 6101 Johnston St., as part of Hispanic Heritage Month. There will be a
“Movie Coffee Break” at 8 p.m. to discuss the movie and the John Nichols book
on which it was based.
Casa Azul Gifts in Grand Coteau
will host a poetry reading by Nicole Poret, followed by an open mic, concluding
with a dramatic reading of Jo Englerth’s and Bonnie Camos’ “The Gris Gris
Sisters” performed by Patricia Cravins and Becca Begnaud at 7 p.m. Thursday,
Sept. 29. This free event is appropriate for all ages, and is sponsored by The
Festival of Words, Frederick L’Ecole Des Arts and the Thensted Center. For
more information, contact Patrice Melnick at (337) 662-1032 or festivalwords@gmail.com.
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