July Book Events in Louisiana

July 11

Leon C. Miller, head of the Louisiana Research Collection at Tulane University, will speak about the organization’s holdings at 7 p.m. at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie. This event is free and is open to the public. The Louisiana Research Collection collects, preserves, and makes easily accessible library and archival resources relating to the study of Louisiana. The collection has grown to encompass almost four linear miles of archival documents, books, maps, and other resources central to the study of our state. Among the holdings are Colonial documents from William Penn, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and others. LaRC also has a renowned Civil War collection, Louisiana arts and literature section featuring materials from Mark Twain, John Kennedy Toole, and William Faulkner. It also holds the celebrated Carnival Collection, as well as sections on women and gender, religion, and Louisiana’s political heritage. Miller will explain how residents can access the collection for genealogical or other research purposes. 

July 12

At 6:30 p.m. there will be a presentation and signing with editors Florence Jumonville and Heather Veneziano, contributing author Hilary Somerville Irvin, and photographer Robert Brantley celebrating the release of “Gateway to New Orleans: Bayou St. John 1708-2018” at Octavia Books of New Orleans.

Avengers Escape Room for ages 12 and up will be 3-8 p.m. at the Lafayette Main Library. Register by phone only; (337) 261-5778.

July 13

Paul French signs "City of Devils" at 6 p.m. at Octavia Books of New Orleans.

July 14

Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site will host the 2018 Storytelling Festival: Contes sur le Bayou in St. Martinville. The festival, which will run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will feature storytellers, performers, artists and authors from Alexandria, New Orleans, Baton Rouge, St. Martinville, New Iberia, Jennings and Lafayette. In addition to storytelling, there will be music, authors, a puppet show, hearing and singing story songs from the Cajun Dulcimer Society, and much more. Free books and free posters are available for early arrivals at the festival. Park fees apply, but the festival is free. For additional information, call (337) 261-1940. Contact Longfellow-Evangeline at 337-394-3754 for more information on the park.  

Lafayette's Viola Fontenot will sign “A Cajun Girl’s Sharecropping Years” from 2-3 pm at Barnes & Noble Booksellers, 5705 Johnston Street, Lafayette.

July 15

Lexi Ostrow discusses and signs her book, “A Heavenly Kind of Love,” at 6 p.m. at Garden District Book Shop of New Orleans.

We All Scream for Ice Cream from 2-3 p.m. at East Regional Library of Lafayette. Information: (337) 445-3168.

July 16

William Boyle and Bill Loehfelm discuss their books, “The Lonely Witness” and “The Devil's Muse” (paperback release), respectively, at 6 p.m. at Garden District Book Shop of New Orleans. Both authors will sign books after the discussion.

July 17

Rock Out with Music Academy of Acadiana at 6 p.m. at the East Regional Library of Lafayette. This event will feature live performances by musicians ranging from youth through adulthood and is recommended for ages 10 and up.

July 19

Fonville Winans was internationally famous for his black-and-white photographs of Grand Isle’s Depression-era Cajuns. For decades, he was Baton Rouge’s most sought-after photographer by brides and debutantes. He also took formal shots of every Louisiana governor from Huey Long to Edwin Edwards, as well as budding Hollywood stars, such as Joanne Woodward, Donna Douglas, and Elizabeth Ashley. Those who knew Fonville Winans personally also remember him as an excellent cook. His daughter-in-law, Melinda Winans, has collaborated with Cynthia Nobles, cookbook author, to publish Fonville's biography and over 100 of his original recipes in "The Fonville Winans Cookbook." She will speak about her book at 6 p.m. at the Capital Park Museum in Baton Rouge. This event is free and open to the public.

July 21

After-Hours Mini Golf! Families will have a “hole” lot of fun in the library after-hours as they play through a multi-hole mini-golf course set up throughout the library at 6 p.m. at the South Regional Library of Lafayette.

Have some broken or torn items? Fix them, don’t throw them out! No Waste Lafayette and Project Front Yard will host a Fix-it Cafe focusing on bike repair, small household goods and appliances, clothing, textiles and jewelry from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Lafayette Main Library.

July 22

Join scholars, artists and the New Orleans Baby Dolls from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Xavier University of Louisiana to celebrate the contemporary expression of a century-old tradition through the book launch of “Walking Raddy: the Baby Dolls of New Orleans,” edited by Dr. Kim Vaz-Deville and published by The University Press of Mississippi. The launch will double as a fundraiser for One Book One New Orleans (OBONO), an organization dedicated to making New Orleans a more literate city. Admission to the event is free, with proceeds from sales benefiting OBONO. Arséne DeLay and Margie Perez will lend their musical talents to the event, Dianne Honore and the Black Storyville Baby Dolls will provide refreshments, and Baby Doll groups are offering memorabilia for raffle. In addition, visual artists who have captured the Baby Doll tradition will have work for sale. These artists include Romain Beauxis, Ann Bruce, Amy Bryan, Chilip Colwart, Kirstof Corvinus, Keith Duncan, D. Lammie Hanson, Meryt Whittle Harding, Marielle Jeanpierre, Leah Labat, Karen Labeau, Charles Lovell, Annie Odell, Nathan Scott, Gailene St. Amand, and Kim Welsh. Guests are encouraged to come in costume or festive attire to celebrate New Orleans culture and lifelong literacy. To learn more about OBONO, visit their website at onebookonenola.org.

Jeffrey Girard will discuss and sign “The Caddos and Their Ancestors” from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum on Greenwood Road in Shreveport.

July 23

Avengers Escape Room for ages 12 and up will be 4-7 p.m. at the Lafayette South Regional Branch Library. Register by phone only; (337) 981-1028.

July 24
Avengers Escape Room for ages 12 and up will be 1-4 p.m. at the Lafayette South Regional Library. Register by phone only; (337) 981-1028.

Tulane history professor Randy Sparks moderates a discussion with Ethan J. Kytle and Blain Roberts as they discuss their book, “Demark Vesey's Garden: Slavery and Memory in the Cradle of the Confederacy” at 6 p.m. at Garden District Book Shop of New Orleans. Ethan and Blain will sign books following the discussion.

July 30

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Avengers Escape Room for ages 12 and up will be 2-6 p.m. at the Lafayette North Regional Library. Register by phone only; (337) 896-6323.

Louisiana Book News is written by award-winning author Chere Dastugue Coen, who writes Louisiana romances and mysteries under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Her first book in each series is FREE to download as an ebook, including "Emilie," book one of The Cajun Series, "Ticket to Paradise," book one of The Cajun Embassy series and "A Ghost of a Chance," the first Viola Valentine mystery.