UL-Lafayette's Center for Louisiana Studies presents fall Bayou State Book Talks

The Center for Louisiana Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette launches its fifth season of Bayou State Book Talks beginning at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 11, in the Main Lafayette Library second floor meeting room, 301 W. Congress Street in downtown Lafayette. Admission is free and open to the public. Bayou State Book Talks is a monthly discussion series led by Louisiana authors who have written books that are of interest to Louisianans. The series is co-sponsored by the Center for Louisiana Studies, UL Lafayette, and the Lafayette Public Library System.

The Fall 2018 season features:

September 11 - Elista Istre 

Creoles of South Louisiana: Three Centuries Strong

October 9 - Jan Risher

Looking to the Stars from Old Algiers and Other Long Stories Short

November 13 - Joe Abraham

Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths: From Alexander to Hitler to the Corporation

In other UL-Lafayette news...

Margaret Simon, author of “Bayou Song: Creative Explorations of the South Louisiana Landscape” (UL-Lafayette Press), will host a writing and illustration workshop for children ages 8-12 at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Lafayette Main Library in the Children's Activity Room. All materials will be provided. Read a review of Simon's book by Louisiana Book News here.

Rural Tourism Education Workshop

The Center for Louisiana Studies and the Mississippi State University Extension will host the annual MissLou Rural Tourism Education Workshop on Aug. 27-28, 2018, in Vermilion Parish, an immersive workshop that includes tours to existing agritourism operations as well as businesses considering expanding their services to include agritourism, presentations focused on the region's needs and assets, and guided working sessions to create a product that can be refined and implemented after the workshop. Registration is $100 for the two-day event and includes meals; sign up here. Lodging is available at the Best Western and Motel 6 in Abbeville. For more information, contact Jennifer Ritter Guidry at 337.482.6871 or clspresents@louisiana.edu.

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.