Musical concerts on tap for Jefferson Parish Library

The East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie, will host eight musical concerts during December 2018 as part of its holiday programming. They are free and open to the public.

1 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018

Memory Lane

The three-piece combo "Memory Lane" performs music from the 1930s to today.

7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2018

Trombone Choir of New Orleans Concert Band

The Trombone Choir of the New Orleans Concert Band - a group consisting of a dozen trombones - performs traditional and contemporary music.

Jefferson Parish Community Band

2 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018

The Ken Veca Big Band

The Ken Veca Big Band performs music from the Big Band era.

7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018

The Jefferson Parish Community Band

The Jefferson Parish Community Band performs hits and standards.

7 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2018

New Orleans Concert Band Clarinet Choir

This all clarinet ensemble performs music of all eras.

7 p.m., Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018

New Aurora Saxophone Ensemble

This small group, consisting only of saxophones, performs a variety of tunes.

7 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 20, 2018

The Clarinet Quacks

The group consisting of clarinetists plays a range of music for patrons.

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.

Tuesday Ebook Spotlight: Julie Smith’s new Langdon novella

Julie Smith, that wonderful mystery writer who made New Orleans her home, has a new Skip Langdon novella in an anthology of best-selling authors. “Drop Dead Crime: Mystery and Suspense from the Leading Ladies of Murder” features work by Smith, Lisa Regan, Leslie Wolfe, Colleen Helme and Amy Vansant.

Here’s the bad news. It comes out Jan. 17, 2019. But here’s the good news. It’s only 99 cents to pre-order for the ebook. And we know this because we’re faithful followers of Julie Smith. In a recent email she wrote about both the novella and the anthology:

"One of the questions I most often get asked is, what did Skip Langdon do in the weeks after Hurricane Katrina? Happy to say, she finally told me. I suspect it took so long because of the huge departmental scandal she uncovered—although many cops might have said “she caused.” There was backlash, of course. These things take a while to settle. 

"But now we have it— a brief account of how she coped with those raw, lawless days immediately after the storm of the century, during which the few cops who remained on the job—a lot just didn’t show up—had to fight every second to maintain some semblance of civilization. The title of the novella will tell you everything you need to know about what that was like. It's called 'The Big Crazy,' and it’s now available in a completely awesome anthology that just went on pre-order.

"I’m beyond privileged to have a story in 'Drop Dead Crime,' a collection of five novellas by four of the most outstanding upstart writers of our era (and me, of course)—all women, some hard-boiled, some gentler and funnier, every one an expert at her craft.

"Pretty exalted company. But why, you might ask, do I call them upstarts? Because they’re all part of the digital revolution that’s currently attracting so many glittery new stars, many of them making it completely on their own. 'Drop Dead Crime' celebrates and showcases a few of these very contemporary artists. I’m so proud to be a part of this book!"

We're proud you call Louisiana home, Julie!

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.

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Spizer to discuss 50th anniversary of White Album

Bruce Spizer, an internationally recognized authority on the Beatles, will discuss the 50th anniversary of "The Beatles (The White Album)" at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 West Napoleon, Metairie. The event is free.

"The White Album" was the ninth studio album by the Beatles. Released on Nov. 22, 1968, it was a double album that was all white and featured no text or graphics, though The Beatles was embossed on one side. Most of the songs on the album were written in March and April 1968 while the members of the band were on a transcendental meditation retreat in Rishikesh, India.

Spizer will discuss the significance of the album, from the design to its impact on Charles Manson.

Spizer is a native New Orleanian, and as a young lawyer managed a local new wave band called The Cold. In 1997, Spizer earned a large legal fee from the settlement of a class action lawsuit and decided to use some of the money to replace his childhood collection of Beatles records that had been damaged by cockroaches. Drawn into the world of Beatlemania, he began to research and write books. To date, he has written eight books on the Beatles.

Spizer has served as a consultant to EMI and Apple Records for their CD re-releases of the American configurations of the Beatles catalog. He was also chosen to write 2,592 questions for a special Beatles edition of the Trivial Pursuit board game.

Spizer served as an official consultant to Capitol Records on The Capitol Albums Volumes 1 and 2 and wrote the essay contained in the 56-page booklet included with The Capitol Albums Volume 2. Bruce’s articles on the Beatles are featured regularly in magazines such as Beatlefan and Goldmine.

Spizer has appeared on CBS's The Early Show, Fox News, and Good Morning America, and on the National Public Radio news program All Things Considered. He has been cited as a Beatles authority in print publications such as Rolling Stone, The Guardian, the New York Times, and Time.

For more information regarding this presentation, contact Chris Smith, manager of Adult Programming for the library, at (504) 889-8143 or wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us.

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.

Holiday Gift Suggestions: A sense of place part II

Yes, we know this blog covers all things Louisiana, but we love our cousin to the east, especially since so many lines can be drawn through both states' regions connecting us forever.

Music is one.

Take “Live from the Mississippi Delta” by lifelong Delta resident Panny Flautt Mayfield (University of Mississippi Press), a gorgeous coffee table book that presents photos and stories of the musicians who hail from that region and who made a lasting influence on the world music scene. Mayfield is an award-winning journalist from Tutwiler and she spotlights the region’s landscapes, juke joints, festivals, local and international icons, gospel and the Delta Blues Museum (a must for any blues aficionado). Throughout the book are fabulous photos of Mississippi’s best.

The book opens with a visit to Tutwiler by Robert Plant when the town’s depot received a Blues Marker detailing it as an important influence to the birthplace of blues music. W.C. Handy, arguably called the “Father of the Blues,” first heard the music played when his train paused at the Tutwiler station.

Mayfield began photographing blues musicians at festivals and celebrations decades ago so she's amassed an impressive collection. Her photos have been exhibited in museums throughout the world and she's been recognized with more than 30 awards of excellence from several organizations.

Another gorgeous book and holiday gift idea for the Mississippi lover in your life is Timothy T. Isbell's "The Mississippi Gulf Coast" (University of Mississippi Press). Starting from Bay St. Louis and ending in Pascagoula, Isbell takes us on a photographic journey of Coast highlights, from the iconic shoo flys gracing live oak trees and the endless dramatic sunsets to the architectural wonders of historic homes, the Ohr-Okeefe Museum of Art and campy souvenir stands. Isbell also includes a history of the region, from its inception through wars and hurricanes to the present day.

Isbell is an author and freelance photographer and a member of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize-winning newsroom of the Biloxi Sun Herald. An inductee of the Southern Mississippi School of Mass Communication and Journalism Hall of Fame, he has also authored "Gettysburg: Sentinels of Stone," "Shiloh and Corinth: Sentinels of Stone" and "Vicksburg: Sentinels of Stone," all published by the University of Mississippi Press.

Isbell will sign copies of "The Mississippi Gulf Coast" at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018, at Lemuria Books in Jackson.

Both books come highly recommended and make excellent gifts.

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.

Trevigne to discuss 'Creoles of Color'

Barbara Trevigne, MSW, will discuss “The Creoles of Color” at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 19, 2018, at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie. This event is part of the regularly scheduled meeting of the Genealogical Research Society of New Orleans. It is free and open to the public.

Barbara Trevigne will share insights into a forgotten segment of local society: The Creoles of Color. This lecture will explore the intricate relationships between and among several prominent Creoles who have made significant contributions to the City of New Orleans.

Trevigne is an 11th generation New Orleanian who is deeply rooted in the founding of New Orleans in 1718.  She earned a Master of Social Work from Tulane University and had a career working for the State of Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, and Charity Hospital.

For more information regarding this presentation, contact Chris Smith, Manager of Adult Programming for the library, at 504-889-8143 or wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us.

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.

Holiday Gift Suggestions: A sense of place

When attending the Louisiana Book Festival on Nov. 10, I met staff members of Pelican Publishing of New Orleans. We were enjoying drinks in the lobby of the Baton Rouge Capitol Center (the old Capitol House in Baton Rouge) and I shyly admitted scouring the Bryan Batt and Katy Danos' new book, "Pontchartrain Beach: A Family Affair," for familiar pictures. The book's chock full of photos and illustrations from the New Orleans amusement park's heyday and lord knows I spent much of my youth there, as did everyone else in my family.

"You're not alone," I was told with a laugh. Apparently, other Crescent City natives searched pictures for themselves as well.

If you hail from New Orleans like I do, you'll know how much this lakeside park meant to us, and the new book guides readers from its inception to its sad demise. Along the way are lots of pictures, — although I must admit that's the most fun aspect of this book — which means other city natives will revel in its pages. But it's more than pictures. It's a comprehensive history of the Batt family, who immigrated from Germany in the mid-1800s and started building businesses, including New Orleans' first ice manufacturing plant. First generation American Harry Batt started concessions at Spanish Fort after World War I, but then branched out to create the city's most famous amusement park.

Back to those photos. Apparently, Bryan Batt found an enormous collection of photos and other Pontchartrain Park memorabilia when cleaning out his mother's estate. He then assembled more from employees, celebrities and park-goers. The photos include beauty pageants, famous visitors, shots from the rides including Wild Maus, Zephyr and the Kooky Kastle, Bali-Ha'i at the Beach — even shots from the photo booth.

Naturally, Bryan Batt grew up with the business his grandfather started, but the author is a Broadway, film and TV actor best known for his award-winning role as Salvatore Romano in "Mad Men." Katy Danos is the editor of Adore magazine published by the New Orleans Advocate and co-author with Batt of "Big Easy Style." Together with Batt's spouse Tom Cianfichi, they are the creative forces behind Hazelnut, a fine gift and home furnishing hop on Magazine Street.

Next up is a trip through Mississippi with "Live From the Mississippi Delta" by Panny Flautt Mayfield and "The Mississippi Gulf Coast" by Timothy T. Isbell. 

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.

New releases by River Road Press of New Orleans

It’s always a treat to see a new release by the multi-talented Johnette Downing and her latest book doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it may be our new favorite. “Who Got the Baby in the King Cake?” traces the creation of the Carnival cake from rolling out the dough to enjoying it at a party. Each step of the way is accompanied by Downing’s innovative collage illustrations and the “Author’s Note” in the back explains the king cake tradition and how it came to be. In January, Downing will release the song that matches the book, which she recorded with her husband Scott Billington and members of the Dukes of Dixieland. It’s part of an album that highlights Louisiana roots music, from New Orleans traditional jazz to Cajun. “The song is on my upcoming children's record with my hubby titled ‘Swamp Romp, A Louisiana Dance Party for Children,’” Downing wrote us by email.

Another Louisiana talent who mixes great storytelling with creative illustrations is Alexis Braud, a Cajun native from Bayou Lafourche. She has three wonderful books out this fall and every one a winner.

For the little ones, “One, Two, Rougarou” mixes counting with an old Louisiana folktale. In this version, the rougarou (Cajun wolf) can be stopped from entering a house by leaving 13 small objects in a line. The rougarou can’t count past 12 but readers will be able to after reading this book.

“Gumbo, a Magical Bayou Tale” follows a boy named George who’s playing along the bayou until he finds Nanny making a gumbo. But not just any gumbo — the BEST gumbo! In rhyme, Nanny shows George how it’s done, everything from making a roux “shiny like an old penny” to stirring it with a big paddle and Nanny playing the fiddle while it cooks. In the end, there’s a recipe for Nanny’s Gumbo that comes with excellent, easy-to-understand instructions. 

In her most imaginative tale, Braud marries animal illustrations with ballet positions in “Bayou Ballet.” There’s a Panther Pirouette, Rabbit Releve, Turtle Tutu and a Pelican Plie, plus many more (and forgive my lack of accents for Google has issues with them). Dancers will adore this book but I only knew half the positions and loved it just as much. The "Bayou Ballet" launch party will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018, at the French Library in New Orleans.

Another fascinating tale using animals, and one also fun for children as well as adults, is Michael B. Hewes’ “The Tempestuous Trial of Maybelline Meriweather.” In the town of Avian Mile “perfidious hen” Maybelline stands accused of stealing an egg from another bird’s nest. The town is aghast and as they relate her colorful lifestyle, we are treated to a flock of fascinating birds and rollicking rhyme. Atticus Peck represents Maybelline in the trial, opposed by Canary Mason. Like Braud’s “Bayou Ballet,” bird lovers will get a kick from this tale, but I believe children will enjoy it as well. Just be sure to read it out loud. Heyes is a retired JAG officer who practices law in Gulfport. He is the author of the novel “Watermark.” The book is illustrated by his artist wife, Sarah Hewes.

The Hewes will appear at the following events:

Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, noon to 4 p.m., Barnes and Noble, Gulfport.
Friday, Nov. 23, 2018, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sundog Books, Seaside
Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018 - 2 p.m., Page and Palette, Fairhope

Saturday, Dec. 1, 2018, Lemuria Books, Jackson

Monday, Dec. 3, 2018, Main Street Books, Hattiesburg

Friday, Dec. 7, 2018, Gallery 782 Co-Art, Biloxi
Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018 - 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., Barnes & Noble, Metairie – TENTATIVE

Erin Rovin creates a young girl named Little Laveau who lives on the banks of the Mississippi with her menagerie of pets and her Gram in “Little Laveau, a magical bedtime story.” Illustrated by Katie Campbell, the book deals with her friend having bad dreams and Little Laveau explaining how to put them in a dream jar and let them loose. It includes a good dream recipe and pages to record readers’ dreams. The authors follow up with “Little Laveau: Bayou Beware!” in which the young girl meets a young trumpet player but gets lost in the woods one night chasing after her pets. Rovin will appear at the Audubon Zoo on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, for the Zoo Lights Launch Party (New Orleans, LA).

Other books coming out this fall from River Road Press:

“Jack and Remy’s Bayou Band” by Joani Lacy, illustrated by Debbi Kern

“Mardi Gras in Alabama!” by Karyn W. Tunks, illustrated by Alexis Braud

River Road Press authors will be as a group at the following events:

Saturday, Nov. 24, 2018 - 10 am - 5 pm

Palmer Park Arts Market (New Orleans, LA)

Sunday, Nov. 25, 2018 - 10 am - 5 pm

Palmer Park Arts Market (New Orleans, LA)

Saturday, Dec. 1 - 10 am - 4 pm
Lycee Francais de la Nouvelle-Orleans Marche d'Hiver (winter market)
Lycee Francais Priestley campus (Leonidas Street, New Orleans)

Saturday, Dec. 15-16, 2018 - 10 am - 5 pm
Palmer Park Arts Market (New Orleans, LA) 

To learn where individual River Road Press authors will be this holiday season, click here.

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.

Time to start writing letters for annual contest!

The Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana announces the annual Letters About Literature contest, a Library of Congress national reading and writing competition for students in grades 4-12 and coordinated in state by the Louisiana Center. To enter the contest, a student writes a personal letter to an author, living or deceased, explaining how the author’s book, poem, play, or speech changed the student’s view of the world or self.

Students may enter online at www.read.gov/letters through their school or local libraries, or on their own, in one of three competition levels: Level 1 for grades 4-6, Level 2 for grades 7-8, or Level 3 for grades 9-12. The national Letters About Literature team selects finalists for Louisiana in each competition level. State winners are chosen by a panel of judges including teachers and librarians from throughout Louisiana. State winners receive $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place, plus are honored at the Louisiana Book Festival held in the fall. First-place winning letters are submitted to the Library of Congress for the national competition with the chance of winning up to $1,000.

Letters must be submitted directly to the Library of Congress by Jan. 11, 2019. Official rules, a call for student letters, and a helpful video series guide for participating may be found at www.read.gov/letters, as well as teacher resources with lesson plans and instructions for submitting letters as a group.

The 2018-2019 Letters About Literature contest is made possible through a grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, with additional support from gifts to the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, which promotes the contest through its affiliate Centers for the Book, state libraries, and other organizations.

In Louisiana, the contest is made possible by the Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library of Louisiana with the assistance of the Louisiana Writing Project and the Louisiana Library and Book Festival Foundation. Funding for prizes is provided by a Library of Congress grant.

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.