Butler, Williams examine former Mississippi River port town in 'Bayou Sara" Used to Be'

If you’ve ever been to St. Francisville and headed down to the river’s edge, you’ll notice the road dips down to what used to be the ferry landing. The Mississippi River bank was once home to Bayou Sara, a vibrant port town in the 19th century that served the region’s businesses and plantations. Anne Butler and Helen Williams examine the history of this town that once sported numerous cotton warehouses, businesses and the homes of hard-working immigrants who gravitated to Bayou Sara for work and to become entrepreneurs in “Bayou Sara: Used to Be,” published by the University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press. The book includes the town’s history, its residents, river travel to and from the region and the town’s many floods and fires, the latter documented in several photos and one of the reasons for the town’s demise.

  

Butler is the author of more than 20 books and owner of a West Feliciana plantation home. Williams is the director of the West Feliciana Historical Society.

Butler will speak about the book and the history of Bayou Sara at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Lafayette downtown public library, part of the Bayou State Book Talks sponsored by the Center for Louisiana Studies. The authors will also speak at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the United Methodist Church in Clinton and the Yellow Leaf Arts Festival Oct. 28 and 29 in St. Francisville.

Lafayette Library Book Sale

The Friends of the Lafayette Library will host its semi-annual book sale Wednesday through Saturday at the Heymann Convention Center Ballroom, 1373 S. College Road in Lafayette. Gently used hardcover and paperback books are sold by the inch. The sale will be 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. A special Friends Night for Friends of the Library members will be 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday. But don’t feel left out. You can join Friends the night of the event and it’s only $5 for individuals, $10 for families, with all proceeds benefitting the library. For information, visit http://lafayettepubliclibrary.org.

New Orleans Storycon

New Orleans Storycon, what organizers call a “Mardi Gras for readers,” will be Sept. 15-17 and feature best-selling authors Jeaniene Frost, Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong as keynoters, plus special guests Charlaine Harris, author of the Southern Vampire Mysteries and the Midnight in Texas series and Christine Feehan, author of numerous best-sellers. There will be a Mardi Gras party, panels, book signings and more. For a list of participating authors, tickets and other information, visit http://nolastorycon.com/

Comic Con

The Terrebonne Comic Con will be from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 17, at the Main Library in Houma. The event includes a Wonder Woman drawing demo, fandom trivia, comic book swap, games, anime artists and more. For more information, visit mytpl.org/comiccon or call Naomi at (985) 876-5861, Option 3.

Book Fest needs volunteers

The 2017 Louisiana Book Festival, to be Saturday, Oct. 28 in Baton Rouge, is seeking volunteers in a variety of capacities, including welcoming presenters, escorting authors, monitoring rooms in the State Capitol, manning festival information booths and more. Festival volunteers who register by Oct. 6 will receive a free 2017 Louisiana Book Fest t-shirt. Those interested in volunteering should visit http://www.louisianabookfestival.org/volunteer.html and can sign up at http://www.louisianabookfestival.org/volunteer_IWantToVolunteer2017.html.

Write and Publish

Book publicists, authors and literary agents will descend on the Ole Miss campus Sept. 22-23 for the “Write & Publish Your Book” conference in Oxford, Miss. The event, sponsored by the Overby Center for Southern Journalism and Politics, will discuss writing a book with authors Susan Cushman and Karen Bryant on day one and publishing the book with book designer Wil Oakes and agent Gillian MacKenzie on day two. Workshop leader is newspaper editor and magazine publisher Neil White, author of the award-winning “In the Sanctuary of Outcasts: A Memoir,” about White’s year in Carville, La. White is owner of Nautilus Publishing. The cost is $250 for both days and $150 for one. For information, visit www.NeilWhiteWorkshop.com.

Book events

Stacey Wilson signs copies of “She Stands” from 2-4 p.m. today at The Conundrum bookstore in St. Francisville.

Ronnie Virgets signs “Saints and Lesser Souls: The New Orleans Views of Ronnie Virgets” at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Garden District Book Shop of New Orleans.

David Plater, author of “The Butlers of Iberville Parish,” will speak about his book at noon Wednesday at the Capital Park Museum in Baton Rouge. Attendees are encouraged to bring their lunch.

Preserve Louisiana presents its Heritage Lecture on “Mike the Tiger: The Tradition Continues” with author, professor and director of the Division of Laboratory Animal Medicine David G. Baker at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Old Governor’s Mansion in Baton Rouge. Baker will discuss the Civil War origins of LSU’s mascot and “fighting tiger” tradition, as well as behind-the-scenes anecdotes chronicling each of the six Mikes to the present age of social media. Refreshments from Calandro’s Fine Wines and Spirits will be served at 6 p.m. and the lecture begins at 6:30 p.m.

Four local authors who have written children’s books will discuss them and talk about the unique process of creating children’s literature at 7 p.m. Thursday at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie. The authors are: Dalt Wonk, “The Laughing Lady;” Bob Bruce and David Cuthbert, “Cinderella Battistella;” and Cornell Landry, “Goodnight New Orleans.”

Dixie Poché will sign her latest book, “Louisiana Sweets: King Cakes, Bread Pudding and Sweet Dough Pie,” from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Books A Million, 4419 Ambassader Caffery in Lafayette.

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Cheré Coen is the author of the “Viola Valentine” Louisiana paranormal mystery series under the pen name of Cherie Claire. Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Louisiana Comic Con coming to Lafayette Oct. 17-18

            Louisiana Comic Con is coming to Lafayette this weekend (Oct. 17-18), a two-day blast of writers, actors, vendors and fan groups at the Cajundome Convention Center. Sean Gunn from “Guardians of the Galaxy” and “Gilmore Girls” will be there as well as Lew Temple from “The Walking Dead,” Sean Patrick Flanery and David Della Rocco from “Boondock Saints” and comics professionals Joe Rubinstein, Mike Huddleston, Andy Kuhn and Roland Paris. Rob Guillory, award-winning author of “Chew” and Kody Chamberlain, author of “Punks” and “Sweets,” are both artists from Lafayette. The family friendly events will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $15 per day or $25 for the weekend, children eight and under $5 per day. Tickets are available only through Ticketmaster or the Cajundome Box Office. For more information, visit www.louisianacomiccon.com.

Spell-a-bration!

Think you can spell better than the person to your right? Give those brain cells a workout and compete for a good cause. The fifth annual Spell-a-bration! Fundraiser, a spelling bee with a game show approach, will be Nov. 19 at the Lafayette Science Museum, with funds benefitting the Lafayette Library Foundation. Proceeds from previous Spell-a-bration! events helped underwrite the design concept, creation and installation for the children’s entrance at the newly renovated Main Library. The proceeds of this year’s event benefits Lafayette Reads Together, a community-wide reading event for Lafayette. For tickets and more information, visit lplfoundation.org.

New releases

            John Kennedy Toole’s Pulitzer Prize–winning novel “A Confederacy of Dunces” introduced the world to the eccentric and food-loving character Ignatius J. Reilly. In addition to the character’s job stint pushing Lucky Dogs through the quarter, the book offers a few gastronomical looks into the Crescent City. Now, LSU Press, who published the novel in the 1970s, and author Cynthia LeJeune Noble offer us “A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook: Recipes from Ignatius J. Reilly’s New Orleans” with 200 recipes and narrative inspired by the novel. Dishes include Ignatius’s favorites, such as macaroons and “toothsome” steak, as well as recipes based on supporting characters. For instance, there’s Officer Mancuso’s Pork and Beans and Dr. Talc’s Bloody Marys, as well as a guide to the D. H. Holmes Department Store’s legendary chicken salad and the likely offerings of the fictitious German’s Bakery. Nobles, who lives in Baton Rouge, is also the author of “The Delta Queen Cookbook,” is a series editor for The Southern Table, food columnist for the Advocate and a member of the Newcomb College Culinary History Writers Group. She will be signing “A Confederacy of Dunces Cookbook” at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans and Lucky Dog owner Jerry Strahan will be on hand with a Lucky Dog Cart.

Patio Party

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned Johnette Downing’s lovely new children’s book, “Louisiana, the Jewel of the Deep South.” As part of her book launch, there will be a “Patio Party” for young children and their families from noon to 2 p.m. today at the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge. Educator Claire Coco and animals from BREC’s Bluebonnet Swamp will also be on hand for the event held in conjunction with the museum’s exhibition, “Patios, Pools and the Invention of the American Backyard,” visiting from The Smithsonian Institution until Nov. 28.  The free program is open to the general public.

Book events

            I’ll be signing copies of my book of Acadiana ghost tales, “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana,” and “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History” from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Oct. 17, at 1921 Jackson Street coffeeshop in Alexandria.
            An Evening with Authors Neal Shirley and Saralee Stafford begins at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at the Mid-City Library of New Orleans. The duo are authors of “Dixie Be Damned: 300 Years of Insurrection in the American South.”

Joshua Clegg Caffery will discuss his new book of poetry, “In the Creole Twilight: Poems and Songs from Louisiana Folklore,” from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13, at Lafayette Parish Main Library’s meeting room. The lecture is part of the Bayou State Book Talks.

The Jeanerette Museum will host “Indian Mounds Along Bayou Teche” by Mark Rees, an archaeologist and director of the Louisiana Public Archaeology Lab and Nalley Board of Regents Support Fund Professor of Social Sciences at UL Lafayette, at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14. Rees is the author of “Archaeology of Louisiana” and the lecture is in conjunction with Archaeology Month. This free program is suitable for adults, and seating may be limited. Contact the Jeanerette Museum at (337) 276-4408 or eanerettemuseum@yahoo.com for more information.

On Wednesday, Oct. 14, Robert S. Brantley, author of “Henry Howard: Louisiana’s Architect” (The Historic New Orleans Collection and Princeton Architectural Press), will visit the West Baton Rouge Museum to discuss the area courthouses and other properties designed by Howard (1818-1884). The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will take place at noon and a book signing will follow. 



John Pope launches his collection of newspaper obituaries from The Times-Picayune, titled “Getting Off at Elysian Fields” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at Octavia Books of New Orleans.

Lafayette Author Constance Monies will sign her books “A House For Eliza” and “Never Say Goodbye” from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday at Teche Drugs Pharmacy, 509 Jefferson St. in downtown Lafayette. Books will be available in the store.
            Alice J. Voorhies will sign copies of her latest book, “Once Upon a Time in New Iberia” from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Books Along the Teche in New Iberia, in conjunction with the city’s Artwalk.

Book events this week

            Family Puppet Theater for ages 5 to 12 begins at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at the North Regional Library of Lafayette.

            Matt Kepnes signs “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day” at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19, at Garden District Book Shop in New Orleans.

            Warren and Mary Perrin, editors of “Acadie Then and Now: A People’s History,” will speak about their new book from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at the 250th Anniversary of the Arrival of Beausoleil and the Acadians at the, Old U. S. Mint in New Orleans. For more information, call 233-5832, or email perrin@plddo.com.

            Louisiana’s first comic con convention will be Saturday, Feb. 21, in the Bossier Civic Center in Bossier City. For more information, visit Louisianacomiccon.com.

            T. Geronimo Johnson will celebrate the release of his latest book, “Welcome to Braggsville,” at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at Octavia Books of New Orleans.
            Johnette Downing and Jennifer Lindsley will be reading from and signing their new book, “Fifolet,” from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Maple Street Bookshop in New Orleans. The official book launch will include a book reading, art discussion, treasure hunt, coloring sheet, refreshments and a book signing by both the author and illustrator!

            Jyl Benson will be signing her cookbook, “Fun, Funky & Fabulous: New Orleans Casual Restaurant Recipes” from 1-3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at Oil & Vinegar Louisiana culinary shop, 6111 Pinnacle Pkwy, Covington. The book features three recipes from Covington chefs Keith Frentz and Nealy Frentz of LOLA Restaurant and we'll be serving samples to snack.
            The SWLA Family Book Festival will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 21, at Central School, 806 Kirby St. in Lake Charles. The free event includes over 35 book vendors coming from all over Louisiana and Texas, activities for everyone including a miniature horse for the children to pet and read to, a Kids' Korral with "steer" roping, a children's story and activity center, plus food! The CAL/CAM 4-H Horse Club is sponsoring a jambalaya lunch and Coke is offering free soft drinks.
              The Writers and Readers Symposium: A Celebration of Literature and Art will be Saturday, Feb. 21, in St. Francisville and feature writers Abigail Padgett, Moira Crone, Louisiana Poet Laureate Ava Hayman and photographer/writer Richard Sexton with Carolyn Thornton. Info: http://www.stfrancisville.us/.

Cheré Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “ExploringCajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Prolific Cutrera doesn't let restrictions stop her

             Barbara Cutrera lives in Florida now, but she was reared in Louisiana and it’s where she began writing. Over the past few years she has released several books, including a collection of short stories in which one of the stories is set in “Guidry’s Handi-mart and Bait Shop” in a small Louisiana town. Her “Real World” series is set in Baton Rouge and begins in the 1970s and continues to the present. The second book in the series, “A Good Man's Life,” should be out this week. “In a Manner of Speaking” begins in Louisiana, including Baton Rouge and St. Francisville, and ends in Scotland. 

            Other books include “Over, Under, Across & Through” and “Mercy,” other titles in the Real World series; “The Healer’s Gift,” a romance; “A Lovely Dream,” a romantic thriller, “Prim and Proper,” a true romance with a touch of mystery, and “Lucky,” a thriller set in the not-so-distant future in post-plague Earth.

            “I recently completed another work of fiction titled ‘Compromising Positions’ and have started writing a romance titled ‘Sight Unseen,’” she told me.

            When I hear people tell me they don’t have time to write, I send them to Cutrera’s web site for inspiration.

            “I work with the visually-impaired and am visually-impaired myself,” she writes on her website. “I firmly believe that our minds are only limited by the restrictions that we place upon them. That is why my literary credo is, ‘Transcending reality by exploring it one story at a time….’”

            For more information on this prolific and inspiring Louisiana author, visit www.onmywayuponline.com.

Awards

            Multi-published author and business trainer Christee Gabour Atwood of Alexandria will receive the Knowledge Management Leadership Award for her work in the field of knowledge management and information sharing on June 27 in Mumbai, India. The award will be presented at the Global Knowledge Management Congress and Atwood will be the keynote speaker. The award is based on the body of work represented in Atwood’s workforce training and development projects as well as her five business books. In July 2012 Atwood was the keynote speaker at the Human Capital Conference in Tokyo.
 

With regrets

            Robert Anthony “Bobby” Gisclair, 65, a native and resident of Galliano and author of “Singing To The Lions,” passed away on Jan. 16 at his residence. Gisclair also produced and wrote a French play titled “Blanche Neige.” He was a Vietnam veteran, a world traveler and cultural connoisseur who spoke several languages.

Black History Month

            In celebration of Black History Month, the Louisiana Center for the Book in the State Library is hosting author Kim Marie Vaz for a discussion of “The ‘Baby Dolls’: Breaking the Race and Gender Barriers of the New Orleans Mardi Gras Tradition” at noon Feb. 6 at the State Library Seminar Center.

Vaz’s book is a history of the Million Dollar Baby Dolls, one of the first women’s organizations to participate in Mardi Gras, and its post-Hurricane Katrina comeback. The “Baby Dolls” traces the tradition as it spread to different New Orleans neighborhoods and empowered women. The “Baby Dolls” served as the basis for a major installation on the Baby Doll tradition at The Presbytere museum as part of the permanent Carnival exhibit. Vaz is associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and education professor at Xavier University in New Orleans. Registration is not required for this free event and attendees are invited to bring brown bag lunches. She will also appear at the Hubbell Library in Algiers Point at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, 725 Pelican Ave. in Algiers Point.

Conferences           

            New Orleans Comic Con 2014 will be Friday through Sunday, Feb 7-9, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Some of the celebrities scheduled to visit are Norman Reedus, Steven Yeun, Jon Bernthal, Michael Rooker of “The Walking Dead;” Matt Smith, The 11th Doctor of “Doctor Who;” Manu Bennett of “The Hobbit” and “Arrow” and Carlos Pacheco, an Eisner Award nominee, among many more. For more information, visit http://www.wizardworld.com/home-neworleans.html.

            The 31st annual Romantic Times Booklovers Convention is scheduled for May 13-18 at the Marriott Hotel on Canal Street in New Orleans. Some of the authors appearing will be Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series (and the movie starring Tom Cruise); inspirational fiction author Francine Rivers; Charlaine Harris, author of the bestselling Sookie Stackhouse novels adapted for HBO’s “True Blood” series and Louisiana regular Heather Graham, to name a few. Some Louisiana authors to be in attendance are Diana Rowland, Jana DeLeon and Sabrina Jeffries, again among many more. For more information, visit www.rtconvention.com.

            The 17^th annual Blue Ridge Writers’ Conference will be April 4-5 at The Art Center in Blue Ridge, Ga. The keynote speaker will be Claire Cook, author of “Wallflower in Bloom” and “Must Love Dogs,” the latter of which was adapted into a film starring John Cusack and Diane Lane. Other speakers include Sally Apokedak, Glenda Beall, Jennifer Jabaley, Jennifer Justus, Elizabeth Dulemba and Stellasue Lee. The conference charges a very reasonable fee and the town of Blue Ridge is delightful, a perfect weekend getaway. For information, visit http://www.blueridgewritersconference.com/.

Book events

            There will be a spoken word event featuring African American writers and poets beginning at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 4, in the Ernest J. Gaines Center of the UL Dupre Library, third floor. Administrators, faculty and students will read passages and the public is invited to participate with a one- to five-minute reading of their favorite passage. For more information, contact the Gaines Center at 482-1848 or gainescenter@louisiana.edu.

            Ages 5-12 may make a Candy Butterfly Valentine 
at 4 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at South Regional Library and 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, at the Milton Library and 4 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, at the
 Youngsville Library.

            Kim Vaz, author of “The ‘Baby Dolls,’ Breaking the Race and Gender Barriers of the New Orleans Mardi Gras Tradition,” will speak from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6, at the State Library Seminar Center in Baton Rouge.

            The three-time Individual World Poetry Slam Champion Buddy Wakefield is coming to the Lafayette Science Museum at 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7. Tickets are $10.           

            The Wild & Wacky Olympics for Teens begins at 1 p.m. Saturday at
 South Regional
 Library in Lafayette.

           

Cheré Coen is the author of “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana,” both from The History Press, and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” She teaches writing at UL-Lafayette’s Continuing Education. Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.