Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana, booksignings this month

            Ghost stories abound in the Cajun and Creole city of Lafayette, Louisiana. The Hub City boasts a multitude of spirits and specters, from those lost in Civil War skirmishes and fever outbreaks to those souls that simply can’t say goodbye. Today, they wander the halls of bed-and-breakfasts and restaurants and linger along back roads and cemeteries. Pirates are rumored to guard buried treasure, and ancient French legends hide in the swamps, bayous and woods. 

            I visited Lafayette’s haunted sites and traveled the countryside in search of ghostly legends found only in South Louisiana and published "Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana," with The History Press.

            Just in time for Halloween I will be signing copies of “Haunted Lafayette” at the following:

Oct. 17, 2015: I will sign “Haunted Lafayette” as well as “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History” from 10 a.m. to noon at 1921 Jackson Street: A Coffee House in Alexandria, Louisiana.

Oct. 31, 2015: I will sign “Haunted Lafayette” and her other books — “Exploring Cajun Country,” “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History” and “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets” — from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, at Barnes & Noble Lafayette.

Quvenzhane 'Hushpuppy' Wallis nabs multi-book deal, Pirate's Alley Faulkner Society celebrates 25 years

Quvenzhané Wallis, the 12-year-old Oscar nominee and Houma native, won a four-book deal with Simon & Schuster this month, with her children’s chapter books scheduled to be published beginning in 2016.

Wallis played the character of Hushpuppy in 2012’s “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” which earned her an Oscar nomination, the youngest actress to be nominated for such an honor. She has since performed as the main character in the film “Annie,” for which she received a Golden Globe nomination.

Wallis’ upcoming books, for readers ages 6 and up, will focus on third-grader Shai Williams who has a flair for the dramatic both onstage and off. They will be loosely based on the author’s own experiences.
            “Reading is very important,” Wallis said in a statement released by Simon and Schuster. “It allows people to form a visual experience in their minds of what is going on in the story. I hope all readers enjoy using their imaginations along with me and take a journey into my books.”

The Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society of New Orleans kicks off its 25th anniversary with a free Meet the Author event and fall festival today at the Louisiana State Museum in New Orleans. New Orleans novelists with new books out will be highlighted beginning at 2:30 p.m. They are Jenny Tilbury (“Welcome to the Garden Club”), Elizabeth Sanders (“Feux de Joie”) and Mary Helen Lagasse (“The Navel of the Moon”).

Coming up for the literary organization is the annual Words & Music, a Literary Feast, Oct. 29 through Nov. 2 in New Orleans. Because it runs over Halloween weekend, the festival will have a haunting theme with psychics and ghost hunters on stage for various events, including a séance channeling William Faulkner on Halloween evening, an interview with a vodou high priestess, a poetry reading by a direct descendent of the Salem witches and more.

For information, visit the Pirate’s Alley Faulkner Society web site at

http://wordsandmusic.org/2015-words-music-schedule.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” She also writes Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire, “A Cajun Dream” and “The Letter.” 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.

Two writing contests for Louisiana students

            All you aspiring writers out there, take heart. There are two wonderful contests this fall waiting for your submissions.

The annual Creative Writing Contest, co-sponsored by the Acadiana Writing Project and the Festival of Words, is open to sixth through 12th grade writers in the fields of poetry, fiction and creative nonfiction. Writings are submitted through teachers and an entry form is required. The deadline is Friday.

First, second, and third place winners will receive certificates and other gifts and winners may read their pieces at a special ceremony honoring the writers at the Festival of Words on Saturday, Nov. 7.

For more information, call or email Ciara Parker at 779-2534 or cparker@acadia.k12.la.us and to learn more and print entry forms, visit FestivalofWords.org.

            Another great opportunity is the 23rd annual Letters About Literature contest, a national reading and writing competition for students sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. To enter, fourth through 12th grade students write a personal letter to a living or dead author of any genre explaining how that author’s book, poem or play changed their views of the world or themselves. Students may enter on their own or through their schools or local libraries in three levels: Level 1 for grades 4–6, Level 2 for grades 7–8 and Level 3 for grades 9–12.

            The national LAL team will select finalists from each state for each competition level and Louisiana winners will be chosen by a panel of judges from throughout the state. Louisiana winners will receive $100 for first place, $75 for second place and $50 for third place and will be recognized at next year’s Louisiana Book Festival. First place winning letters will be submitted to the Library of Congress for the national competition with the chance of winning up to $1,000.
            Each student’s letter and entry coupon — available online — must be sent to Letters About Literature, c/o Project Manager C. Gourley, 81 Oliver St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18705. The postmark deadline for Level 3 is Dec. 4, and Jan. 11 for Levels 1 and 2. The entry forms and information, as well as teacher’s guide, may be downloaded at www.read.gov/letters.

UL Lafayette Press releases three titles this week

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette Press publishes three new titles this week.

For the nature lover, “Louisiana Swamps and Marshes: Easy-Access Hikes and Drives” by Anne Butler, with photography by Henry Cancienne, contains directions and information for 37 of Louisiana’s accessible natural parks and wetlands.

Author Tim Gautreaux describes Norman German’s “Dead Dog Lying and Other Stories” as a group of “offbeat tales” that “showcase a wide-ranging talent guaranteed to please any reader.” German is a native of Lake Charles, teaches English at Southeastern Louisiana University and is the author of novels “A Savage Wisdom,” “No Other World” and “Switch-Pitchers.”

And Abbeville native David Langlinais offers “Duck Thief and Other Stories,” a book John Ed Bradley calls “a stunning collection by a fine new voice in Southern literature.” Currently a resident of Dallas, Langlinais has published stories in numerous journals, including South Dakota Review, Los Angeles Review, The Dos Passos Review, Big Muddy, Deep South Magazine and The MacGuffin.

New releases

New York Times best-selling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, Rick Bragg offers a collection of essays on life in the south with his latest, “My Southern Journey: True Stories From the Heart of the South.” Regions include Bragg’s native Alabama, Cajun Country and the Gulf Coast. Bragg is the author of “All Over But the Shoutin,’” “Ava’s Man” and “The Prince of Frogtown.” He is currently professor of writing in the journalism department at the University of Alabama.

Ciji Ware offers a tale of two cities famed for revelry and danger, both at risk of disappearing forever in her novel “That Winter in Venice.” New Orleans natives Serena Antonelli, an Italian-American costume designer, and Jack Durand, a Pulitzer Prize-winning environmental reporter, meet on a fateful flight bound for Venice where they confront a shared destiny spawned by a national tragedy.

Margaret Eby travels the South visiting the hometowns and stomping grounds of some of the South’s most beloved authors, including the Lucky Dog stands in the French Quarter featured in John Kennedy Toole’s “A Confederacy of Dunces,” in “South Toward Home: Travelsin Southern Literature.”

Susan Fleet has published another book in her Frank Renzi mystery series, in which New Orleans Police Department detective Renzi searches for a missing TV news anchor and her two small children. To view a trailer of “Missing,” visit http://susanfleet.com/missing.html.

Author Dinner

Award-winning Lafayette author John François is the featured speaker at this year’s Author Dinner by the Friends of the Lafayette Library. He will speak and sign books beginning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Petroleum Club. François is a past president of the Writers’ Guild of Acadiana and the author of six historical wartime novels. He has won recognition in national contests like The Annual Writer’s Network Screenplay & Fiction Competition and the Global eBook Awards for his novel, “Carrier-of-Bones.” He also writes short fiction, which have enjoyed local, regional and international recognition. For more information or to make reservations, call (337) 984-8661.

Book events

            Dianne Mouton Landry, a descendant of Governor Mouton and a Mouton family historian, will speak on “The Battle of Pinhook Bridge” at 2 p.m. today at the Alexandre Mouton House/Lafayette Museum. The talk is presented by the Alexandre Mouton House/Lafayette Museum and the Lafayette Public Library.

            Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin (“Little Miss Sunshine”) will sign “This May Sound Crazy” at 1 p.m. today at Barnes & Noble Metairie. The book is based on her Tumblr blog of the same name.

Sybil Haydel Morial will discuss and read from “Witness to Change: From Jim Crow to Political Empowerment” at 6 p.m. Monday at Garden District Book Shop and at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Octavia Books of New Orleans.

Best-selling and award-winning author-illustrator Marc Brown will talk about “The Aardvark Was My Warm-Up Act” at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the Lafayette Parish Main Library Meeting Room.

Michael Allen Zell will read from and sign “Run Baby Run” at 6 p.m. Monday at Octavia Books in New Orleans.

Mark Couhig will discuss and sign “The Face of His Brother” at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Garden District Book Shop of New Orleans.

Christina Vella discusses and signs “George Washington Carver: A Life” at 7 p.m. Wednesday at East Bank Regional Library in Metairie.

Michael Llewellyn and Ciji Ware will discuss and sign “Creole Son: A Novel of Degas in New Orleans” and “That Winter in Venice,” respectively from 6 p.m. Thursday at Garden District Book Shop of New Orleans.

The General Raymond E. Mason Jr. Distinguished Lecture Series on World War II presents Kati Marton and “The Great Escape: Nine Jews Who Fled Hitler and Changed the World” Thursday at the World War II Museum in New Orleans. The event begins with a 5 p.m. reception, 6 p.m. presentation and 7:30 p.m. booksiging in the U.S. Freedom Pavilion of The Boeing Center.

C.C. Lockwood signs “Louisiana Wild: The Protected and Restored Lands of the Nature Conservancy” at 6 p.m. Thursday at Octavia Books of New Orleans.

Romance Writers of America Crossroads Chapter in Indiana authors Jeana Mann, LeNora Mangano and Teresa Keefer join New Orleans chapter members Colleen Mooney and Dawn Chartier for a meet and greet, panel discussion and signing at 6 p.m. Friday at Octavia Books of New Orleans.

Dixie Poché will sign copies of “Classic Eateries of Cajun Country” from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Teche Drugs and Gifts on Jefferson Street in downtown Lafayette and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Books Along the Teche in New Iberia.

Cheré Dastugue Coen is the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” She also writes Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire, “A Cajun Dream” and “The Letter.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.