Are you thinking of skipping the Sat., Mar. 20, election for U.S. Congress? I hope not! I hope you’re carefully considering the candidates vying to represent us in the U.S. House as our representative. More so, I hope that you’ll consider voting for our friend Troy Carter. To explain why, let me take you way, way back to a lost age known as the 1990s. I want to introduce … [Read more...] about A Commentary by Larry Bagneris
Articles
Does Mayor Cantrell Hate the French Quarter?
For the last year and half, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell managed to rouse the ire of French Quarter residents and business owners. Her proposal to pedestrianize the neighborhood sparked immediate protests and her handling of the pandemic, while generally praised, has not been without its critics. Detractors point to inconsistencies in COVID regulations and an utter lack of … [Read more...] about Does Mayor Cantrell Hate the French Quarter?
Book Review: New Orleans Vampires: History and Legend
New Orleans Vampires: History and Legend. Marita Woywod Crandle. Haunted America/ History Press, 2018 (2nd ed.). 112 pages. $21.99. New Orleans has a reputation as a home for creatures of the night. Popular books, movies and television shows have cemented the city’s connection to vampires in the public’s imagination. In New Orleans Vampires: History and Legend, Marita Woywod … [Read more...] about Book Review: New Orleans Vampires: History and Legend
Under the Gaydar
With COVID still making its horrible mark on the world, a life spent in quarantine has become the norm for the last year. Quarantine fatigue and the holidays created quite the unforgiving combination this Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. Our numbers have risen and people’s nerves are fraught. Trust me, I understand your pain. I consider myself a social animal so this … [Read more...] about Under the Gaydar
Book Review: Flower of Iowa
Flower of Iowa. Lance Ringel. Distant Mirror Press, 2020. 578 pages. $36.00. Lance Ringel’s Flower of Iowa is an expansive novel that is sure to please lovers of historical fiction. The novel is set against the turbulent backdrop of France during the final months of World War I. The setting, the writing, and the story are reminiscent of Hemmingway’s A Farewell to Arms, but … [Read more...] about Book Review: Flower of Iowa
Trodding the Boards February 23, 2021
The Glass Menagerie at Playmakers Theater through March 14 According to Tennessee Williams, “Time is the longest distance between two places.” When a play is done as superbly as Playmakers Theater’s current production of The Glass Menagerie, however, the distance between “Lights up” and “The curtain falls” feels less like two plus hours than a blink of the eye, a … [Read more...] about Trodding the Boards February 23, 2021
Weapon of Glass Destruction
(Sometimes) Father knows best. When I was a kid, my grandfather gave me a slingshot for my birthday. It wasn't the usual, ‘Y’-shaped, wooden, piece of crap, slingshot you could pick up at Time Saver. This one was "professional." It was made of aluminum alloy rods and shaped in such a way that the handle extended backward into a wrap-around support bar for the wrist that would … [Read more...] about Weapon of Glass Destruction
26 Years at Oz: An Interview with Tim Pflueger
Tim Pflueger recently marked 26 years in the VJ booth at Oz New Orleans—quite an accomplishment in an industry where the average bar employee’s tenure is two years or less. I recently had a chance to interview Pflueger about his career, how the gay bar scene has changed, and the devastating effects of the pandemic. FP: Tell us a little about yourself. How did you end … [Read more...] about 26 Years at Oz: An Interview with Tim Pflueger
You Say You Want A “Resolution”
Happy 2021! The terrible year that was 2020 has ended and so far 2021 is shaping up to be another rollercoaster ride. But with each incoming year comes new hope and a fresh outlook, hence why people love making New Year’s resolutions. We have all done them - I am going to lose weight, have a better work/life balance, stop drinking; there are a million of them we tell … [Read more...] about You Say You Want A “Resolution”
Mardi Gras 2021: A Lesson In Pivoting and Partying
Having lived in New Orleans my entire life, I have discovered two very important things about our city and its citizens. We love to party. And we are resilient beyond all expectations. Like the old Air Supply song, we New Orleanians know about “Making Love Out of Nothing At All.” So when the COVID threat forced parades, balls and parties to shut down completely during Mardi … [Read more...] about Mardi Gras 2021: A Lesson In Pivoting and Partying
