I recently had an especially memorable and quite perfect lunch with Katie Nachod. Although Katie is a long-time reference librarian with a career’s worth of experience at Tulane University and the Louisiana Supreme Court Law Library, and although I serve as President of the LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana, and although we both have degrees in English, and although we … [Read more...] about The Gentlemanly Last Years of George Dureau
Oranges
Oranges. Gary Eldon Peter. New Rivers Press, 2018. 157 pgs. $18.00. Oranges is Gary Eldon Peter’s debut collection of short stories and traverses, in linked tales, the life of Michael, a gay man from the Midwest who must find his own confusing path to adulthood after personal loss. Michael is confronted with a number of challenges, including coming to terms … [Read more...] about Oranges
Hard Rock Hotel was Controversial from Start
The dramatic collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans re-opens a can of worms. The proposed development was controversial from its inception. 1031 Canal Street for decades was the site of Woolworths, a five’n’dime department store whose lunch counter was ground zero for civil rights protesters in 1960. When it was proposed the Woolworths building be … [Read more...] about Hard Rock Hotel was Controversial from Start
Louisiana Governor’s Race
The results of the Louisiana Governor’s race on October 12 were disappointing but not surprising. Incumbent John Bel Edwards (D) will face Eddie Rispone (R) in a run-off election on November 16. Primaries in Louisiana are unique in that if no candidate gets over 50%, the two top vote-getters, regardless of party, face each other in the run-off. Governor … [Read more...] about Louisiana Governor’s Race
New Class Explores French Quarter Underbelly
Did Governor Earl Long really live in an apartment on Bourbon Street with a stripper? Did the Sicilian Mafia in America start in the French Quarter? Did Tennessee Williams regularly play with his dick in open view at Café Lafitte in Exile? Did a gay porn pioneer leprechaun really live on Saint Peter Street? Did Walt Whitman cruise the French Market looking for … [Read more...] about New Class Explores French Quarter Underbelly
Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Located in the vibrant Warehouse Arts District of downtown New Orleans, the Ogden Museum of Southern Art holds the largest and most comprehensive collection of Southern art. It has been recognized for its original exhibitions, public events and educational programs which examine the development of visual art alongside Southern traditions of music, literature and culinary … [Read more...] about Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Frenchmen Art and Books, the Young Fellaz Brass Band, and Colonization
Frenchmen Art and Books Storefront (Photo: Chris Leonard, Ambush Magazine) It’s been over three months now since a firestorm erupted over the arrest of musician Eugene Grant in front of the Frenchmen Art and Books shop on Frenchmen Street. Many were shocked at a video of NOPD officers arresting Grant in front of the store and soon a narrative developed in the local and … [Read more...] about Frenchmen Art and Books, the Young Fellaz Brass Band, and Colonization
Rue Royale Revelers Announce New Venue for 2020 Twelfth Night Party
The Mystik Krewe de Rue Royale Revelers is pleased to announce that its seventh annual Twelfth Night Party will take place on January 6, 2020, at the Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture. Krewe Captain Frank Perez said, “This venue is perfect considering Twelfth Night marks the beginning of Carnival Season. It is also the largest venue we’ve ever had, which will … [Read more...] about Rue Royale Revelers Announce New Venue for 2020 Twelfth Night Party
Contemporary Arts Center
Many people credit the 1984 World’s Fair with revitalizing the then run-down Warehouse District, but the transformation of the old neighborhood from warehouses serving the port to what is now called the Arts District began in 1976 with the opening of the Contemporary Arts Center. Founded by a passionate group of visual artists at a time when the movement to tear down the … [Read more...] about Contemporary Arts Center
Courtney Sharp: Unsung Trans Hero
Like so many trans people, Courtney Sharp’s journey to self-realization was a long one. Growing up, she knew she was different but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. All she knew for sure was that she had better keep that difference secret. Her family was religious, and this was North Louisiana, after all. When her “difference” began to manifest, her … [Read more...] about Courtney Sharp: Unsung Trans Hero
