The Jailhouse Lawyer "The Jailhouse Lawyer" tells the story of Calvin Duncan, who was imprisoned from 1982 to 2011 for a crime he didn’t commit, including 23 years where Duncan served as a “jailhouse lawyer” at the Louisiana State Penitentiary,…
Sister Creatures Set in Pinecreek, Louisiana, Laura Venita Green’s “Sister Creatures” starts with the protagonist, Tess, encountering a stranger with her daughter and a friend. Venita Green writes the scene with equal parts wonder, terror and empathy. The encounter leaves…
Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine “Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine” is written by one of the best culinary historians in the country, Dr. Jessica B. Harris. Harris spent…
The Devil in Oxford “The Devil in Oxford” is the third book in the Ruby Vaughn Mystery series by USA Today best-selling, New Orleans author, Jess Armstrong. Armstrong follows the adventures of Ruby Vaughn, who works for Mr. Owen, owner…
Secret Keepers Teresa Tumminello Brader’s second book, “Secret Keepers,” is a collection of short stories. The stories are steeped in characters who are struggling in their relationships with loved ones and the world around them. We deal with characters worried…
Turned Earth “Turned Earth” is Brad Richard’s fifth poetry collection, this one by LSU Press. This collection goes through Richard’s journey as he navigates his mother’s death, life with his husband and being a teacher. Richard’s placement in New Orleans,…
Daughters of the New Year One Book One New Orleans, the nonprofit that focuses on literacy within the city of New Orleans, chose E.M. Tran’s “Daughters of the New Year” as their 2025 book. One Book One New Orleans helps…
Season of the Swamp Yuri Herrera It’s not often you get to read speculative fiction set in the past, but Yuri Herrera’s “Season of the Swamp” is able to achieve just that, by filling in the blanks of what Mexican…
Marguerite Sheffer | The Man in the Banana Trees Sheffer’s debut short story collection, “The Man in the Banana Trees,” starts with the kind of short story you’ve read before, about a teacher trying to reach a student but just…
In “All the Places We Love Have Been Left In Ruins,” Ariel Francisco writes an elegy to his hometown of Miami that continues to be sunk by climate change, corruption, and of course, Margaritavilles. Francisco, who teaches at LSU, writes…
Poetry has always been important in New Orleans — blending the written word, stories and the musicality that have more or less been synonymous with the city since its creation. Poetry…
1000 Words Jami Attenberg “1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round” by Jami Attenberg was born out of her annual summer practice, “1000 Words of Summer.” The practice that was birthed between her…
The Fetishist by Katherine Min (Edited by Kayla Min Andrews) “The Fetishist” follows Kyoko, in her early 20s, as she tries to avenge her mother’s death, who she blames on Daniel, a middle-aged man who had previously seduced her mother;…
Let Us Descend Jesmyn Ward Jesmyn Ward’s newest novel gets its title from the Dante Alighieri quote “’Let us descend,’ the poet now began, ‘and enter this blind world.’” Ward, who has won the MacArthur “Genius Grant” and is a…
For Today Carolyn Hembree Carolyn Hembree’s poetry collection, “For Today,” tackles grief, trauma, anger, love and living in New abook follows a recent mother who grieves her father who died right before she gave birth to her child. Throughout this…
Cheré Dastugue Coen is a veteran food and travel writer who combs Louisiana searching for hidden gems. A native of New Orleans and current resident of Lafayette, she celebrates her home state in her writing, which includes award-winning plays and books. Her non-fiction books include “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History;” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana;” “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags & Sachets” with Jude Bradley; “Cooking in Cajun Country” with Carl Breaux; and “Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Tour of Acadiana.”
She is also the author of several romance novels and the Viola Valentine Mystery Series under the pen name of Cherie Claire (cherieclaire.net). Visit her Weird, Wacky & Wild travel blog at WeirdSouth.com.