By Autumn of 2005 the subtle suggestions of a changing season were being felt, not in a big way like in places where the leaves turn orange but in subtle ways: the cane fields being harvested; an occasional chill; embers…
On the evening of August 26, 2005, I was in the owner’s suite at the Superdome. (I had gained entry not because of rank but because of luck and knowing one of the hosts.) The event was a mere pre-season…
There will never be another day like Sept. 12, 1987, at what was then called the Louisiana Superdome. The recent Vatican conclave brings the date to mind. That evening, the Tulane Green Wave were scheduled against Iowa State. On the…
If I would tell you that Jefferson Parish is the second most populous parish in Louisiana, that might not be a surprise. The assumption would be that neighboring parish, Orleans, is the largest. Ah, but here is where the assumptions…
At its simplest, Carnival is all about parties. At its most sociological, Carnival is a season with deep cultural roots. Carnival in Louisiana is a celebration with three different strains of evolution: One is the New Orleans style Carnival which is,…
Louisiana is blessed with several areas of natural wonders including the Gulf of Mexico’s shore and barrier islands, the Kisatchie Forest and the Atchafalaya Basin. The basin cuts north-south from near Simmesport to Morgan City. Historian Jason Theriot joins host…
George Rodrigue is one of Louisiana’s all-time important artists, and may be the most important at depicting images of early like in Cajun Culture. He created scenes of celebrations beneath moss laden oak trees; life of the bayou and even…
Ok, here’s a Louisiana Trivia Question: Who originated the state’s motto, “Union, Justice and Confidence?” And why? Historian Jason Theriot joins host Errol Laborde and podcast producer Kelly Massicot to talk about his research on the motto’s origin, as well…
Folks in Central Louisiana sometimes refer to their beloved section of the state as “CENLA.” There was a time when some wags might have referred to the city of Alexandria and the area around it as “Sinla.” Historian Michael Wynne…
Political analyst Robert Collins joins Louisiana Life Executive Editor Errol Laborde to talk about the past historic Nov. 5 election. Collins, a political science professor at Dillard University and a political analyst for WVUE TV Fox 8, discusses what was learned from Donald Trump’s…
Journalist Peter Finney Jr. joins Louisiana Life Executive Editor Errol Laborde and podcast producer Kelly Massicot to talk about his new book, “Drago’s: An American Journey.” It is a compelling story about the Civitanovich family that migrated from Croatia after World War II and the…
Bless the traditional American holiday dinner. While some places might add an indigenous specialty to their feast, we here in Louisiana can be extra thankful. There are two dishes in particular that stand out as products of our geography and cultural…
If you have lived in New Orleans for any time at all you have heard about this fellow referred to simply as “Bienville” –although his baptismal name was Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. The native of Montreal gets the credit…
It was along Bayou Teche, at St. Martinville, where Evangeline, according of Henry Longfellow’s classic poem, searched for her love Gabriel. The two had been separated by the Acadian expulsion from Nova Scotia. Not far away in Breaux Bridge there…
It is not the most poetic of nicknames but it is backed by science. Author Ned Randolph joins Louisiana Life Executive Editor Errol Laborde and podcast producer Kelly Massicot to talk about his new book, "Muddy Thinking in the Mississippi River Delta," and his experiences covering the…
For this the 200th edition of Louisiana Life magazine’s “Louisiana Insider” podcast, we feature the magazine’s most awarded feature writer. Kevin Rabalais has been the first place winner several times as designated by the International Regional Magazine Association (IRMA) for…
You have heard of Basin Street and its blues? Well intersecting that street on the edge of New Orleans’ French Quarter is “Conti,” a street that was part of the neighborhood that gave Basin its reputation because of the surrounding…
Presidential politics and energy expert Jay Hakes, a former University of New Orleans Political Science professor, has written a compelling new book about contemporary presidents and their response to environmental issues. He helped organize Jimmy Carter’s Louisiana campaign in 1976…
Sometimes life seems to move in a circle taking its passengers from where they started, to other destinations and then back again. Some of the literary figures who were regulars at the historic Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans’ French Quarter…
One evening in 1949, a group of women stormed into the lobby of the majestic Roosevelt Hotel in New Orleans. They headed straight to the bar and demanded to be served Sazeracs, the house specialty and a New Orleans legendary…
As a former Louisiana Secretary of State, Insurance Commissioner and State Senator, Jim Brown has had to cross many rivers including the Mississippi, Atchafalaya, the Red and the Pearl. In his retirement, Brown has had the chance to wade in…
On Feb. 7, 2010 the New Orleans Saints returned to the field for the second half of the Super bowl being played in Miami. Back in Louisiana, folks were riveted at viewing parties as the long lovable but frequently losable…
“Down the River” is more than a variant of a poker game. For the writer it can be a stream for words; for the adventurer it can be a highway past great cities and alongside bountiful wetlands. Boyce Upholt, a…
As a chef, Eric Cook is known for having lots of spice and flavor in his creations. The same can be said about his conversations. Cook – who owns Gris-Gris restaurant on Magazine Street in New Orleans’ Garden District, as…
After traumatic events, such as hurricanes, there are two areas in particular that need damage repair. One is the actual physical destruction and the other can be the psychological damage. A two-part documentary produced and streamed by Louisiana Public Broadcasting…
There was a time and region where a homerun might have been exclaimed as being a coup de circuit! The added excitement that the ball may have landed in a field such as near the southwest Louisiana towns of Rayne…
Randy Fertel knows how to serve with a sizzle, including on steaks or in life. Fertel, the son of Ruth’s Chris's Steakhouse founder Ruth Fertel (known for her butter-topped sizzling steaks), is an author who is fascinated with ideas. He joins Louisiana Life…
Liz Williams dishes out information about food in several different servings. She is the founder of New Orleans’ Southern Food and Beverage Museum (SoFab). She has written books about food, the latest being “So Fab Cookbook: Recipes from the Modern…
Few people understand Louisiana, especially its politics, history and issues, better than Robert Mann. He is an author of several books about Louisiana politics, none so close to the topic as his most recent publication, "Kingfish U," a rollicking history of…
We know, sometimes back pains can be a real pain in the neck, or something like that. Between our extremities and our shoulders muscles get tight, tensions increase. Beth Winkler is a physical therapist who worked at a hospital where…
In this issue, themed to the state’s claim of being the “Sportsman’s Paradise,” I choose to lower the caliber of the discussion by raising the question of what the least lovable catch from the state’s water is. A case could be made…
Insurance is supposed to provide security; in Louisiana it has become a crisis. We hear stories of homeowners being challenged to pay house notes because of the growing costs of home insurance. Automobile rates have increased, too, and what about…
Imagine Louisiana without French. Even if you don’t hear it often, you know that it is there and part of the state’s history, culture and even its music and food. Well, it could have happened. In 1925 a state law…
Here is a dash of chicory for your daily podcast listening. The Louisiana-based Community Coffee company is now in its 105th year. Headquartered in Baton Rouge with facilities in New Orleans, Community is the largest family-owned and operated retail coffee…
Louisiana was the location for the very first Tarzan movie, back in 1917 when actor Elmo Lincoln swung from the trees near Morgan City where the Atchafalaya Swamp played the role of Africa. Louisiana has produced many more settings including…
No sports figure represent mores of an emotional tug of war than Steve Gleason. It was he that, on the glorious night in 2006 when the New Orleans Saints returned to the Superdome after being away for a season because…
Ramon Vargas, a former reporter for the New Orleans Times-Picayune and now an editor/reporter for the London-based publication The Guardian, has for several years been covering sex scandals mostly between adult educator authority figures and school age youth. Most of…
Don’t you hate it when three alligator brothers will not listen to each other when trying to find a safe place to build a home? The reason: Well, two of the brothers, Bumpy and Lumpy, ignore the other brother, Stumpy,…
We begin with a limerick about my favorite bird: A wonderful bird is the pelican, His bill will hold more than his belican, He can take in his beak Enough food for a week But I’m damned if I see…
In 1984, New Orleans hosted the Louisiana World’s Exposition, known more simply as the world’s fair. Through the years the evaluations have been similar – the fair was financially challenging but the locals loved it. Peggy Scott Laborde, a producer for…
Secretive Men’s organizations – such as the Free Masons, Elks, Odd Fellows and many more – did not originate just for the sake of privacy. In many cases they had a social purposes such as providing health and security benefits…
Louisiana’s longest running weekly news TV program celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. During that time topics have included the Katrina recovery; the David Duke vs. Edwin Edwards gubernatorial runoff; a World’s Fair; the ups and downs of the economy;…
Words are for reading, but sometimes it is good to pause and have a word or two about words themselves: how they are used; where they have taken us. Louisiana Life magazine Editor Reine Dugas joins Louisiana Life’s Executive Editor…
Just having survived in New Orleans as a poor French Jewish immigrant was a major accomplishment for young Leon Godchaux. But having lived a life in his adopted city where he eventually opened his own department store, mastered the use…
Louisiana is a state full of images: the swamps, New Orleans, Mardi Gras, sunsets over the Gulf, shrimp boats, musicians and you can add a touch of Voodoo. Longtime curator for The Historic New Orleans Collection John Lawrence joins Louisiana Life…
Sally Asher is a historian, photographer and tour guide who specializes in the bawdy days of the early 20th century in New Orleans and the life and death of the Storyville bordello district. Asher joins Louisiana Life Executive Editor Errol…
Even in the worst of times great stories about compassionate people emerge. Stories such as the case of Julius Rosenwald, who in the tense days pf the early 19th Century was concerned that kids from African American families in the…
Huey Long didn’t mess around when he wanted to get to his favorite hotel. During his administration, much of the work was in progress for constructing U.S. Highway 61 which would connect Baton Rouge to New Orleans. The road…
As a former TV news anchor, Warren Bell reported news of the day. Now in retirement, Bell is discovering news from the past and his sources are archives and cemeteries. Bell joins Louisiana Life Executive Editor Errol Laborde, along with…
Louisiana has always been known as a great state for news. The news itself my not have always been great but the flow of reporting on the politics, disaster, lifestyles and good times within a multi-cultural state has been continuous.…
