In the 1700s, when New Orleans was a fledgling city, the French overseers faced many problems including a severe shortage of women. Arrangements were made to send women from France who were perceived as being problematic to Louisiana for a…
If you're in Cajun Country around Mardi Gras time be careful when you cross the road, there might be some masked riders pursing chickens for a gumbo. Chance Henry joins Louisiana Life Executive Editor Errol Laborde, along with podcast producer…
There are few phrases that can sound as sad as “Orphan Train,” yet between 1854 and 1928 for thousands of kids who had experienced the fragile immigrant life and the slums of the east coast, the Orphan Trains were a…
There is a place in Terrebonne Parish near the Gulf of Mexico known for its beautiful scenery, bountiful seafood and a population of indigenous people. It is also known for its fragile existence so near the water, as tested by…
You may not have noticed it, but this year is the 125th anniversary of the legalization of the Storyville red-light district in New Orleans. Storyville was an effort to make prostitution more respectable by allowing it only in a…
In trying to pick a Louisianian of the Year, there are 4.6 million people to choose from. Louisiana Life magazine makes the task a bit easier by talking to experts in various fields to whittle the size to five worthy…
In preparing his book about king cakes, author Matt Haines claims to have sampled from 80 different cakes for the sake of journalism. His book, "The Big Book of King Cake” was worth the effort because it is both an…
Census figures do more than just set the numbers for political districts, they also tell us a lot about our lives and places of note in Louisiana. Jeff Adelson and Sam Karlyn, both journalists for The Advocate who have extensively…
We think of Louisiana’s culinary excellence most often in terms of the seafoods, gumbo, etouffees and the variety of pork dishes, but there is a whole other category for sweet things. Lafayette-based author Dixie Poche joins Errol Laborde, executive editor…
Some places are known for their snow at Christmas time; Louisiana’s river parishes are known for their fire on Christmas Eve. Chicago-based filmmaker Mark Niedelson joins Errol Laborde, executive editor of Louisiana Life, along with podcast producer Kelly Massicot to…
There was once a part of present day Louisiana that neither France nor Spain could decide on who was the possessor, so it was declared a neutral ground known as “No Man’s Land.” Filmmakers Bill Rodman and Flo Ulmer-Rodman, along…
Louisiana politics is known for being colorful and controversial. It is also, like most politics, constantly changing. Two University of Louisiana Political Scientists, Pearson Cross and Christie Maloyed, have compiled a book, “The Party is Over: The New Louisiana Politics”…
At issue was Black vs. White. In the days of racial segregation many road places were denied to black travelers. For decades, a guidebook offering travel suggestions was called "The Green Book." "The Green Book," named after the publication’s founder,…
Louisiana has four federally recognized Native American tribes, one of the most historic is the Coushattas who settled largely around Allen Parish in the vicinity of Elton and Kinder. David Sickey is a past tribal chairman and a member of…
Tyler Bridges has stories to tell, so many that this edition of Louisiana Insider will feature two of them. One is the shocking saga of former governor Edwin Edward's body being exhumed and then cremated at the orders of his…
Stanley Nelson is a north Louisiana journalist who has made a specialty out of investigating Ku Klux Klan-related murders. His newest book, "Klan of Devils: The Murder of A Black Louisiana Deputy Sheriff" tells the harrowing story of a 1965…
Craig Colton looks at Louisiana’s endangered wetlands not only as an environmentalist, but also as a geographer and anthropologist. Colton, a professor of geography at LSU, joins Errol Laborde, executive editor of Louisiana Life, along with podcast producer Kelly Massicot…
Steve Roberts has experienced life from many different angles. He is an accomplished journalist who has written a nationally syndicated political column. He was the husband of the late Cokie Roberts, who reported for ABC News and National Public Radio…
Which Louisiana town has Dolly Parton as part of its history? Which town was settled as part of a German religious sect? These and other questions are answered as Louisiana Life magazine’s travel writer Cheré Coen joins Errol Laborde, executive…
Europe was ablaze with the biggest war that the planet had experienced up to that time. In Louisiana, there were also lots of battles; including an end to the Red Light District, racial tensions and the coming of prohibition. And…
Even through the COVID-19 slowdown and taunting by hurricanes there has been lots going on in Louisiana over the last couple years. To prove its point, Louisiana Life magazine presents its annual La Nouvelle Louisiane awards. Melanie Warner Spencer,…
When the story of the protests for more civil rights in Louisiana is told there were several key stops along the way including a church in Shreveport, a march to Bogalusa and Dooky Chase restaurant in New Orleans. Organizer Glenda…
Shane Bernard has Louisiana culture in his blood. He also has splashes of Tabasco sauce. Bernard, a historian who has chronicled Cajun culture and the Swamp pop music scene, is also the archivist for Tabasco hot sauce. He, a scholar…
Bob Mann has been in the boiler room with many important Louisiana political figures including Russell Long, J. Bennett Johnson, John Breaux and Katheen Blanco. He has also written about Louisiana politics as a newspaper reporter and as an author…
