Louisiana Life - March/April 2024

Springtime Means TWFest time!

  Though Louisiana spring is short, it sure is lovely and a time when most of us are happy to be outside enjoying the cool air and flowers in bloom. It’s a time when we’ve just finished and survived the…

Hotels with a Political Past

  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…

Joi to the Girl

At a Glance Age: 31 Hometown: New Iberia, LA Web: joijohnston.com Tracing her fingertips down the side of the leather, a polished slice of deep, summer evening blue, it is obvious that Joi Johnston has a not-so-secret crush. “See, this…

Contributors

Liz Williams founded the Southern Food & Beverage Museum and authored several books about food and culture, especially New Orleans food culture.  Her podcast, Tip of the Tongue, about food, drink and culture, appears weekly. She is a graduate of…

Louisiana Recipes We Love

Although everyone has their favorite places and their favorite dishes, there is really no place in Louisiana that doesn’t have good food. Let’s face it – Louisiana tastes good. My grandparents lived in Natchitoches when I was a child. And…

Of Literary Lions

  Among the various Tennessee Williams festivals held annually, the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival (TWFest; March 20-24) remains the oldest, liveliest and most diverse gathering since its 1986 inception. Headquartered in the famously haunted, elegant Hotel Monteleone…

Literary Louisiana: Culture, Race, History and lore

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…

Spring Recipes Featuring Seasonal Ingredients

Although some people complain about not having four seasons in Louisiana, I still look forward to spring. I’m not talking about little birds tweeting and the breakthrough of crocuses in the melting snow. For me, it is about the food.…

Louisiana Hotels and Lodges with a View

Nothing beats a vacation getaway more than a room with a view. And we’ve compiled a great list of hotels and lodges throughout Louisiana that deliver. Whether for a weekend away…

Eye See You

Barred Owl  perched on the edge of a rice field in Oberlin, Louisiana.  

Springtime Fling

  There’s much to see and enjoy throughout the Florida Parishes eight-parish region, especially this time of year. There’s the Slidell Spring Antique Street Fair March 30-31 and the Abita Springs Busker Festival with its live performances on Sunday, April…

Boutiques, Antiques and Crafts in Fairhope, Alabama

  There’s a reason Southern Living magazine named Fairhope one of “The South’s Best Small Towns of 2023.” The quaint city dating to 1894 lies along the east side of Mobile Bay and sports the only bluff from Interstate 10…

Artist Spotlight: Elayne Kuehler

In these days of political and social unrest, foreign wars, and a general sense of angst, Elayne Kuehler’s art transports viewers above the malaise into a more peaceful world. Whether she is painting tranquil scenes from the Louisiana landscape or…