Country Roads Magazine "The Analog Issue" January 2024 by Country Roads magazine

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Contents

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Introduction

6 8

Features

REFLECTIONS Going Deep by James Fox-Smith

NEWS & NOTEWORTHIES

The return of Compañía Nacional de Danza, the future of Tunica Hills & a new bakery in Lafayette.

Events

VO LU M E 41 // I SS U E 1

BREAK THE ICE

Innovative art exhibits, gumbo cook-offs, and the launch of Carnival season

28 30

LOOMING SOLASTALGIA A photo essay on how cultivation of a heritage crop can help us remember the world as it used to be

Publisher

James Fox-Smith

Associate Publisher

Ashley Fox-Smith

by Nathan Tucker

Managing Editor

GROW DAT Inside the urban youth farm at the heart of New Orleans City Park

Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Alexandra Kennon

by Mimi Greenwood Knight

Creative Director

THE MAKER UPPER

Kourtney Zimmerman

The fantastical worlds of Shreveport illustrator William Joyce by Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

On the Cover

Contributors:

Kristy Christiansen, Paul Christiansen, Jess Cole, Beth D’Addono, Mimi Greenwood Knight, Sophie Nau, Gary Michael Smith, Nathan Tucker

Cover Artist

“COTON JAUNE”

Nathan Tucker

For his photo essay, “Looming Solastalgia” (page 24), photojournalist Nathan Tucker confronted his anxieties about the changing cultural and physical landscapes of Louisiana by seeking out individuals at the heart of the quiet movement to revive the cultivation and use of Louisiana’s heritage textile crop, brown cotton, traditionally known as coton jaune. Pictured is Larry Allain, holding the distinctly-colored crop, now mostly forgotten in Acadiana, that once made up the clothing, blankets, and bags of every rural home. Allain, a member of the collective Acadiana Brown Cotton, is a retired grasslands botanist and prairie scientist with grand visions for a regenerative, rehabilitated future for the dwindling Cajun prairie—visions that play out in real time on his property, where heirloom peas intertwine with coton jaune throughout. He and other members of the collective have dedicated much of their lives to reaching into the past for long-lost agricultural and artisan weaving techniques the modern day has little use for. Or at least believes it has no use for. As Tucker puts it, “Today, in a world that has little time or need for products that require so many hours, such care, that seed is serving us in a new way entirely: it is helping us to remember.”

Cuisine

34 37

DINNER’S AT ELVIE’S Chef Hunter Evans helms Jackson’s hottest eatery INSIDE THE ELIZA JANE Chef Ryan Pearson’s Couvant is the best of the French, applied to the best of the Gulf

Outdoors 4

MADE IN LA: THE SAZERAC An origin story laced with cognac and absinthe

Escapes

by Kristy Christiansen

by Sophie Nau

Culture

by Sophie Nau

OUR SUSTAINABLE GARDEN: A COLUMN Cultivating for the future by Jess Cole

FOR TODAY A review of Carolyn Hembree’s new poetry collection at LSU Press FRIENDS AND FRENEMIES The LSU Museum of Art’s latest exhibition explores the era of Warhol by Alexandra Kennon

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LODGE LIFE Discovering the luxury outdoor experiences in the historic fishing villages of St. Bernard Parish by Gary Michael Smith

CHOO CHOO A travel guide to Tennessee’s renewed jewel, Chattanooga by Beth D’Addono

Perspectives

KNOTTY HARTS The story behind the Mississippi Gulf Coast Yarn Bomber by Mimi Greenwood Knight

Advertising

SALES@COUNTRYROADSMAG.COM

Sales Team

Heather Gammill & Heather Gibbons

Operations Coordinator

Camila Castillo

President

Dorcas Woods Brown

Country Roads Magazine 758 Saint Charles Street Baton Rouge, LA 70802 Phone (225) 343-3714 Fax (815) 550-2272 EDITORIAL@COUNTRYROADSMAG.COM WWW.COUNTRYROADSMAG.COM

Subscriptions

21.99 for 12 months $ 39.58 for 24 months $

ISSN #8756-906X

Copyrighted. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without permission of the publisher. The opinions expressed in Country Roads magazine are those of the authors or columnists and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, nor do they constitute an endorsement of products or services herein. Country Roads magazine retains the right to refuse any advertisement. Country Roads cannot be responsible for delays in subscription deliveries due to U.S. Post Office handling of third-class mail.

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Reflections FROM THE PUBLISHER

ere we are again. Standing at a threshold with one foot in the old year and another set tentatively into the new. I’m writing this during what has turned into an interminably long journey to visit my Australian family in Melbourne for Christmas, so this perch in seat 64E, somewhere high above the Pacific, seems a reasonable place for considering transitions from one state to another. On one level the trip so far has been a bit of a disaster. All efforts to arrange things so that our kids, each of whom needed to depart on a different day from a different East Coast city, could meet us in Los Angeles for the main flight, collapsed in a comedy of flight cancellations, weather delays, and missed connections. Consequently, a trip that should have put the four of us in Melbourne after a thirty-hour journey, currently stands at 72 hours and counting. So far only our son has made it to Australia, albeit without his suitcase. So, he’s spent most of his first couple of days in Melbourne shopping for underwear. As for our daughter, whose scheduled departure from the northeast coincided with the arrival of a New England storm, any prediction regarding when she might finally arrive in the bosom of her Austra-

lian family would be guesswork of the highest order. But for all the temporal dislocation, one irreplaceable benefit of a fifteen-hour international flight remains: the uninterrupted opportunity it provides to fall into the pages of a really good book. Before leaving I picked up a copy of The Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese’s magnificent epic that traces the joys, struggles, and hardships of one magic-touched family, set against the shimmering backdrop of colonial India as the sleeping giant awakens to throw off centuries of British rule. It’s a phenomenal novel whose beautifully-drawn characters live, love, and die in an early-twentieth century rural Kerala so vibrantly described that the reader can see, hear, taste, and not infrequently smell it. Still, at seven hundred pages, the book is quite a dead weight to commit to the carry-on bag, and as we scrambled to navigate the baggage allowance I came close to leaving it behind. Now, after three days spent in and out of airports and planes, how glad I am that I did not. Many times, I’ve surfaced from its teeming landscapes, battering monsoons, and impossibly intricate social dynamics, and been surprised to discover how many hours have slipped by in the real world. Finding the space for reading deeply has never been harder. And in our hyper-connected, always-on world, is there any better space than the suspended animation of a long transcontinental flight

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in which to lose yourself in the pages of a really good book? I’ve been thinking about the concept of deep reading since hearing an interview between the podcaster Ezra Klein and the literacy scholar Maryanne Wolf, who argues passionately for the irreplaceable power of reading deeply in her book Reader Come Home: The Reading Brain in a Digital World. In the interview, Wolf describes the ways in which the cognitive process she terms “deep reading” “…nourishes our capacity for attention, empathy, and insight,” in ways that the surface-skimming of distracted, digital text consumption simply cannot reproduce. She explains the brain’s semi-miraculous ability to create novel circuits, and how the act of reading requires it to build networks between many other processes—vision, language, cognition—that simply would not evolve via any other activity. She argues that “deep reading,” the process of falling

into a story to such an extent that the landscapes and characters it introduces also engage our own knowledge, memories, and experiences; activates our brains completely, in the process inviting us to build bridges between our own lived experiences and those of the characters on the page. In a certain sense, she argues, deep reading provides an opportunity to enter the mind of another person—to know what they know, to feel what they feel. Despite all the advantages that digital media offers, a good book remains the only portal through which we get to do that. This January 2024, “Analog” issue, with its discussion of heritage crops, sustainable gardening, and colored pencil illustration, represents our effort to consider the tactile benefits of the hands-on, the off-line, and the here-and-now. In that context, and this being the season for resolutions, perhaps 2024 is the right time for resolving to turn down the digital noise, creating space for discovering new worlds. Best of all, since doing this requires nothing more complicated than access to a good book, there’s no need to fly halfway around the world to do it. —James Fox-Smith, publisher james@countryroadsmag.com Note: Ezra Klein’s interview with Maryanne Wolf was published on Nov 22, 2022. Listen to it, and read a transcript, at nytimes.com.

A special advertising feature from Pennington Biomedical Research Center

For this year’s resolutions, think small Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s new “Small Shifts” campaign sets participants up for success in achieving health goals through sustainable, achievable change.

ith the holidays behind us, the season of resolutions has firmly begun. All around the world, gyms will rake in new memberships, guilty pleasures will be set aside, and ambitious goalposts will be set up—whether that be numbers on the scale, miles run, dollars saved, or books read.

A 2023 survey conducted by Forbes Health, however, revealed the average New Years’ resolution only lasts 3.74 months. By the end of the year, only six percent of participants said they were still practicing the commitments they’d made on January 1. In 2024, Pennington Biomedical Research Center is stepping up to raise that number, at least here in Louisiana. Through its newly-launched Small Shifts campaign, Pennington Biomedical is emphasizing the power of sustainable goal-setting, and the impact that small, achievable changes can have on our health. Why Most Resolutions Fail While setting lofty goals might seem like the best and fastest way to achieve real results, studies have shown time and again that the realities of making major lifestyle changes too quickly almost always result in failure. Drastically altering your daily routines and eating habits, or pushing your physical limits, can quickly result in burnout and discouragement, which in turn can result in stress and be bad for mental health. How the “Small Shift” Approach Can Change Resolutions While less grand and often overlooked, the work of setting smaller goals— such as drinking more water or taking a daily walk—can yield huge results. Small, consistent shifts in our daily routines and decision-making patterns can be more seamlessly integrated into our life—setting us up for success. This success is then bolstered by feelings of accomplishment and motivation to take the next step on your journey to achieve long-term health. How to Take Part in Pennington Biomedical’s “Small Shifts” Program Participants in the free Small Shifts program will receive the official Small Shifts Health Journal filled with information and resources on nutrition, exercise, and creating balanced meals—as well as a habit tracker, a meal planner, and recipes straight from the Metabolic Research Kitchen at Pennington Biomedical. You’ll also receive monthly emails, in which experts will guide you through each new “small shift.” By signing up, you are also automatically entering yourself into Pennington Biomedical’s monthly Small Shifts Giveaways—during which you might win anything from Pennington Biomedical water bottles to Bluetooth earbuds. Earn a bonus entry by sharing your success stories on social media, and tagging Pennington Biomedical on Facebook, X, or Instagram. Some “Small Shifts” to Get Started on Today If the pace of making a new change every month feels a little too slow for you, Pennington Biomedical offers some great suggestions for “Small Shifts” to incorporate alongside the campaign’s main focus each month, including: • • • •

Swapping out sugary beverages (processed juices, sodas, or alcohol) for infused water Setting aside ten 10 minutes of stretching or walking each day Taking the stairs instead of the elevator Prioritizing consistent sleep

PenningtonBiomedical

penningtonbiomed

PBRCNews

For more information about Pennington Biomedical Research Center, visit www.pbrc.edu. // J A N 2 4

Noteworthy

J A N U A RY 2 024

N E W S , T I M E LY T I D B I T S , A N D

LO O K C LO S E R

ASSORTED CURIOSITIES

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Compañía Nacional de Danza SPAIN’S NATIONAL DANCE COMPANY RETURNS TO NEW ORLEANS AFTER 22 YEARS

The first performance of the Compañía Nacional de Danza’s U.S. tour will take place at the Mahalia Jackson Theater at 7:30 pm on January 20. Tickets range from $41–$201 at nobadance.com.

Image courtesy of Courtesy of Compañía Nacional de Danza.

arly New Orleans most often gets associated with its French colonial roots, but for the forty years leading up to the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Nueva Orleans was ruled by Spain. From the architecture of the Spanish-rebuilt French Quarter to the incorporation of peppers into Creole cuisine, Spanish cultural influences endure in the city to this day. And this month, Spain’s premier national dance company, Compañía Nacional de Danza, will arrive in New Orleans for the first time in over two decades to celebrate and reforge those connections by launching their U.S. tour with a performance at the Mahalia Jackson Theatre and a reception at the Cabildo (historically the seat of Spanish government in New Orleans) with Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, Mayor LaToya Cantrell, and Spanish dignitaries. “New Orleans is known for its unique culture, and a significant part of that rich cultural makeup is the state and city’s early ties to Spain. The Spanish influence still remains evident in our amazing cuisine and our stunning architecture, notably The Cabildo, an important Louisiana historical landmark built in the Spanish colonial style,” said Jenny Hamilton, Executive Director of the New Orleans Ballet Association (NOBA), the host of the events, which will be incorporated into NOBA’s 2023/2024 season and will kick off the Association’s annual fundraising campaign at the Cabildo reception. “New Orleans is one of the few U.S. cities that feels most appropriate to host the company’s kick-off of this tour, and we are incredibly excited to have them return.” The program encompasses a breadth of dance styles, ranging from an interpretation of a traditional Mexican mambo, to a classical ballet requiem, to an experimental piece of choreography set to the innovative, minimalist compositions of Philip Glass. The tour is under the artistic direction of acclaimed choreographer Joaquín De Luz, who was formerly a principal dancer with the New York City Ballet. “We know our audience and the dance community will enjoy this rare presentation of this company; by supporting this performance, we are all 8

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contributing to the field of dance and the artform and ensuring it remains accessible to all, from seasoned dance lovers to new patrons who are curious about the artform,” Hamilton explained. “With a mixed repertoire that embraces classical to avant-garde styles, dancers and audience members of all ages will enjoy an evening of complex, amusing, captivating works that showcase a dance identity and vocabulary they may have yet to see. This company’s history of excellence is truly on full display.” —Alexandra Kennon

View from the Hills NEW HIKING TRAILS AND VISTAS FOR THE TUNICA HILLS, THANKS TO A $2.6 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT

ouisiana may be lacking in mountains, but those familiar with West Feliciana Parish are quick and enthusiastic to champion the unexpected natural beauty of the Tunica Hills—whose rugged bluffs and ravines and hardwood forests seem more akin to the geography of the Appalachian states than Louisiana’s swamps and prairies. “Where else in Louisiana can you go from swampland in Cat Island to almost 400 feet in elevation?” asked West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard. “If you were blindfolded and dropped off there, you would think that you were in North Carolina someplace.” Scenic as it is, the Tunica Hills Wildlife Management Area’s over six thousand acres have remained largely undeveloped. But at the end of November, Governor John Bel Edwards, Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser, Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, and Havard announced the approval of a $2.6 million federal Economic Development Authority Grant to fund the development of the area, including the creation of extensive new recreational hiking trails that will showcase a stunning overlook of the Mississippi River. “Tunica Hills has and always will be a special place, just like West Feliciana and St. Francisville,” Havard said. “It just helps make West Feliciana even more special, and gives us the opportunity to share this spectacular place with others.” —Alexandra Kennon

Boscoyo Baking Co. MEET LAFAYETTE’S NEWEST BOULANGERS

“J

’sus un boulanger,” said the young man with the beret, sitting in the back of our makeshift French classroom in a bridal shop in Broussard. His name tag read “Chris.” The teacher turned to his partner, the curly haired woman sitting beside him and asked, “Et tu, Haley? Quoi c’est tu fais comme ouvrage?” “J’sus un boulangere, aussi.” “Ohhh,” responded the rest of us, most of whom are still struggling through this new vocabulary. But even those of us in our deepest Cajun French infancy recognize, somehow, the word “boulangerie”. Bakers. We live in a world where such crafts as baking bread from scratch—once ubiquitous in homes and communities—are now considered artisan and novel. Something about the presence of these young bakers in a room of people holding some tenderness for the old ways, inconvenient as they can be—here to learn the language of our ancestors—felt apt. I wasn’t the only one to approach them after class, asking where I could buy their bread. To mine and my husband’s delight, we discovered Boscoyo Baking Co., which had quietly opened in October, is only a five minute drive from our house. For the past few weeks, we’ve left the Evangeline Maid off of our shopping lists, and made the short drive to grab fresh bread for the week a part of our Saturday morning ritual. The warm, fragrant space of the bakery has an earthy edge carved out of the knobby cypress knee—boscoyo—displays, all dried bread, of course. Co-owner/ baker Haley Smith tells me they created them for décor, but have already received multiple requests Image courtesy of Boscoyo Baking Co. from customers for the enigmatic bread sculptures. The couple, Smith and Chris Frazier, run Boscoyo Baking Co. themselves, keeping their menu simple and short. All of the breads are made with organic ancient, heirloom, and modern grain varieties—which are specially stone milled by Barton Springs Mill in Texas. They are made simply, by hand, with slow-fermented sourdough culture and sea salt—a careful balance melding long-held tradition with creative craft. The Pain de Campagne, your classic sourdough boule, has become our regular sandwich bread. The Méteil is a rye and spelt flour blend, inspired by the classic 18th century loaves of Auvergne. The Blue Grit Focaccia, made with Hopi blue corn grits, was such a hit at our family Christmas that I bought it for Friendsmas the next weekend. It never made it there; my husband cut into it as soon as I got home. For the holidays, the Boscoyo folks brought out other ancient delights: Winston knots made with roasted sweet potatoes and Louisiana cane sugar; and Christmas stollen, a Dresden specialty resembling a swaddled Christ, sweetened with almond paste, house-made candied oranges and kumquats, and rum soaked raisins. So far, every Saturday morning I’ve gone, it’s just Smith—Frazier is usually bringing bread to the folks at the Savoy Music Jam in Eunice. The couple chose Lafayette as a home for their bakery concept after meeting in Portland, Oregon. Each coming from a rich professional baking background, with experience working at various bakeries and restaurants, they decided to bring their craft back to Frazier’s home state, and they’ve gone all in. The bakery is open on the weekends, but you can frequently find Boscoyo at community events like the ACA’s Gulf Brew fundraiser in October, or the production of An Acadiana Christmas Carol at Cité des Arts, or at the local L’ache Pas Boucherie. Or, trying to learn the language of the land.

A HEALTHY ME in

MAIN CLINIC

7373 PERKINS RD. l BATON ROUGE, LA 70808 l (225) 769-4044

INTERNAL MEDICINE AT NEW ROADS

—Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

230 ROBERTS DR., SUITE I l NEW ROADS, LA 70760 l (225) 638-4585

Visit Boscoyo Baking Co. at 117 Westmark Boulevard in Lafayette on Fridays and Saturdays. boscoyobaking.com.

3921 I-49 S. SERVICE RD. l OPELOUSAS, LA 70570 l (337) 942-5706

THE FAMILY CLINIC – OPELOUSAS

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A Special Advertising Feature from Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center

A Sense of Urgency Mary Bird Perkins now offers the world’s most sophisticated form of radiation treatment. That’s just the beginning of its latest advancements to move its mission forward. Adding lifesaving, state-of-the-art technologies, expanding its reach among rural and underserved communities, and attracting top national talent are just some of Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center’s recent achievements. Together, these advances are expanding the state’s largest cancer care organization’s enduring mission to improve survivorship and lessen the burden of cancer across the region. “We feel a real sense of urgency to accomplish as much as we can for the community,” said Mary Bird Perkins President and CEO Jonas Fontenot, who took the helm in January 2023. “We’ve been working to accomplish many of these goals for years, but our team is ambitious. They’ve worked collectively to get us ahead of schedule.” Operating cancer centers across Louisiana and Mississippi, Mary Bird Perkins offers world-class treatment options in as many communities as possible. Throughout 2023, Mary Bird Perkins continued to expand its footprint in rural locations, while also receiving more than $2.6 million in grant funding to provide care to underserved populations. Among the cancer center’s top recent achievements is the addition of Adaptive Radiation Therapy (ART), the most sophisticated form of radiation treatment available today, Fontenot said. Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is one of only eleven sites in the country to offer this form of treatment and the only one in Louisiana. The new technology was made possible by the Art Favre family, other community donors and through an investment by the Cancer Center.

“It’s a new frontier,” Fontenot said. “It’s a completely new paradigm for how we deliver radiation therapy, and it has tremendous potential in treating hard-to-detect cancers.” The technology combines real-time MRI imaging, novel therapy-delivery equipment, and artificial intelligence. It is especially effective in improving outcomes for pancreatic, liver, and some forms of prostate cancer. The technology helps reveal tumors that may be hard to reach or are camouflaged by other tissues, Fontenot said. ART is also highly precise in its delivery of radiation specifically to the tumor region. “We think the Adaptive Radiation Therapy program is really going to allow us to maximize what we call the ‘therapeutic ratio,’” Fontenot said. “That is our ability to control the tumor and minimize side effects.” To improve its rural reach, Mary Bird Perkins continued to expand in 2023 with a new location in St. Landry Parish with Opelousas General Health System. The site serves at least one hundred patients every week. Last year also saw the completion of renovations to Mary Bird Perkins’ Houma site at Terrebonne General Health System. And, the Cancer Center added new screening events to support the importance of early detection in northeast and central Louisiana and in Natchez, Mississippi. At Mary Bird Perkins’ location in Gonzales, an innovative treatment option called PLUVICTO was added last year. The combined radiation-chemotherapy technology is administered by IV and seeks out cancer cells to emit targeted radiation. It is especially effective in treating prostate cancer. Fontenot says that the technology will eventually be expanded to other sites. While Mary Bird Perkins has long been known for its compassionate care and deep local roots, it’s become a hub for important national clinical research, reflecting its reputation as a high-performing cancer center. In fall 2023, the facility expanded its clinical research program with the launch of multiple Phase 1 clinical trials that enable clinicians and researchers to test new therapies. “It’s a really exciting time for Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center,” Fontenot said. “From these accomplishments, we will build a cadence as we continue to focus on our mission of improving survivorship and lessening the burden of cancer.”

marybird.org 10

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J A N U A RY 2 024

START THE

Events

NEW YEAR WITH FRESH

CARNIVAL SEASON GEARING

ARTWORK, FRESH

OUT COLD

AIR, FRESH GUMBO, AND

UP WITH GLITTER-LACED PARADES

AND

BALLS

•

DISCOVER MORE SEARCH OUR ONLINE CALENDAR OF EVENTS

For the first time in twenty-two years, Spain's premier national dance company, Compañía Nacional de Danza, will perform in New Orleans to launch their United States tour, as part of the New Orleans Ballet Association's 2023-2024 season. See listing on page 18, as well as Alexandra Kennon's article on page 8. Photo courtesy of the Compañía Nacional de Danza.

JAN 4th - JAN 24th

JAN 4th - JAN 26th

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Louisiana State University's Museum of Art invites all to participate in these artful events:

Yes We Cannibal continues to raise the stakes for genre-blurring, boundarypushing art in Baton Rouge with the following January programming:

ARTFUL HAPPENINGS JANUARY AT THE LSU MUSEUM OF ART

January 4: Toddler Thursday—A crafty event for big and little Warhols alike. 10 am. Free. January 7: All About Birds—Visit LSU Museum of Art’s Birds: Works from the Permanent Collection exhibit and make your own avian inspired creation. 1 pm– 4 pm. Free. January 24: Art at Lunch: Photography & Protest—Get a little art education on your lunch break at LSU Museum of Art, where Emily Williams and Jeremiah Ariaz from the LSU School of Art Photography will be discussing the role of photography in political activism. Noon. Free. lsumoa.org. •

ART FORWARD PROGRAMS AT YES WE CANNIBAL

January 4: Milk/Monet/Zaander Trio with Erin Demastes—Chicago-based musicians Rotten Milk, Sonia Monet, and Francis Zaander will present a new collection of sounds. The trio brings a unique blend of rhythm and multi-instrumentalism to the stage and uses free improvisation techniques applied to synthesizers, samplers, and drum sound machines. 7 pm. January 14: Alina Jacobs and Noa Jacque, with Caleb Breaux—Enjoy live performances of this duo's experimental and ambient music at 7 pm. January 21: Conversation with Cynthia Connolly—A screening of a prerecorded

interview with Yes We Cannibal and artist/archivist Cynthia Connolly, discussing her work in the underground punk, hardcore music, and art world of the 1980s and '90s in Washington D.C. 4 pm. January 26: Taylor Scott and Friends— Taylor Scott, the 2023 Poet Laureate of Baton Rouge, and her band Tilla, has curated this cultural gathering with other local talent, featuring a blend of poetry, original music, and other artforms. 7 pm.

...for more fun than we can t in these pages!

Free. yeswecannibal.org. •

JAN 5th

ART EXHIBITIONS POYDRAS CENTER POP-UP ART EXHIBIT New Roads, Louisiana

New Roads's Julien Poydras Museum and Art Center continues to highlight local art and artists with its series of special pop-up art exhibits. January's pop-up features the work of David Breidenbach and Clay Coleman, photographer friends // J A N 2 4

Events

Beginning January 5th - January 7th whose work shares a focus on nature and travel. From New Roads, Breidenbach has captured remarkable photos in over seventy countries—often in remote locations—and has made a special name for himself for his talents in underwater photography. Coleman, from Baton Rouge, has worked as a photojournalist for many years, his work appearing in publications such as Scuba Diver and The Louisiana Conservationist. He is the author of The Certified Diver's Handbook, a beloved resource for the scuba community worldwide. A meet-the-artists reception will be held January 5 at 6 pm. Free. pointecoupeehistoricalsociety.com. •

JAN 5th - JAN 7th

GEEK OUT FAN EXPO NEW ORLEANS New Orleans, Louisiana

When Fan Expo sets up in the Big Easy this month, expect lovers of time travel, zombies, and other fantasies to descend upon the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to revel in fandoms galore. The convention honors the creation and celebration of all corners of pop culture, from fantasy to sci-fi,

gaming to graphic novels, books, movies, TV, and beyond; it's a place where characters from the screen, the page, and the fans' own imaginations come to life for an actionpacked weekend. This year's Expo features a rare Lord of the Rings cast reunion with Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd, and Dominic Monaghan; Linda Hamilton from The Terminator, voice actors from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and many others. Fan Expo also features an Artists Alley, movie screenings, gaming, live entertainment, costume contests, and more. Kids ten and younger snag free admission with a paid adult, so it's a great chance to get the whole family into your favorite fandom fun. 3 pm–8 pm Friday; 10 am–7 pm Saturday; 10 am–5 pm Sunday. Ticket information at fanexpohq.com. •

JAN 5th - JAN 20th

ALL THAT JAZZ JAZZ & HERITAGE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES New Orleans, Louisiana

In the same spirit of Jazz Fest, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation continues its concert series into 2024, housed in the George and Joyce Wein Jazz

& Heritage Center, highlighting local and visiting artists. Here are this month's concerts: January 5: Gladney January 6: Stephen Lands January 12: Jasen Weaver Sextet January 13: Christien Bold January 19: James Singleton January 20: Roland Guerin Doors open at 7 pm, concert at 8 pm. $10. jazzandheritage.org. •

JAN 6th

CARNIVAL KICK-OFF ST. JOHN FOOLS OF MISRULE FEAST OF FOOLS & MARCH Covington, Louisiana

JAN 5 - JAN 27 th

which she was born. The musical score features jazz, ragtime, gospel, African music, and blues to tell this story of hope, a testament to the healing power of love, and a celebration of life. 8 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. $35–$45. cuttingedgetheater.com. •

OPRAH-APPROVED CUTTING EDGE THEATRE PRESENTS THE COLOR PURPLE Slidell, Louisiana

Cutting Edge Theatre is bringing the beloved musical The Color Purple to the stage. The novel by Alice Walker and film by Steven Spielberg have become American classics, with the film being especially beloved for its effective and beautiful visuals and the dramatic turns it allowed Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey. The musical version is fast becoming as notable in American culture as its predecessors. The epic story explores the life of Celie, a young woman born into poverty, abuse, and extreme challenges, and the personal awakening over the course of forty years that allowed her to rise above the circumstances into

Noting the absence of proper Twelfth Night merrymaking on the Northshore, this marching club was formed in 2011 to herald the arrival of Carnival season in St. Tammany Parish. The organization's rituals are derived from an ancient English men's group that clamored along the evening streets, creating unruliness with cowbells and whips while delivering jeers and spankings to those caught on the street unaware. The Fools of Misrule integrated into its name homage to the historic St. John District of old Covington (1813) where the group was founded and annually conducts its bawdy procession. Their slogan: Vivere Vitam Omnino!—Live Life Completely! If you happen to be abroad on the streets of Old Covington after 4 pm and find yourself on the receiving end of a jolly old English

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tongue lashing, don't say we didn't warn you. After their members-only 4 pm feast, catch the 6 pm parade marching along New Hampshire Street to Boston, north along Columbia—stopping at watering holes along the way to the Covington Trailhead, where the Lord of Misrule will be officially crowned. Expect to be dazzled by flambeaux, a brass band, and masked marchers. Free. foolsofmisrule.com. •

JAN 6th

NEARLY GRAS MANDE KINGS DAY PARADE

JAN 6th

three pauses for toasts, a sword blessing, and a king cake ceremony at the end. joanofarcparade.org. •

Natchitoches, Louisiana

JAN 6

TWELTH NIGHT KREWE OF EXCELLENCE PARADE Beginning at 2 pm at 1608 Texas Street at the former Goldman Equipment location—the annual 12th Night Krewe of Excellence Parade in Natchitoches rolls down Texas Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, to University Parkway. Get the Carnival festivities started in CenLA the right way. Free. Details at natchitoches.com. •

Mandeville, Louisiana

The Northshore's first all-women marching organization, the Mande Milkshakers, gather for the annual Kings Day Parade and Festival on the Lakefront—traditionally held on the Saturday closest to Kings Day, or Epiphany—heralding the start of Carnival. Catch the procession heading west from the harbor along the lakefront to Girod, before turning north and proceeding to the Trailhead. The parade and afterparty alike are open to everyone; Carnival attire encouraged. The afterparty will feature performances by local musicians, the Mande Milkshakers, and plenty of food and refreshments. Parade at 3 pm, festival 4 pm–6 pm. Free. mandemilkshakers.com. •

JAN 6th

MEDIEVAL MERRIMENT ST. JOAN OF ARC PARADE New Orleans, Louisiana

Admirers of the "Maid of Orleans" gather annually on January 6 to honor Joan of Arc with a medieval-themed walking parade and theatrical procession from Jax Brewery to Jackson Square. It's all in honor of Joan's birthday and her first battle victory, which resulted in the liberation of the citizens of Orleans, France, from a British siege in 1429. January 6 also happens to be Twelfth Night, which makes the Joan of Arc Parade a convenient kick-off event for the traditional start of Carnival season. The parade begins at 7 pm and makes

EPIPHANIES MARDI GRAS TWELFTH NIGHT CELEBRATION Lake Charles, Louisiana

The exciting Mardi Gras season kicks off with the annual Twelfth Night Celebration, as last year's royal courts of more than sixty krewes usher in the New Year in style with their extraordinary and intricate costumes. This affair marks the start of Southwest Louisiana's Mardi Gras, which includes everything from parades and galas to chicken runs and zydeco. 7 pm. $7 in advance; $8 at the door. visitlakecharles.org. •

JAN 7th

CREEPY CRAWLIES BUG BALL Port Allen, Louisiana

It’s all things bugs at the West Baton Rouge Museum. In celebration of their current exhibit, Small Wonders: Insects in Focus, the museum is hosting the Bug Ball where attendees of all ages are invited to don their favorite insect costumes, drink bug-themed refreshments, stretch their limbs in yoga, join a scavenger hunt, craft, enjoy a

storytime, and much more. 2 pm–4pm. Free. westbatonrougemuseum.org. •

JAN 7th

CAMELLIAS & CHENE VERT GARDEN TOUR WITH FRIENDS OF HILLTOP ARBORETUM Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Embark on a journey through time and nature with Friends of Hilltop Aboretum’s Garden Tour through Chene Vert, the enchanting residence of Cheryl and Wayne Stromeyer. The event will begin at Hilltop Arboretum at 2 pm with an hour-long lecture by Wayne entitled “Early Camellias in Louisiana 1825–1860: Long-Lost Treasures Rediscovered,” then tours will begin at Chene Vert, offering conversations with expert gardeners and a glimpse into a bygone era. Free. lsu.edu/hilltop. •

JAN 7th

CONCERTS PHILIP RASKIN AT THE ACA Lafayette Louisiana

The Acadiana Center for the Arts will welcome internationally acclaimed Brussels pianist Philippe Raskin to present a solo performance as part of the Center's Chamber Music Series. 2 pm. $55. acadianacenterforthearts.org. •

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// J A N 2 4

Events

Beginning January 7th - January 12th JAN 7th - JAN 14th

at the West Baton Rouge Museum. westbatonrougemusuem.org. •

Jackson, Louisiana

JAN 10th - JAN 14th

FRESH TUNES JACKSON INDIE MUSIC WEEK

Called the "fastest-growing indie music festival in the South," the Jackson Indie Music Week returns to downtown Jackson, Mississippi. Experience seven days of concerts, showcases, panels, and parties—featuring every genre from classic rock to EDM to the good old Delta blues. Headliners include Vae, 5th Child, Alfred Banks, Maleah Dawn, and Ray Kincaid. $40 for all events. jxnindiemusic.com. •

JAN 7th - APR 6th

MUSIC IN BLACK & WHITE DIARY OF TOOKY: HUSTLE SERIES AT THE WEST BATON ROUGE MUSEUM Port Allen, Louisiana

Tooky, also known as Olivia PiskadloJones, is known for her black and white photography capturing the essence, energy, and endurance of the New Orleans musical landscape. Her photography is now being exhibited

MAZEL TOV BATON ROUGE JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Baton Rouge Jewish Film Festival returns this year, bringing a series of acclaimed films to the Manship Theatre related to Jewish culture and history. On the bill are: January 10: Remembering Gene Wilder— This documentary by director Ron Frank celebrates the actor's remarkable career, told in Wilder's own voice. 7 pm. $14.50. January 11: Closed Circuit—A documentary recounting the 2016 terrorist attack of Tel Aviv, directed by filmmaker Tal Inbar. 7 pm. $14.50. January 13: Not Quite Kosher—A comedy/drama about an Brooklyn Orthodox Jew dispatched to be the vital tenth man to celebrate Passover in Alexandria, Egypt. 7:30 pm. $14.50. January 14: Vishniac—A documentary telling the story of the photographer

Influential artworks by Warhol and his contemporaries will be on display as part of the exhibition Andy Warhol / Friends & Frenemies at the LSU MOA. Queen Ntombi Twala, 1985 by Andy Warhol © 2024 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

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Roman Vishniac, who traversed Eastern Europe from 1935–28 to photograph Jewish life. His photographs provide the last visual records of this world before the devastation of World War II. 3 pm. $14.50. Visit brjff.com to view clips from the films and read additional details. manshiptheatre.org. •

JAN 11th

RED CARPET AFFAIRS ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER BATON ROUGE'S MPAC GALA Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Big Apple comes to the Red Stick at the Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge's "Rolling on the Mississippi River" MPAC Gala at the Cary Saurage Community Arts Center. Dazzle in your most glamorous attire and enjoy live music by the Mixed Nuts, a musical homage to Tina Turner, and art exhibits celebrating The Met. This event will also feature a culinary feast with offerings from the city’s finest establishments, such as Mestizo’s, Solera, and Oxbow Rum. 7 pm–10 pm. $100–$300. artsbr.org. •

JAN 11th - MAR 31st

SOUP CAN LEGEND ANDY WARHOL / FRIENDS & FRENEMIES AT THE LSU MOA Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The 1960s–1990s was a major period marked by societal shifts, countercultural movements, and the emergence of individualistic ideologies, and there is no better reflection of these cultural transformations than in the art of this era. The exhibition Andy Warhol / Friends & Frenemies, a curation from the Cochran Collection currently on display at the LSU Museum of Art, showcases thirty–six Warhol prints alongside works from other

influential artists like Roy Lichtenstein and Robert Rauschenberg, offering a captivating exploration of diverse styles from abstract expressionism to conceptualism, reflecting the era’s emphasis on self–discovery and societal evolution during a pivotal time in American history. $5. lsumoa.org. Read more about Friends & Frenemies in Alexandra Kennon's preview on pg. 45. •

JAN 12th

WORK IT CARNIVAL COUTURE Mandeville, Louisiana

Celebrate the first week of Carnival

season while supporting the Junior League of Greater Covington at this festive fashion show featuring tasty food, drinks, games, a silent auction, and a glitter bar. 11 am–2 pm. $75 general admission. jlgc.net. •

JAN 12th - JAN 13th I'M GAME LOUISIANA FUR & WILDLIFE FESTIVAL Cameron, Louisiana

The "oldest and coldest" Southwest Louisiana festival, as it's billed by organizers, caters to all ages and interests, featuring parades, a gumbo cook-off,

JAN 11th - JAN 21st

INTIMATE MUSICALS STRAUSS THEATRE PRESENTS THE LAST FIVE YEARS Monroe, Louisiana

Monroe's Strauss Theatre Center, in partnership with Music Theatre International, presents the offBroadway musical The Last Five Years, written and composed by Jason Robert Brown. The show follows a couple through the story of their illfated marriage from both directions: novelist Jamie sings the story from the beginning of the relationship, while actress Cathy's songs move back in time from their split. They intersect in the middle, at their wedding, for the show's only duet. Performances at 7 pm Thursday–Saturdays; 2 pm Sundays. $30. strausstc.com. •

JAN 11th - JAN 28th

AWKWARD PARTIES WHO'S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? AT LE PETIT THEATRE New Orleans, Louisiana

Learn what dark secrets George and Martha are hiding from each other and the outside world when Tommye Myrick directs Edward Albee's Tony Award-winning play at Le Petit Theatre du Vieux Carre. Thursdays–Saturdays at 7:30 pm, Sundays at 3 pm, Saturday, January 27 at 2 pm. Tickets start at $17 for students, $37 for adults. lepetittheatre.com. • // J A N 2 4

Events

all-inclusive VIP package also available. abitaspringsinternationalfilmfestival.org. •

Beginning January 12th - January 19th pageants, a 5k and 1-mile run/walk, dances, Cajun music, exhibits, and a carnival with headquarters at the Cameron fairgrounds and events held throughout the city. The main attractions for many participants, however, are unique contests such as duck and goose calling, trap setting, nutria and muskrat skinning, oyster shucking, and skeet shooting. The dog trials are always a favorite among hunters. lafurandwildlifefestival.com. •

and is taught a life lesson or two by her grandmother's circle of hat queens. A story of sisterhood, suffering, joy, and fabulous headwear, Crowns explores and celebrates the history and identity of African American women. Performances at 7 pm Friday ($20) and 2 pm Saturday, following a noon catered Big Hat Lunch hosted by Ingrid Johnson, Esq. $50. themuseum.org. •

JAN 12th - JAN 14th

JAN 12 - JAN 13 th

JAN 12th - JAN 21st

SILVER SCREEN ABITA SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

POWERFUL WOMEN CROWNS: A GOSPEL MUSICAL AT THE AMOA

Abita Springs, Louisiana

Alexandria, Louisiana

As part of its Performing Arts Series and in conjunction with its exhibition The Global Language of Headwear, the Alexandria Museum of Art presents two performances of Regina Taylor's gospel musical Crowns. Adapted from the book by Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry, Crowns presents the story of Yolanda, a young African American woman mourning her brother's tragic death. She travels to the South

A group of five Northshore-based filmmakers and actors have come together to host the Abita Springs International Film Festival. Independent films from across the globe have been submitted, and narrowed down for a slate of exciting screenings, plus opening night entertainment and a closing party. This year's theme is "The Magic of Movies". General admission is $15 for Friday, $25 for Saturday, and $20 for Sunday; $50 "Film Critic" passes for all three days of screenings or $100

DOOMED RELATIONSHIPS SLIDELL LITTLE THEATRE PRESENTS ROMEO & JULIET Slidell, Louisiana

Slidell Little Theatre brings to life an all new production of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Set against the backdrop of warring households, a young Romeo sneaks into a masked ball where he first beholds Juliet and is thunderstruck by Cupid's arrow. As fate dictates, the archetypal young lovers succumb to the passion of forbidden love against the will of their powerful and unforgiving families. So ensues a story of romance, murder, and tragedy as famous as any that has graced the stage. 8 pm Fridays, 2 pm Saturdays and Sundays. $25, $20 for students. slidelllittletheatre.org. •

JAN 12th - MAR 17th

CONNECTED BY ART HAITI-LOUISIANA: TIDES OF FREEDOM AT BK HOUSE New Orleans, Louisiana

In one of the largest exhibitions exploring the rich and complex connections between Louisiana and Haiti in culture and history, the Nous Foundation and Historic BK House & Gardens presents

Haiti-Louisiana: Tides of Freedom. The show brings together the Jacques Bartoli Collection of Contemporary Haitian Art on loan from the Haitian Resource Development Fund in Miami, with a collection of original commissions from eight Haitian and Louisiana artists exploring these connections, curated by Max Jean-Louis. Through these works of art ranging across diverse artistic media, threads of these intertwined stories are drawn out in themes of shared colonial legacy, religion and ritual, inequality, and climate change. An opening reception will be held on January 12, with more programming— including conferences, concerts, and craft workshops—to follow over the course of this three-month exhibition. Entry is $10; $2.50 for children younger than thirteen. nous-foundation.org. •

JAN 13th

CARNIVAL ON THE COAST THE TIN MEN AT BAY ST. LOUIS LITTLE THEATRE Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi

The Tin Men are applying their New Orleans washboard, sousaphone, and guitar-based tunes to Carnival music and their own original tunes at the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre. Davis Rogan will open with a set of piano music. 8:15. $15. bontempstix.com. •

s a r G i d r a M IN

FEB 2

FEB 9

FEB 10

FEB 11

Pineville’s Night of Lights Parade

Classic Cars & College Cheerleaders Parade

Taste of Mardi Gras

Alexandria Zoo Mardi Gras Party

Children’s Parade

AMGA Krewes Parade

J A N 2 4 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M

WHAT EVENTS ARE GOING ON?

AlexandriaPinevilleLA.com

JAN 13th

CAPTAIN OF THE CAUSE DR. SAUX'S PIRATE PARTY Covington, Louisiana

Covington's "official" pirate oncologist, Dr. Jay Saux, is again hosting his annual pirate-themed bash to draw awareness and raise funds for nonprofits helping those impacted by cancer. Swashbuckling, costumes, and more fun will be had for the cause. 6 pm. $150. northshorefoundation.org. •

JAN 13th

GREEN THUMBS GARDEN DISCOVERIES Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Grow your knowledge as you grow your garden with Baton Rouge Botanic Garden Foundation’s Garden Discoveries series at the Main Library at Goodwood at 10 am, led by Mitchell Provensal. He will share insights about Baton Roots Community Farm, and offer a tour of Baton Rouge Botanic Gardens, weather permitting. Free. ebrpl.com. •

JAN 13th - JAN 28th

SIBLING RIVALRIES THE LION IN WINTER AT PLAYMAKERS THEATER OF COVINGTON Covington, Louisiana

James Goldman's comedic and dramatic play about the royal Plantagenet family's struggle to see which heir will rule the kingdom will take the stage of Playmakers Theater of Covington. Saturdays 7 pm, Sundays 2 pm. $20, $15 for children. bontempstix.com. •

JAN 14th

KID STUFF KREWE OF KIDZ MARDI GRAS BALL Slidell, Louisiana

Kids can kick-off Carnival festivities too at this bash at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium featuring food, games, dancing, and other fun. 1 pm. $20. eventbrite.com. •

JAN 14th

REFINED TASTES AMATEUR ARTISTRY: FROM THE SIMPLE TO THE SUBLIME TALK & BOOK SIGNING New Roads, Louisiana

Hear tales from Michael Harold and Quinn Peeper about the stunning renovation of their Uptown New Orleans home, alongside tips for elegantly entertaining gatherings, before signing copies of their popular 2023 book Classical Shindig. The couple—who besides being a doctor and an attorney, are both classically-trained pianists—will

delight the audience with a short duet following the presentation. All ticket sales will benefit the Pointe Coupee Historical Society. 2 pm. $25. bontempstix.com. •

JAN 15th

KID STUFF MLK DAY AT THE MUSEUM Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Knock Knock Children's Museum is celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with special programming designed to educate about peace and service through play (and a puppet show). Free for members, regular museum admission for non-members. 10 am. knockknockmuseum.org. •

JAN 18th

NIGHT AT THE SYMPHONY BATON ROUGE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA SERIES Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Renowned as the Music Director Emeritus of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, William Eddins is a distinguished conductor and accomplished pianist with a global presence. His career as an accomplished chamber musician includes leading the Edmonton Orchestra to Carnegie Hall, conducting the RAI Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale on Italian television, and notable recordings showcasing his versatility in works by composers such as Beethoven and Gershwin. Experience his musical magic at the River Center Theater. 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $19. brso.org. •

JAN 18th - JAN 20th

STRUMMIN' & PLUCKIN' NEW ORLEANS CIGAR BOX GUITAR FESTIVAL New Orleans, Louisiana

This annual festival celebrates one of the world's most unique instruments, and features a lineup of over twenty musicians including Mahmoud Chouki, Jonathan "Boogie" Long, Del Puckett, and many others to do so. In addition to music, there will be lectures (including one by musician and author Chris Thomas King), a builders' forum, and other events centered around these funky and fun alternative instruments. $149 for a three-day pass. Find more information and tickets at eventbrite.com. nolajazzmuseum.org. •

JAN 19th - FEB 16th

ART EXHIBITIONS ARMBRUSTER GALLERY ARTISTS AT HRAC Hammond, Louisiana

Beautiful Louisiana is an exhibit exploring the rich and captivating culture and // J A N 2 4

Events

Beginning January 19th - January 24th landscapes that shape Louisiana. This showcase on display at the Hammond Regional Arts Center features exquisite fine art paintings by Armbruster Artworks members. Join the opening reception at 5 pm. Free. hammondarts.org. •

JAN 19th & 20th

SPANISH DANCE NOBA PRESENTS COMPAÑÍA NACIONAL DE DANZA New Orleans, Louisiana

After twenty–two years, Spain’s world– renowned Compañía Nacional de Danza returns to New Orleans at Mahalia Jackson Theater under the artistic direction of Joaquín De Luz. The premier mixed repertoire includes De Luz’s latest creation “Passengers Within,” set to music of Academy Award-nominee Philip Glass, and more. In addition there will be a reception on the 19th at The Cabildo celebrating the Spanish heritage of New Orleans with Spanish dignitaries, delectable tapas, crafted cocktails, and Spanish wines. 7:30 pm. $41–$201. nobadance.com. •

JAN 20th

INTERGALACTIC PARADES KREWE OF CHEWBACCHUS New Orleans, Louisiana

This foot parade is the brainchild of the intergalactic krewe comprised of six hundred self-professed sci-fi geeks pursuing the mission of “saving the galaxy one drunken nerd at a time.” Members will be pushing, pedaling, and pulling homemade contraptions; and the pièce de résistance will be an eleven-foot tall golden effigy of Chewbacchus himself. Rolls, stomps, and flies through the Marigny starting at Franklin and St. Claude at 7 pm. chewbacchus.org. •

JAN 20th

TREE TIME ARBOR DAY AT THE BURDEN CENTER Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Botanic Gardens at Burden host Arbor Day celebrations annually, when we reaffirm our commitment to green. Visitors are invited to celebrate the day by planting a tree in the Burden woods (and marking its GPS coordinates to track its growth). Scale a Louisiana live oak, throw axes, meet Smokey Bear, participate in a scavenger hunt, and more. Baton Rouge Green will also host a tree giveaway. 9 am–1 pm. Free admission. discoverburden.com. • 18

J A N 2 4 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M

JAN 20th

LOCAL HEROES VETERANS FREEDOM BALL Gonzales, Louisiana

Donaldsonville's Elks Lodge is hosting a traditional Carnival ball to benefit the health and well-being of local veterans. 6 pm. $75 for individual tickets, $500 for a table of ten. bontempstix.com. •

JAN 20th

MARDI PARTIES MID CITY GRAS BALL Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Come frolic with parade krewes at Gallery 14 for the return of the Mid City Gras Ball, themed "Once Upon A Squirrel". Because you are your best decorations, bring your best decorations, as well as your own food and beverages. Frivolity and magical music mixes from the WHYR radio personalities will be provided (no need to bring your turntables, 8-tracks, cassettes, or CD players). 8 pm—11:55 pm. $35 at bontempstix.com. •

JAN 20th

RIVER REVELRY KREWE OF TCHEFUNCTE MARDI GRAS BALL Madisonville, Louisiana

The official Mardi Gras krewe of the Tchefuncte River is celebrating over fifty years with a coronation, food, dancing, live music, and more; where else but on the banks of the Tchefuncte River in Madisonville. 7:30 pm–midnight. $60. visitthenorthshore.com. •

JAN 20th

GOO GOO G'JOOB TASTE OF POINTE COUPEE New Roads, Louisiana

Calling all Beatles fans, or anyone who appreciates live music and good food, to the Poydras Center at 5 pm for a Taste of Pointe Coupee, a collaboration between Pointe Coupee’s Art Council and Historical Society. Performing will be The Walrus, a celebrated New Orleans Beatles tribute band, as well as members of the classically trained Electric Yat Quartet. Dinner tickets $50, performance tickets may be purchased at artscouncilpointecoupee.org. •

JAN 20th - JAN 28th CLOISTERED COMEDIES 30 BY NINETY THEATRE PRESENTS NUNSENSE Mandeville, Louisiana

The Order of the Little Sisters of Hoboken

take over a high school auditorium to hold a fundraising variety show to raise money to bury several sisters (who were accidentally poisoned by their cook). They must inter the nuns before the health inspector comes and finds the dead nuns in their freezer, which in addition to being unhygienic, isn't even consecrated. Fraught with hilarity, both Catholic and otherwise, five nuns try to give their planned performance amidst chaos and calamity, on stage at 30 by Ninety Theatre. 8 pm Fridays and Saturdays, 2:30 pm Sundays. $26.75– $33.75. 30byninety.com. •

JAN 20th - MAR 1st

LOCAL ART ART BIENVENUE: ST. TAMMANY ART ASSOCIATION SHOWCASE Covington, Louisiana

In celebration of the reopening of the St. Tammany Art Association's beloved Art House gallery following a long period of closure during renovations due to damage caused by Hurricane Ida, a new exhibition called Art Bienvenue will showcase works across a variety of mediums created by the St. Tammany Art Association's talented members. An opening reception with the artists will take place from 6 pm–9 pm. Free. sttammany.art. •

JAN 23rd

CHAMBER MUSIC NEW ORLEANS FRIENDS OF MUSIC CHAMBER CONCERT: MERZ TRIO New Orleans, Louisiana

The New Orleans Friends of Music continues its 2023–2024 season with a performance by Metz Trio at Tulane University's Dixon Hall. 7:30 pm. $35; students are free. friendsofmusic.org. •

JAN 24th

CONCERTS RIVER CITY JAZZ MASTERS Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Arts Council of Greater Baton Rouge's annual series attracting some of the world's most talented jazz artists welcomes Bobby Sanabria & Ascension to the Manship Theatre stage this month. $36–$51. 7:30 pm. artsbr.org. •

JAN 24th

DINNER THEATRE "PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD" FUNDRAISER FOR PLAYMAKERS THEATER OF COVINGTON Covington, Louisiana

The culinary and theatre arts intersect during a creative fundraiser for Playmakers Theater of Covington held at the Southern Hotel's newest venue, The Greenwood.

Bob Willoughby's black & white photographs capturing jazz musicians will be on display in the West Baton Rouge Museum's exhibition Shutter and Sound. See listing on page 22. Bob Willoughby (American, 1927- 2009), Miles Davis backstageat the Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA, 1950; modern print, ink on paper, 13 x 18 inches; Courtesy of Elliott Gallery. © The Bob Willoughby Photo Archive. Three courses of food will be presented to guests, and after each one a new comedic

JAN 24th - JAN 31st

Starzyk will be performed. The evening

SILVER SCREEN CINEMA ON THE BAYOU FILM FESTIVAL

will conclude with exciting raffles,

Lafayette, Louisiana

play by award-winning playwright Joe

emcee'd by Heath Allen. 6 pm–9 pm. $85. bontempstix.com. •

The latest iteration of the juried, international Cinema on the Bayou Film Festival will fill downtown Lafayette with

Located at Burden Museum and Gardens Open Daily 8:00–5:00 • I-10 at Essen Lane, Baton Rouge, LA For more info call (225) 765-2437 or visit www.rurallife.lsu.edu // J A N 2 4

Events

Beginning January 24th - January 27th

CALENDAR OF EVENTS January 2024 Avoyelles Arts Disco Gala The Franklin – Cottonport, LA January 20, 2024 @ 7:00pm (Doors open 6:30pm) www.avoyellesarts.com Avoyelles Arts Council Youth Arts Expo Paragon Casino Ballrooms January 25, 2024 @ 5:00pm 909.560.4581 or 318.240.3495 Alligator Feeding Show Paragon Casino Resort January 27, 2024 @ 4:00pm ww www.paragoncasinoresort.com Avoyelles Rotary Mardi Gras Parade Downtown Marksville February 4, 2024 @ 2:00pm 318.359.3534 Alligator Feeding Show Paragon Casino Resort February 24, 2024 @ 4:00pm www.paragoncasinoresort.com

8592 Hwy 1, Mansura, LA 800.833.4195 travelavoyelles.com 20

J A N 2 4 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M

independent cinematic magic. This year's festival includes 175 films from around the world, including documentary, narrative, animated and experimental films. Filmmakers will be in town to present talks, participate in Q&A sessions, and network alongside their productions. In addition to the in-person screenings at Cité des Arts in downtown Lafayette, films will also be available for viewing online during the eight-day festival. Find more information and the schedule at cinemaonthebayou.com. •

JAN 25th

GREAT FINDS ANTIQUES ROADSHOW PREVIEW PARTY Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Last spring, thousands of Louisianans descended upon the Rural Life Museum with some of their greatest antique treasures, hoping to get an appraisal from the experts on PBS's popular Antiques Roadshow. The episodes featuring these local treasures will air in February and March, but the Friends of LPB are offering an exclusive twentyminute preview screening of the Baton Rouge episodes at their Preview Party. Besides the sneak-peak, there will be a wine and cheese reception, and opportunity to meet Antiques Roadshow Producer Sam Farrell. 6:30 pm. Tickets are available for a $100 membership pledge to LPB. lpb.pledgecart.org. •

JAN 25th

ANTIQUARIANS PETITE ANTIQUES FORUM Darrow, Louisiana

Join the Friends of the Magnolia Mound Plantation for the Petite Antique Forum, promising a day of education and exploration. The event will feature an illustrated talk by renowned contemporary topographical artist Jim Blanchard, “From Jackson Square to the State Capitol: An 1850s Voyage on the Mississippi from New Orleans to Baton Rouge,” at the Louisiana State Archives building. Attendees will then journey to Houmas House in Ascension Parish for lunch, a garden tour, and a unique glimpse into Louisiana’s architectural heritage with exclusive tours of the new Great River Road Museum and of the privately owned historic homes Palo Alto and Belle Alliance Plantation. The reservation fee supports the preservation of decorative arts at Magnolia Mound. 9 am. $150. friendsofmagnoliamound.org. •

JAN 25th

JUST FOR LAUGHS COMEDIAN LAURIE KILMARTIN AT THE ACA Lafayette, Louisiana

The Acadiana Center for the Arts' Comedy Club will welcome the New York Times bestselling author and Emmynominated comedian Laurie Kilmartin to the stage. You might recognize Kilmartin's jokes from late night shows such as CONAN, The Late Late Show with James Corden, Jimmy Kimmel Live, or the White House Correspondents' Dinner. 7:30 pm. $20. acadianacenterforthearts.org. •

JAN 25th - JAN 28th

MYTHOLOGICAL MUSICALS THE LIGHTNING THIEF AT THEATRE BATON ROUGE Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Join Percy Jackson, the demi-god son of Poseidon, on his quest to discover who stole Zeus’s lightning bolt, which takes him to the underworld and back at Theatre Baton Rouge. This musical performed by the Young Actors Program is adapted from Rick Riordan’s bestselling book The Lightning Thief, and is rated PG. $40; $25 for students and children under 17. Thursday–Saturday showtimes begin at 7:30 pm; 2 pm Sundays. theatrebr.org. •

JAN 26th

MARDI MERRIMENT KREWE OF TITANS PARADE Slidell, Louisiana

This group founded in 2010 brings Mardi Gras merriment to Slidell during this family-oriented nighttime parade. Rolls at 6:30 pm starting at Fritchie Park. Free. visitthenorthshore.com. •

JAN 26th

MARCHING KREWES KREWE BOHÈME PARADE New Orleans, Louisiana

Presided over by the intoxicating Green Absinthe Fairy, Bohème will march through the Marigny and French Quarter. 7 pm. kreweboheme.com. •

JAN 26th

TECHE GRAS BAYOU MARDI GRAS PARADE New Iberia, Louisiana

This family-style Mardi Gras celebration— with dance teams, floats, and Carnival royalty—kicks off from the banks of Bayou Teche on Historic Main Street in New Iberia. 7 pm–9 pm. bayoumardigras.com. •

JAN 26th - JAN 28th STAGE & SCREEN CLARKSDALE FILM & MUSIC FEST Clarksdale, Mississippi

Movies, music, and Missisippi—you can have it all at the Clarksdale Film & Music Festival. Events take place at the headquarters of SharedExperiencesUSA in historic downtown, featuring screenings, live blues performances, special guests, and more. $5 a day; $10 weekend pass. clarksdalefilmfestival.com. •

JAN 27

ON A BOAT KREWE OF BILGE PARADE Slidell, Louisiana

The Northshore's marine Mardi Gras, the boats of the Krewe of Bilge travel down the waterways of Slidell, starting at the Marina Cafe and ending at the Dock of Slidell. Noon. Free. kreweofbilge.com. •

JAN 27

ROUX BATTLES OPELOUSAS ANNUAL GUMBO COOK-OFF Opelousas, Louisiana

The annual Opelousas Gumbo CookOff heats up downtown Opelousas once again this year, drawing guests from near

and far to experience the savory sensation that is an Acadiana gumbo. Live music, a kids' activity area, silent and live auctions, and dancing will keep the day a-going while the chefs get to a-gumboing. Prizes are awarded for first, second, and third place; and the winner receives a specially designed Gumbo Cook-Off Champ Paddle from last year's champ. All proceeds will benefit a local child and family who are burdened with medical and related expenses. 8 am–6 pm at the Yambilee Ag Arena. Free, or $50 to enter the cook-off. cajuntravel.com. •

JAN 27th

CLASSIC KREWES THE KREWE DU VIEUX New Orleans, Louisiana

Held in the French Quarter and Marigny neighborhoods, this is the only Mardi Gras parade featuring mule-drawn floats with satirical themes, all accompanied by the sounds of New Orleans jazz. 6:30 pm starting at Royal and Homer Plessy Way. kreweduvieux.org. •

JAN 27th

GOING NATIVE HILLTOP SYMPOSIUM: REVOLUTION NATIVES Baton Rouge, Louisiana

The Friends of Hilltop Arboretum's

annual symposium is all about native plants, and the ways that ecological restoration and traditional garden design can intersect. Speakers including Larry Weaner, Dr. Malcolm Vidrine, Dr. Charles Allen, and Ashlee Brackeen and Caitlin Robbins of Swamp Fly Native Landscapes; who will educate attendees on building a successful garden while liberating the landscape. Vendors like Meadow Creek Natives Native Plant Nursery and Beavers Abundance Native Plant Nursery will be on-site selling plants and other merchandise. The symposium is sponsored by the Arlene Kestner Educational Fund. 8:30 am–1 pm. $60 for members, $70 for non-members. lsu.edu/hilltop for more information. •

JAN 27th

FETE DU FROMAGE SAY CHEESE! WITH DR. CHUCK BOENEKE Baton Rouge, Louisiana

LSU’s Dr. Chuck Boeneke will be at the Jones Creek Regional Library at 2:30 pm to demonstrate the art of cheese-making. This event will also include a reading of The Stinky Cheese Man by Jon Scieska as well as a chance to win four tickets to see the story performed at the Manship Theatre. Free. ebrpl.com. •

JAN 27th

PONTCHARTRAIN PARTIES MYSTIC KREWE OF POSEIDON PARADE Slidell, Louisiana

Themed “A Child's Imagination,” this year’s Krewe of Poseidon Parade will feature around twenty-five decorated f loats and other merriment traveling down Pontchartrain Drive in Slidell. 6 pm. Free. poseidonslidell.com. •

JAN 27th - JAN 28th

HOME IMPROVEMENT HOME & REMODELING SHOW WITH RALPH'S MARKETS FOOD FEST Gonzales, Louisiana

If your New Year's resolutions include any home improvement projects, this is your chance to stock up on anything you need to renovate your home, inside and out. From kitchens, to bathrooms, to siding, and beyond, everything from roof to f loor will be at the LamarDixon Expo Center in Gonzales this weekend. Also catch Ralph's Markets Food Fest, with plenty of free samples, coupons, and recipes to explore—plus the potential to win $500 worth of groceries. $6, military $2, children under twelve free. 10 am–5 pm. jaaspro.com. •

// J A N 2 4

Events

performance by Mais Oui at 1 pm, and food vendors. Free. (337) 322-5374. •

Beginning January 27th - January 31st JAN 27th - MAR 17th JAZZ IN PHOTOGRAPHS SHUTTER AND SOUND AT THE WBR MUSEUM Port Allen, Louisiana

Gently sway into the world of jazz through the lens of photographer Bob Willoughby at the West Baton Rouge Museum’s latest exhibit Shutter and Sound. Willoughby’s images capture the essence of jazz with intimate and vibrant images of singers, musicians, and audiences. This exhibit is a testament to the enduring allure of jazz and a must-see for music and photography aficionados alike. westbatonrougemuseum.org. •

JAN 27th - JUL 13th

BLUE DOGS SITTING WITH GEORGE RODRIGUE AT THE HILLIARD Lafayette, Louisiana

Celebrating the impact of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette on one of our region's most beloved artists—the Hilliard Art Museum presents the retrospective exhibition Sitting with George Rodrigue. The show will feature

FEB. 12 TH 7PM

many of the celebrated artist's iconic images from his "Cajun" and "Blue Dog" series, including "Aioli Dinner"—which will be displayed for the very first time in Lafayette. hilliardmuseum.org. •

JAN 28th

TEENY GRAS 'TIT REX PARADE New Orleans, Louisiana

Miniature size, maximum fun, this walking parade with the petit, handmade floats marches down the median in St. Roch. 4:30 pm. titrexparade.com. •

JAN 28th

KID STUFF SUNSET KIDZ WAGON PARADE Sunset, Louisiana

"No license, no problem" is the motto at the Sunset’s Kidz Wagon parade, which will feature spunky wagons, bikes, and wheelchairs decorated to showcase this year’s theme, “The Enchanted Forest.” Starting at the Sunset Community Center at 10 am, the whole family can enjoy a day of parading along with a live musical

JAN 28th

ODDLY GRAS KREWEDELUSION PARADE New Orleans, Louisiana

One of the weirdest parades of the season, krewedelusion is on a mission to save the universe, starting at its center—the French Quarter. 7 pm. facebook.com/ krewedelusion. •

Mutu's exploration of colonial legacies, globalization, and African cultural traditions, connecting her early collages to recent works, some crafted from natural materials in Nairobi. This unique showcase at the New Orleans Museum of Art seamlessly integrates over one hundred sculptures, paintings, drawings, films and more of Mutu’s pieces, offering a rare opportunity to witness the artist's thematic evolution and influence across her influential career. noma.org. •

JAN 28th

GOOD EATS BIRD AND SAUSAGE GUMBO COOK-OFF Livingston, Louisiana

Support veterans, eat gumbo to your heart's content, and enjoy live music with Watson’s Bird and Sausage Gumbo Cook-off happening at Livingston Parish Fairgrounds. 11 am. Donations $15; free for children. (225) 337-0041. •

JAN 31st - JUL 14th

AFRICA-INSPIRED ART WANGECHI MUTU: INTERTWINED AT NOMA

For our full list of January events, including those we couldn’t fit in print, point your phone camera here.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Intertwined delves into the journey of Kenyan–American artist Wangechi

Krewe of Comogo Mardi Gras Parade the only night parade in Iberville Parish

NIGHT PARADE • KING CAKES • MARDI GRAS BALLS

LEARN MORE AT VISITIBERVILLE.COM

J A N 2 4 // C O U N T R Y R O A D S M A G . C O M

What: Home and Remodeling Show with Ralph’s Markets Food Fest When: January 27—28 Where: The REV Center at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, Gonzales, LA

nyone who has tackled a home remodeling project knows the feeling: decisions, decisions everywhere! Marble, granite, quartz, or concrete

for my kitchen countertops? Double-hung windows or casement windows? Infinity pool or lap pool? What’s the most efficient kind of HVAC system? What’s the difference between a hot tub and a spa? Is now a good time to take advantage of solar tax credits? With the variety of available home improvement products and services growing all the time, it pays to explore all the options before embarking on a renovation project. Fortunately, the Home and Remodeling Show with Ralph’s Market Food Fest provides an opportunity to do exactly that. Returning January 27—28, 2024, the ninth annual event will be the Capital Region’s biggest and best home show of the year—a one-stop shop packed with all the products and resources required to turn any house into a dream home. Louisiana homeowners who come will find opportunities to research products, compare prices, and speak face-to-face with professionals with the experience to make any home remodeling project a success. Where (and when) else can you do that, all under one roof?

One stop for products, resources, and inspiration The Home and Remodeling Show is a two-day event that brings more than 100 exhibitors, and literally hundreds of home improvement products and services, to Gonzales’s Lamar-Dixon Expo Center. This year’s exhibition brings new and returning vendors, door prizes, and discounts only available to show attendees. Dozens of local and regional vendors showcase building elements—from windows and cabinetry to flooring and doors—giving homeowners a rare opportunity to compare options side-by-side. Among this year’s headline exhibitors will be Bullfrog Spas, showcasing cutting-edge spa and hot tub solutions from the only fully customizable spa system currently on the market. And, if you’re looking to prepare for a Louisiana storm season, new to the show this year is a large array of generators to choose from. Right alongside, a carefully curated lineup of professionals from the homebuilding industry, including residential contractors, interior designers, and systems specialists will be present to inform, educate, and explain.

Something for foodies, too Ralph’s Market of Gonzales returns to the Home and Remodeling Show, delivering an on-site food fest that keeps attendees fed and refreshed while supporting local and small businesses, too. Ralph’s serves up tasty samples including dips, savory snacks, and a variety of prepared meats, plus coffee, ice cream, and Ralph’s famous king cakes. There’ll be giveaways of store coupons and recipes from more than thirty local vendors. One lucky visitor will go home with a $500 grocery giveaway, too.

Here’s how to get in for free Regular admission to the show costs $6 for ages 13 and over, but here’re two ways to get in for less. • Spend $25 at either of Ralph’s Market’s two Gonzales locations between January 3—28 and you’ll receive two admission tickets to the show. Discount Coupons • Download admission coupons from the Home & Remodeling Show Facebook page: facebook.com/ batonrougehomeshow The 2024 Home & Remodeling Show with Ralph’s Market Food Fest runs 10am—5pm, January 27 and 28 in the REV Center at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center, 9039 South St. Landry Avenue, Gonzales. Follow the Home and Remodeling Show with Ralph’s Market Food Fest on Facebook for show updates, giveaways, and tickets. www.jaaspro.com

// J A N 2 4

Features

JANUARY 2024

MADE BY HAND

2 4 T H E I M P R A C T I C A L , T H O U G H V I T A L , W O R K O F H O L D I N G O N T O M A T E R I A L C U L T U R E // 2 8 T H E S K I L L S Y O U FIND IN THE DIRT

// 3 0 H O W A N I M A T E D F I L M S S E R V E D A S F A N T A S Y S C H O O L F O R O N E O F T H I S

GENERATION'S FINEST ILLUSTRATORS

•

P H O T O E S S AY

Looming Solastalgia HOW COTON JAUNE HELPS US TO REMEMBER

Story and photos by Nathan Tucker

nvironmental philosopher Glenn Albrecht defines "solastalgia" as “the homesickness you have when you are still at home”, and “the lived experience of negative environmental change”. In both of these definitions, the philosopher observes the collective emotion a group feels while watching its world decline due to man-made encroachment and exploitation on a massive scale. How does a community reclaim the ground of a place it no longer recognizes as its own? In the case of South Louisiana, perhaps part of this healing begins with a single brown cotton seed. Traditionally called “coton jaune,” brown cotton was once a staple crop in Acadiana—the main material for homespun textiles. While white cotton was grown to be sold, brown cotton was kept for use within the Cajun and Creole communities. The waxy exterior of the brown cotton’s shell and its short fiber make a less strenuous task of separating the fiber from the seed. Most nights, families would sit around the fireplace, or on porches, deseeding cotton in their off-time. These were called "carding parties" or la cardi. Coton jaune was also vital to many rites of passages: prized as wedding dowries in the form of blankets and beddings for young brides. This trousseau was a gift that provided necessities for a whole household in a time when the Acadian exiles were almost completely isolated from outside trade. Like the Acadians, brown cotton isn’t indigenous to Louisiana—and likely has origins in South America—but under persevering hands, this light and breathable textile found itself a devoted community in a new land they could both call home. Over the course of the twentieth century, though, coton jaune has largely disappeared from the cultural landscape of Acadiana, its cultivation and weaving practices forgotten by the modern hand. This is not the first time Acadian culture, and its artifacts, have been at risk of disintegrating. Over the last century, Louisiana Cajuns and Creoles have seen their language threatened by the prohibition of French in public schools from 1920 to 1960. The physical landscape has fallen victim to modern day efforts to control and commodify: bayous gutted and dredged out, only to sink into the Gulf; oil and other chemical spills poisoning wildlife; a skyline, once laced by bald cypress and live oaks, replaced with oil refineries. Traditional ways of life, including weaving Acadian textiles with coton jaune, abandoned in favor of the more convenient offerings of fast fashion. Disconnected to the world of our ancestors, life in the modern world is a life out of balance. Many crave communion with that simpler past, to grasp onto it before it all evaporates into indifference. Here is where we find that smooth dark seed shifting from hand to hand, waiting to germinate. In recent years, along the vanishing coastline of South Louisiana, brown cotton has begun to re-emerge from the brink of indifference. A quiet and slow movement is spreading throughout the prairie grasses and roadside biomes of Acadiana. Coton jaune is once again finding its home in farms, gardens, and wild places—re-entering the lexicon of Cajun culture. The collective Acadian Brown Cotton (ABC) has been a leader in the preservation efforts, establishing a standard for maintaining the heirloom seeds in the area, and securing hundreds of pounds of seeds in cold storage at The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Cade Research Farm and Seed Bank. The organization has connected farmers and enthusiasts, and established efforts to bring brown cotton into modern day textile manufacturing. With the indispensable assistance of the organization’s founder, Sharon Donnan, I was able to meet the individuals at the heart of this revival of agriculture, craft, and community. 24

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Freshly deseeded brown cotton; the seeds have a waxy coat, making them easier to separate from the fibers. It is believed this took hundreds of years of seed selection to make this characteristic the norm.

Jennie Lallande

Hand-spun spools of brown cotton rest on the wooden chair that belonged to Jennie Lallande's grandfather. Above the chair, an image of Mother Mary gazes out the window of Lallande’s farmhouse. She seems to smile slightly at the brown bolls soon to burst. Lallande is a member of ABC, as well as the CEO of Acadian Growers Alliance, an agriculture cooperative movement based in New Iberia. Since 2013, her nonprofit has focused on urban agriculture and coastal community resilience by rebuilding soil-to-food pathways for people in Southwest Louisiana. On her own greenspace, which was previously a cow pasture, she’s overseen a slow, deep restoration of nutrient-depleted soil since increasing biodiversity in her plot. Among the mung beans, hibiscus, and American beautyberry, brown cotton has its place as a summertime staple. Randon Dufrene holding up a coton jaune plant.

Randon Dufrene

Another member of ABC, Randon Dufrene uses cotton as a tool for measuring time. In a world where days mesh into years and a season’s lifespan passes with little effort, he finds coton jaune a kind of metronome to ground time. “It breaks up the mundaneness of life,” Dufrene says, “the different steps, from soil preparation to seeding, create markers for time.” He watches over all this time within his forty-five-foot by ninety-foot garden, which also holds beans, sunflowers, and marigolds. “When you buy a white shirt from the store, where do they come from? Where will they end up? We can change that,” Dufrene insists. “When the Acadians were using this cotton, weaving these blankets, their clothing over time would eventually become a rag. Coton aide. They’re the dirty old cotton rags, that piece of cloth on its last leg. They would cut the excess and use it as a rag, then throw it away. It’s all compostable. This is a huge reason why we don’t see a lot of examples of what the clothing looked like.”

Larry Allain

On ABC member Larry Allain’s farm, coton jaune is intertwined with heirloom peas along two thirty-foot rows. The retired grassland botanist uses his vast accumulation of knowledge to redevelop the agricultural designs of the prairielands in Arnaudville, twenty miles north of Lafayette. His farm demonstrates the mixeduse design of prairie farming, coton jaune being an essential piece of the puzzle. Allain has spent years resurfacing techniques his ancestors developed, techniques that have been lost over time. A significant element of this stewardship is land rehabilitation, using regenerative design and subsistence farming practices, which he is extending to the next generation. His son Andre is poised to take over the farm after him.

Elaine Bourque

Traditional, hand-woven, brown cotton Acadian blankets from Suzanne Chaillot's collection.

Culture bearer Elaine Bourque has grown coton jaune since she was a child, after learning about it from her father. Beyond the vital task of preserving seeds, her work in preserving the textile and its traditions extends to the art of weaving. In addition to creating her own textiles, she has spent years documenting the weaving traditions of women of across Acadiana. Bourque herself apprenticed under the late Gladys Clarke—an elder who learned the art as a child in the 1920s, quickly mastered it, and went on to become a leading instructor in the community. In 1997, Clarke received recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts as a National Heritage Fellow for this work. A singular, unfaltering thread which binds together the storied tapestry of Acadian weaving, stitching the memories of yesteryear into the practice of today—Clarke holds perhaps more responsibility than anyone for keeping the tradition alive and relevant today. In Bourque’s home, which is filled with relics of Acadian culture, she sets down a blanket and begins examining different, precious imperfections in its weaving patterns. Hand-spun threading will vary in size. Over time, seams which fray will be repaired. Every imperfection tells a story. In her work of piecing together the past, she has dug through garages and barns for misplaced blankets and rummaged through newspaper articles to find as many details on the practice as she can find. She has a collection of blankets, many of them over one hundred years old, two of which were blankets by her great grandmothers. Beyond the research, she retraces the movements of her ancestors onto the loom, walking upon the geography of fabric to gather the wisdom and foundation of her predecessors. The pieces she makes herself, she uses or gifts to others. For Bourque, this is part of the tradition. She never sells any of her pieces; some traditions cannot be sold. //J A N

Gerald Thibodeaux

When Gerald Thibodeaux, a relative of Clarke’s, holds a shawl up to his face—rays of light pour through, revealing his outline in the thin, delicate, wavering fabric: four ply silk, smaller than a single strain of cotton, truly cobweb weight. He has been spinning and weaving since the mid-1970s, and is known throughout the community for his tight, thin, hand-spun thread. He utilizes this highly-specialized skill to create extravagantly detailed miniatures. One of these techniques is what he calls “mug rugs”: “really they’re just coasters.” For a model, he mimics the distinct patterning of Clarke’s blankets. Thibodeaux learned to weave from his grandmother, who would sit with him at a young age and have him follow her hands along the loom. He ran the Guild of Acadiana Weavers and Spinners for years, but today has resumed focus on his craft.

Suzanne Chaillot

Elaine Bourque demonstrating her foot-powered spinning wheel in her home.

Suzanne Chaillot grew up around coton jaune her whole life. Her mother, a historian at Center of Louisiana Studies, spent years researching the tradition and gifted Chaillot a loom at age twelve; and her great grandmother was a weaver. Chaillot still has her blankets, and pulls out a stack to dig through, piling them in my arms. Her armoire is filled with still more blankets collected from all over the region, as well as specialty pieces she’s amassed from studying weaving in Southern Mexico. Chaillot, like her mother before her, recognizes the importance of connection, and how history can serve as the spindle we wrap all our disparate fibers around. She tells me that the Acadian textile is defined by its simple stripe, which is derived from the French influence. While Acadians wove with wool before The Great Upheaval, in Louisiana they adapted to cotton. Suzanne tells me the hand-spinning is an important part of the tradition, and that while brown cotton textiles can certainly be made, with far less trouble, using modern technology, it would then no longer be an act of preservation. “This is the art our ancestors practiced out of necessity.” Preservationists like Chaillot today are practicing to protect, even when the world doesn’t need it anymore. When she began, there were only three weavers maintaining this tradition (including Bourque and Thibodeaux), but that number has now grown to around ten.

Among the hand stitched patterning, Gerald Thibodeaux showcases a piece he created. Thibodeaux learned weaving from his grandmother and carried on the tradition for over fifty years.

The blanket collection of Suzanne Chaillot

Suzanne Chaillot, pictured with freshly-harvested brown cotton from her garden. 26

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Elaine Bourque in her garden, holding one of her blankets.

Jennie Lallande among rows of plants in the height of Louisiana's summer.

Catholic iconography is steeped in Acadiana culture. Here we see "Mother Mary," framed in coton jaune.

Coton jaune has been cultivated as an art form, a trade, and a tradition for a people who have rebuilt themselves over and over again, adapting to new environments with limited resources. That small and smooth thing, that dark seed, can, and did, furnish families for whole generations. And today, in a world that has little time or need for products that require so many hours, such care, that seed is serving us in a new way entirely: it is helping us to remember. From the minutiae of the cotton fiber, we look outward at the rolling prairies and sinking lowlands of Southern Louisiana. Upon the familiar horizon of the present, we can still make out the visage of our shared past. The land has ceded to infiltrating waters. Urban sprawl has mired prairies. Progress is present, yes, but it comes at a cost. What is lost when traditions fade into oblivion? How do we unravel our identity in a land that has shifted so? The answer changes with every loci, but I think of Dufrene—who sets an example for embracing the changing face of tradition. He recently received a bolt of coton jaune fabric, and his mother-in-law will be sewing it into a blazer for him. This will be the first clothing made from coton jaune in over seventy-five years. •

Suzanne Chaillot holding up one of the blankets she’s salvaged. The dried paint illustrates a long and well-used past.

Jennie Lallande’s grandfather's chair with a spool of coton jaune thread. //J A N

PLANTING SEEDS

Grow Dat

IN THE MIDDLE OF NEW ORLEANS'S URBAN SPRAWL, A SEVEN-ACRE FARM GROWS YOUNG LEADERS ROOT TO BLOOM

Story by Mimi Greenwood Knight • Photos by Alexandra Kennon

here’s more growing at Grow Dat Youth Farm than vegetables, fruits, and herbs. On the seven-acre urban homestead smack in the middle of New Orleans City Park, lessons in leadership, critical thinking, and effective communication are just as important as those in land stewardship and sustainable farming. Wandering the sprawling outdoor classroom amid the fields of salad greens, beds of herbs, fruit-laden trees, and the backdrop of eight-hundred-year-old oaks, it’s easy to forget Interstate 610 is a stone’s throw away. Launched in 2010 by New Mexico transplant and food educator, Johanna Gilligan, Grow Dat found its home in 2011 at its City Park eco-campus, complete with an open-air classroom and outbuildings designed by and built with the help of students from the Tulane School of Architecture. Grow Dat 28

leadership began making annual visits to a dozen area schools, inviting students to apply for paid positions in the farming program. Each year since, dozens of young New Orleanians ages fifteen to twenty-four have answered that call. Representing a variety of ages, races, genders, sexual orientations, and socioeconomic backgrounds, the participants form an unlikely team. Many of the youth arrive on the farm with no farming or gardening experience, and some have limited exposure to the fresh food they’ll be helping to grow. As they absorb lessons in regenerative farming practices, they also learn leadership skills, including how to give and receive honest feedback—gaining confidence in who they are as a person—within a safe, non-judgmental environment. In a city where schools and neighborhoods often lack diversity, youth participants learn to work cooperatively and communicate with people who are

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different than themselves. “We’re not trying to mute or diminish those differences but to celebrate them,” said Grow Dat Youth Farm Development Manager Lily Mejia. “When we get together and harness the power of those differences that's when we can transform ourselves and our communities.” It's all about stepping outside of one’s comfort zone. “For some that might be working in the dirt and encountering bugs,” Mejia said. “For others it’s trying a new vegetable, public speaking, or just communicating with the person next to them. No one is ever forced to do anything, but this is a safe space to explore those challenges, if you want to. We're a team and we’ll support you. But you get to decide what your Grow Dat experience will look like.” Grow Dat Youth Farm operates under a tiered leadership program. The first tier, Core Leadership, runs from January to June during which around

forty-eight participants learn to grow produce and participate in workshops on food justice, community leadership, and sustainable agriculture. Fifty percent of participants’ time is spent doing actual agricultural work in crews of about fifteen, and fifty percent is spent in educational workshops, field trips, and cooking classes. “They're getting an introduction to sustainable agriculture,” Mejia said. “But they're also practicing communication skills, getting acquainted with the link between climate change and food, and they're exploring the agricultural history of the land we're working on”—including the histories of the people who have stewarded it before them, the Indigenous peoples of the region, and Black people who were enslaved here. Those who finish Core Leadership can choose to pursue the ten month (September to June) Advanced Leadership Program, during which they’ll continue to work on the farm, stepping into the role of teaching the workshops and leading the farm tasks. “They are the facilitators now. They delegate farm tasks to Core Leadership participants and they plan and run our group meetings,” Mejia said. “It’s a great opportunity to continue growing their leadership skills.” Alternatively, after Core Leadership, participants can choose to take part in the Seed Project in which about a dozen alumni work in small groups off campus for nine months (from September to May) completing projects of their choosing, so long as they fall within the Grow Dat values of sustainability, love of land, youth leadership, inclusion and multiculturalism, solidarity, and food justice. “Groups brainstorm together and design their project, set goals for their work, choose how to manage their project schedule and the budget we provide, and work out in the community, often as a cohort with other organizations,” Mejia said. “Projects might include social media engagement, entrepreneurship, education, culinary endeavors, food distribution systems, advocacy work, or food access.” All projects are presented at a graduation ceremony in May. For eighteen-year-old participant, Kameron Benoit, the program’s impact came to fruition when he picked a tomato he’d actually grown. “Growing tomatoes is tedious, and the physical work was so much more than I expected,” he said. “But once they grow and you pick one off the vine, it’s so satisfying.” When he graduates, Benoit plans to apply to college to pursue a career in either therapy or nursing. Working alongside him is another eighteen-year-old, Frankie Ratowitz, who’s been through Core Leadership, Advanced Leadership, and is currently working with the Seed Program. “I’ve been surprised at how much I can apply the things I’m learning in workshops to my life outside of Grow Dat,” Ratowitz

said. "Visions Workshop helps you express your feelings and gives you strategies for talking about things that are hard to talk about. Field trips allowed us to attend things like an environmental summit in Baton Rouge, where I was able to talk to people in environmental organizations. We visited Pearl River Blues Farm and met the farmer, visited the Equal Justice Initiative’s Legacy Museum in Montgomery, and are even learning to sew.” After high school graduation, Ratowitz plans to study environmental science, conservation, or forestry. For the last two years, Grow Dat participants produced 50,000 pounds of fresh produce, selling eighty percent through their popular community-supported agriculture (CSA) program and distributing the other twenty percent Grow Dat's Seed Project 2023-24 cohort members Haven (16), Frankie (18), and Debbie (17). through the Shared Harvest Program and to youth participants and Honor and Members Choice Awards, a them to show the community all we’re their families. They also offer a fifty per- 2012 SEED Award, and the 2012 AIA doing here and how passionate they are cent discount to anyone enrolled in the New Orleans Design Award of Hon- about the work. ” So, as traffic rockets along up I-610, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Pro- or. The farm has hosted weddings and community events, and each spring they down below on a little-known sergram (SNAP), to help make fresh prothrow a farm-to-table dinner fundraiser vice road, young New Orleanians are duce more accessible. The Grow Dat facility has gained where area chefs present a multi-course learning—and teaching each othcropping, composting, national attention with awards for the meal incorporating produce grown on- er—cover site. “Our participants lead farm tours companion planting, and soil buildbeauty, sustainability, and function of its design—including 2014 AIA Louisiana that night,” Mejia said. “It's a chance for ing practices as they transform their

Unlock a Healthier Future

communities, themselves, and each other. “We're not recruiting young people with the intention of making them farmers,” Mejia said. “Some participants may choose that path. Others might want to explore sustainability in fashion design or expand their activism. They each get to decide how they will show up for their community.” • growdatyouthfarm.org

www.pbrc.edu

@penningtonbiomed

@pbrcnews

@PenningtonBiomedical

Join a clinical trial at Pennington Biomedical! Clinical trials are part of scientific research and at the heart of all medical advances. Pennington Biomedical offers clinical trials that cover topics such as weight-loss, diabetes, cancer, nutrition, and healthy aging. Compensation is provided for trial participants. 225-763-3000 6400 Perkins Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70808

Learn more: www.pbrc.edu/clinicaltrials //J A N

A W O R L D O F I M A G I N AT I O N

The Maker Upper

THE FANTASTICAL WORLDS OF SHREVEPORT WRITER, ILLUSTRATOR, AND FILMMAKER WILLIAM JOYCE By Jordan LaHaye Fontenot

Image from Joyce's book Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo. All images courtesy of Joyce.

n 1964 in Shreveport, Louisiana, four-year-old William Joyce believed with absolute certainty that he could fly, if he only tried hard enough. Towel tied around his neck like a cape, he’d jump off of walls, swing sets, bed frames. And sometimes, when he’d catch just hthe right arc—a few precious seconds of air before slamming to the ground—he’d be reassured: he was getting better. When adults tried to explain gravity to him, he’d shake his head. Grownups, they were so stupid sometimes. He’d seen it, with his own eyes. Superman flew, right there on his television set, as high as the clouds! “Children, they want amazing things to be true,” Joyce muses today, now technically a grownup himself, in addition to an Emmy- and Academy Award-winning writer, illustrator, and filmmaker. “Amazing, fantastic, whimsical, and sometimes terrifying things to be true. And in my mind, television was true, there was no blur for me what was fact and what was fantasy. I didn’t even acknowledge that there was fantasy. It was all fact. There are wicked witches if you go over the rainbow, that was a fact. And King Kong came to New York back when things were black and white. That was a fact. And Superman flew. That was a fact.” By the time his fifth birthday came around, Joyce had figured out the problem: the towel wasn’t cutting it; he needed the suit. “So, my parents got me a Superman suit, and I opened it, and I was so excited,” he remembers. He put it on, headed straight to his room, stood on the end of the bed frame, braced himself, and leapt—“and I had one exquisite moment where, like the centrifugal force had me in the air and I hadn’t started to fall yet, and I was like ‘this is it’. And then, you know, I hit the floor.” The house shook, his cape ripped. He had a knot on his head and a bloody nose. His parents came in, and he told them, “You have to take the suit back. It doesn’t work.” At that point, Joyce’s father sat him down, and attempted to do something devastating, but necessary: explain what was real, and what was, firmly, not. And his delivery, done gently and with some care to acknowledge the existence of magic within the world of the make believe, would come to make all the difference for his child of infinite imagination. “You and I are real. Mom’s real. Today’s real. Your birthday party is real. Your bloody nose is real. And that’s the key here, buddy. There’s always going to be a bloody nose when you jump off the bed. But Superman is made up. He is on television and in comic books, and that’s the only place he is. He isn’t real.”

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In 2023, William Joyce was awarded the Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Illustrators—joining illustrator giant alumni the likes of Shel Silverstein, Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, and Maurice Sendak.

“I asked the librarian, ‘So what? How does this happen? How does a book like “CHILDREN, THEY WANT AMAZING this happen?’ And she said, ‘People make THINGS TO BE TRUE. AMAZING, it up.’” The maker uppers. The librarian taught Joyce how to find out who they FANTASTIC, WHIMSICAL, AND were—the illustrator and the writer SOMETIMES TERRIFYING THINGS (who, of course, in Sendak’s case, were the same)—on the cover of the book. You TO BE TRUE. AND IN MY MIND, could even find out what city they lived TELEVISION WAS TRUE, THERE in on the jacket. And she introduced him WAS NO BLUR FOR ME WHAT WAS to the work of other illustrators: Beatrix Potter, Bill Peet, N.C. Wyeth and his son FACT AND WHAT WAS FANTASY. I Andrew. “My parents got me this giant DIDN’T EVEN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT Norman Rockwell book when I was like eleven,” he recalls. He’d flip through the THERE WAS FANTASY. IT WAS ALL books endlessly, always paying special atFACT. THERE ARE WICKED WITCHES tention to the names written on the cover, IF YOU GO OVER THE RAINBOW, just as the librarian had taught him, imagining his own there someday. THAT WAS A FACT. AND KING KONG This dream would come true in 1981, CAME TO NEW YORK BACK WHEN two weeks after he graduated from SouthTHINGS WERE BLACK AND WHITE. ern Methodist University in Dallas with a degree in filmmaking. He’d considered THAT WAS A FACT. AND SUPERMAN not going to college at all—he was makFLEW. THAT WAS A FACT.” ing plenty of money selling his art and exhibiting in local galleries. “But my friends were off in college having a great time,” he —WILLIAM JOYCE laughed. “I needed to go do that, have adventures.” He’d started in art school first, only to be chased out by the school’s aversion to realism. “But it was the best thing But he went on to explain that someone, a real man, that ever happened, because in film school is where pretends to be Superman. And someone, a real man, everything fell together. I could draw pictures, I could made up the fantasy of him flying, the stories of his make up stories. I thought of my first books as just being little movies.” powers. So then, at age twenty-three, Joyce set out for New “So,” Joyce asked, starting to connect the dots, “they are just … pretenders? Maker uppers? Like instead York City, portfolio in hand. “I had no prospects of of being a policeman or a fireman, they decided they a job,” he recalls. “I just wanted to be published.” He started at the top, his dream publishers, Harper & Row would do that? Make stuff up?” (now HarperCollins), and got a contract as an illustrator “Yes, bud. That’s their job.” Joyce thought for a minute, wiped his bloody nose, for Tammy and the Gigantic Fish, written by James and Katherine Gray, on the spot. “I could not believe what and smiled. “I want to be one of those guys.” In the face of such profound disillusionment, the was happening.” The very next day, he scored a meetyoung Joyce experienced something remarkable: empowerment. The fantasies he knew and loved—of Looney Tunes, Popeye, Pinocchio, and The Wizard of Oz; The Adventures of Robin Hood and The Bride of Frankenstein—they were something you could make. It made him yearn to understand how such magic was created. “King Kong, Fantasia, Robin Hood, The Day the Earth Stood Still—these movies, they just fried my brain,” said Joyce. “They became the things I drew, the ways I tried to draw, and all I thought about. This thing in our living room, it just told us stories every day and night. It was fantasy school.” Worlds of imagination unspooled before him, onto the playground, where he directed grand battles between German fighter planes and the Allies on the jungle gym. Kickballs became atomic bombs, and in his epic drawings, dinosaurs were always trying to eat his mean older sisters. “When I did my math homework, I would always draw all these scenarios: if there was a war between three and nine, how many would be left over? And sometimes I’d find the equations lacking in dramatic potency, and I’d think it would be much more interesting if two times two equaled one million and seven.” When he discovered Where the Wild Things Are at the library, he—like so many other children across the world—was instantly entranced by Maurice Sendak’s fanciful island and its creaImage from Joyce's book The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore. tures. “I was besotted with it,” he said.

ing with one of the most influential publishers in town, Ole Risom, the Vice President and Associate Publisher of the juvenile division of Random House (now Penguin Random House), who had worked with the likes of Dr. Seuss and Jim Henson. Risom had Joyce meet him at the headquarters of the Society of Illustrators on 63rd Street. “I go in, and there is one of my favorite N.C. Wyeth paintings, from the cover of The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson, on the wall like a foot and a half from my head. And over the bar is this Norman Rockwell painting, one of the largest he ever did—this Dickensian scene of a stagecoach full of people pulling into London. Just a magnificent illustration. It was just crazy, all these guys I’d idolized. I’d never seen their work in real life.” And in that room, Risom offered Joyce his second book contract of his life (and of that week), as the illustrator of a new edition of Mother Goose. “I mean, I had to go lay down,” he said. Joyce’s big break in Hollywood came a few years later, at the end of the decade, after he’d already worked on several more projects with Harper & Row, including his first two books for which he was credited as writer and illustrator, George Shrinks (1985) and Dinosaur Bob and His Adventures with the Family Lazardo (1988). Dinosaur Bob made its way into the hands of John Lasseter, an executive at the budding new studio experimenting with the newfangled concept of computer animation: Pixar. Lasseter was so enchanted by the story of the Lazardo family and their unwieldy pet that he went out and bought all of the books Joyce had worked on. “And it’s funny,” remembered Joyce, “he looked on the book jacket, just like the librarian had shown me to all those years ago, and saw that I lived in Shreveport.” He called the operator and asked for William Joyce. The plan had originally been to make a movie from Dinosaur Bob, but executives already had another dinosaur project in the works (Disney’s Dinosaur, 2000). Instead, Lasseter invited Joyce to work with him on Pixar’s first feature film, an extension of their Oscar-winning 1988 short Tin Toy. The project, of course, went on to become the revolutionary 1995 film Toy Story, the first entirely computer-animated feature film ever. “It was very interesting to be there at the beginning,”

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Images from Joyce's books (top) Jack Frost: The End Becomes the Beginning, (bottom left) A Day with Wilbur Robinson,(bottom right) The Mischievians.

said Joyce of his first, monumental foray into filmmaking. “This new technology, it was so much cooler than anything being made then.” At that time, the world of film animation had never quite regained the wonder of its own Golden Age, and was, according to Joyce “at its lowest ebb.” “So much about what had made [animated films] so wonderful and grand was gone, and it was depressing to me, just starting out. “There was a quality to animation from the 1930s, with the Tom & Jerry cartoons, Bugs Bunny, Pinocchio, Snow White, Fantasia—they had a very specific light source. They were drenched in sunlight. There was something very beautiful about that to me, that kind of reminded me of Beatrix Potter’s illustrations.” That aesthetic quality had been lost in the 1950s and ‘60s when the style shifted from wash and watercolor to heavy acrylic. “And there was something about computer animation that had that old quality. Toy Story brought that back, with dazzling results.” Joyce described the experience of working on Toy Story as a collaboration of people who loved animated films, and who remembered childhood, and revered it. Its experimental nature freed the creators from the tropes of the genre (“animated films had basically become Broadway musicals at that point”), including 32

the tendency towards adult moralizing. “The storytelling was subtle. There’s a little bit of mischief, but it’s also trying to puncture the air on what we think is an untruth. And for all of the things that go on in the fantastic world of Toy Story, there is a fundamental adherence to truth.” An example of this, Joyce pointed out, was the creators’ strict faithfulness to the laws of gravity—which he had so firmly rejected as a child. “There was so much work done on how to make those guys move. It reflected how a toy would move. And that felt important. So, there we were, embracing reality when it suited us, and totally ignoring the fact that toys can’t move at all.” Starting his career in film from such a highest of highs, Joyce went on to work on other major animation projects, including Pixar’s A Bug’s Life and Blue Sky Studio’s Robots. In 1998, Disney gave the green light on his children’s television show concept, Rolie Polie Olie—for which he designed everything from the theme song to the CGI characters to the stories themselves. Revolutionary and classic at once, the series was one of the earliest television series made entirely with computer animation, but it was animated from the spirit of the lighthearted cartoons of the 1930s, as well as the daydream wonders Joyce observed in his own children. “Disney had test-

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ed the early animations, the music. And they were like ‘We have never gotten test scores like this. Everything y’all do, the test audiences are loving.’” Benefiting from that rare thing of absolute artistic control on a major studio project, Joyce has described Rolie Polie Olie as “a

miracle of a show”. It ran for six seasons on Disney Channel, from 1998–2004, scoring three Emmys along the way. At the same time, PBS picked up a television adaptation of his first book George Shrinks, which aired on PBS Kids from 2000–2003. The projects kept coming, as well as the acclaim. More books, more movies. From his home in Shreveport (with a firm refusal to move to either coast besides for more than a few months at a time), Joyce quickly became a wholly original and recognizable name in the most esteemed corners of children’s publishing and Hollywood animation—as well as in the art world: his paintings have been purchased by the likes of Harrison Ford, Whoopi Goldberg, and the late Robin Williams. And while there was an ecstasy to seeing his fantastical stories brought as close to life as fantasy gets, to the screen—the realities of studio politics, regime changes, and often commerce-driven compromises of story-to-screen adaptations frequently left him frustrated. With the exception of Rolie Polie Olie, “It’s very hard and very rare in motion pictures to have your vision exactly realized on the final product,” he said The longer he’s been in the business, though, the more control he’s gained on his projects, even his feature films. He cites the 2012 DreamWorks Animation film Rise of the Guardians, which was based on his Guardians of Childhood book series, and the 2013 Blue Sky Studios film Epic as examples of projects that “were very, very close, and true to the origins”. “Now, I’m just approaching it differently. I’m initiating the scripts and visual development, and then going in and saying ‘Here’s what I’ve got. Here’s what I’ve done. This is the movie we want to make.’” Part of this approach is ingrained in his

Image from Joyce's forthcoming book The Lost Pets of Aunt Lantis.

Image from Joyce's book George Shrinks.

process, which often includes writing a book as the basis for a film idea. “In publishing, I can do what I want. My editor and I craft the story and I never get a note that changes the whole tone of the thing. This is why I’ve always tried to do a book first, so there is a template and this one pure thing.” As to where the ideas themselves come from, Joyce said it is different every single time. “Sometimes imagery leads, sometimes story leads,” he said. “Oftentimes it’s an image that haunts me, and then finally finds a place in a story, or finds a story to go with it. When that happens, it feels like electricity.” One such image came to him while watching The Theatre de Complicité’s New York production of The Street of Crocodiles, in which dozens of books fly from the shelves of a library, flapping their pages as if they were wings. “It was one of the most beautiful, haunting things, and I’m like, ‘I gotta use that,’” said Joyce. A decade passed before he found the story for his flying books. He was on an airplane, flying to visit a mentor on his deathbed, the former Vice President and Director of Library promotion at HarperCollins Children’s Books, William Morris. “He was one of those old tweedy, three-martini lunch guys. And he loved

books, and he loved the people that love books, and he loved librarians, and really cared about his authors, and making sure people saw their books. He epitomized everything that was gracious and understated about publishing.” The title for the story came to Joyce first, The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore—a play on Morris’s unofficial working philosophy of “less is more”. He’d finished writing the story about a world of flying books and a gentle book-keeper by the time his plane landed. In Morris’s apartment, surrounded by “nothing but books, almost as though he was entombed by them,” he read him the draft. “When I finished reading, he had really the most exquisite expression on his face. And he said, ‘I think that’s going to be your best book.’” Morris died days later, and The Fantastic Flying Books of Morris Lessmore went on to debut at number one on the New York Times bestseller list, where it stayed for several weeks, and to be named as one of Time Magazine’s 100 best children’s books of all time. Joyce also adapted the story into an Oscar-winning short film at his own animation company out of Shreveport, Moonbot Studios. More recently, Joyce’s inspiration for a new project came directly from the Instagram comments section, when he

responded to something with, “What’s next, rocket puppies? Glitter kittens?” Laughing, he said, “And everybody responded like, ‘That sounds awesome! Where are rocket puppies from? Why do they have rockets?’ It just falls off the tongue in such a nice way. Rocket Puppies. Glitter Kittens. Just the absurdity of puppies with rockets and kittens with glitter made me smile and intrigued.” While we spoke in early December, he was actively working on a drawing for the forthcoming children’s book Rocket Puppies, which will in fact be followed by Glitter Kittens. Joyce begins his drawings on two-ply watercolor paper, and in colored pencil, before scanning and touching them up on the computer. “Add some razzmatazz,” he said. “So, right now, I’m drawing a cloud that has a face, and is making a deal with some puppies from outer space to not ever rain on recess,” he said, describing the project as “the silliest and most buoyantly joyful thing I’ve ever done,” and perhaps one of the purest examples of the magic of being a “maker upper”: giving yourself permission and freedom to ask “what if?” and then just going with it. In 2023, Joyce was awarded the Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award by the Society of Illustrators—joining illustrator

giant alumni the likes of Shel Silverstein, Eric Carle, Dr. Seuss, and Maurice Sendak himself. The award honors creatives with a body of work that “documents an innovative, pioneering contribution to the field of children’s book illustration”. For Joyce, the honor was a moment come full circle—almost as though it had been written into a storybook. “It blew my mind, made my millennium,” he said, to be named among so many of his heroes. In November, he traveled to New York to accept the award in the Society of Illustrators Headquarters, and he looked at that same Norman Rockwell painting he’d seen over the bar when he’d accepted his second publishing contract from Ole Risom in 1981. Since then, he’d found a way to fly, all around the world with Buzz Lightyear, Wilbur Robinson; MK and Nod; Jack Frost; Morris Lessmore. And he’d landed here, back at the start, alongside his heroes. Ready to take off to a universe where rocket puppies use their puppy ray vision to kill all mopeyness, all bad moods—to make the world a better, happier, more fantastical place. •

Keep up with Joye's work by following him on Instagram, @heybilljoyce. //J A N

Cuisine

JANUARY 2024

FRENCH TECHNIQUES

3 4 T H E M A G I C O F C U L I N A R Y C O L L A B O R A T I O N S , E S P E C I A L LY B E T W E E N L O U I S I A N A A N D M I S S I S S I P P I , A R E S H O W C A S E D A T E L V I E ' S I N J A C K S O N // 3 7 W H A T I T T A K E S T O B E M O R E T H A N A " H O T E L R E S T A U R A N T " I N DOWNTOWN NEW ORLEANS •

The Shrimp and Grits at Elvie's. Image courtesy of Elvie's.

CHEF PROFILES

Dinner's at Elvie's

AT JACKSON'S HOTTEST EATERY, CHEF HUNTER EVANS CRAFTS A QUINTESSENTIALLY SOUTHERN CULINARY EXPERIENCE DEFINED BY HYPER-LOCAL INGREDIENTS AND COLLABORATION

By Sophie Nau

took just one walk through Jackson’s historic Belhaven neighborhood and could easily see why hmost of the staff of Elvie’s, Chef Hunter Evans' and Cody McCain’s allday café, live in the leafy enclave. Besides being close to the restaurant, the neighborhood exhibits a scope of architecture, so that one might briefly feel transported to Portland or historic parts of Houston. The nearby house of Mississippi’s beloved Eudora Welty, though, reminds me I’m in the heart of Jackson, where there’s a new hum of activity. At Elvie’s, where Evans combines Old World technique with the culinary rhythms of his hometown, the “City with Soul” is hardly resting on its laurels alone. I was in town for Elvie’s Guest Chef Series, where Evans invites chefs from around the South to take over the kitch34

en for a coursed-out dinner. For this one, held in August, Commander’s Palace's Meg Bickford held the reins. Bickford is a fitting match for Evans, whose Mississippi upbringing was supplemented by trips to New Orleans to visit his grandmother, May Elveretta—the restaurant’s namesake. Coming from a family that usually cooked at home, Evans was enamored by the gilded restaurants of the French Quarter, with their white tablecloths and tuxedoed waiters. The kitchen’s calling eventually brought him to the hospitality program at Ole Miss, and then the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park and Daniel Meyer’s North End Grill in New York City. But soon enough, Jackson was calling Evans home. “I was rethinking food and the South and how to look at it differently,” he said of his return home. Inspired by classic

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Chef Hunter Evans, co-owner of Elvie's Restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi. Image courtesy of Elvie's.

French technique and “leaning into the seasons of the South,” he wanted to approach Mississippi through a new lens. Evans has a timeline of Mississippi history tattooed on his arm. His preoccupation with the state’s history guides the allday and dinner fare at Elvie’s. From the corn, beans, and squash cultivated by the Choctaw, pigs brought in by the Spanish, and the cuisine of French fur traders who settled around Natchez—Mississippi has a confluence of culinary cultural

ent—“Cajun” caviar atop a meta chicken-fried chicken skin; chilled buttermilk avocado soup with blue crab—you could follow the story of this region’s long traditions of hunting, fishing, farming, of approaching the land with respect and curiosity. The wine pairings, selected by Carter and Sarah-Fey Rumbarger Brown of International Wines, were not only lively compliments but testaments to the hard work of the beverage team in bringing

The interior of Elvie's Restaurant in Jackson, Mississippi. Image courtesy of Elvie's.

influence it doesn’t always get the credit for. And so, foraged mushrooms might appear on Evans’s menu, or cuts of Mississippi venison, which he grew up hunting—all prepared with classic technique and in collaboration with local purveyors like Biloxi’s French Hermit Oyster Co. and Como’s Homeplace Pastures. Evans has even put ads out in the paper to collect local seeds. One responder gave him white velvet okra seeds he had kept since his wedding day, forty-five years ago. It’s about more than just provenance, though—the food’s got to taste good. And Elvie’s does that right too, as evidenced by its inclusion in the New York Times "Best of 2022 Restaurants". In the dining room on the Commander’s Palace Guest Chef night, the mood was festive. Bickford and her Chef de Cuisine Nat Carrier, along with Evans and his staff, plated dishes with an intense focus unaffected by their sense of fun. Co-owner Cody McCain, who runs front-of-house operations, and Brandi Carter, who heads the bar program, poured wine, ran food, and greeted guests. This menu celebrated the foodways of the diverse South. The American red snapper with beet-stained popcorn rice and an herby, tangy mirliton and mango slaw nodded to the Gulf’s relationship to the Caribbean, as well as the vibrant Vietnamese community in Louisiana. With each carefully-sourced ingredi-

new wines to Jackson. The German Scheurebe, for example, was the only one available in the state. “We have many challenges in terms of accessibility that a network of dedicated wine professionals and I have been working to overcome,” Carter said. “Most of us, myself included, have had to travel for our wine education,” though she added that she is working on bringing more wine resources to Jackson. In June, Carter invited wine educator Joanne Close from The Independent Caveau NOLA wine shop to teach a WSET (Wine and Spirit Education Trust) class in town, and hopes to expand the program further. Carter and her cocktail team make everything, sans the spirits, in-house. “The journey of making every component is really exciting to me and our staff,” she said, and her favorite cocktail concepts “come from a memory of a flavor profile from childhood or travel.” As with Evans’s fond memories of his grandmother’s table, nostalgia is a universal experience so often associated with cuisine, and I tend to ask any chef who has a strong childhood attachment to food: but why become a chef? The quiet delights of cooking at home are quite a different thing from working through high-pressure dinner rushes in New York kitchens. “I’d be lying if I said those thoughts don’t come up,” Evans responded. “[I believe in] being who you are and using the

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Chef Hunter Evans (left) with Marshall Bartlett (right), owner of Home Place Pastures—a cattle farm focusing on regenerative agriculture in Como, Mississippi. Partnerships with local, intentional vendors like these help set Chef Evans's menu apart. Image courtesy of Elvie's.

Meet me at the Mag!

gifts that you are given, and this is honestly where I was called to be. Kitchens can be a dark place, and my goal was to be a light.” This commitment is what motivates the great lengths Evans and McCain extend to ensure that Elvie’s is a positive environment for his entire staff, and that each of their needs are being met. “The daily realities and stresses that come with our industry can’t be ignored and necessitate a focus on mental health,” McCain said. He and Evans implemented “simple” policies that helped in big ways: gym memberships, therapy reimbursements, health insurance, and staff retreats. “I believe a lot of a person’s mental health at work can be tied to how valued they feel as an individual,” McCain says. “These ideals and ways of thinking are contrary to what have been the norm in our industry in our area, though we’ve started to see it change and improve in the past couple of years.” For staff and guests alike, Elvie’s is at its heart a Belhaven destination. Despite pleas from fans to open a restaurant in

the Jackson suburbs, Evans is adamant about keeping Elvie’s location in the once-forgotten downtown, where energy is picking up, like a heartbeat finding a new rhythm. In a city that is still recovering from the economic hit of the pandemic, which was followed by flooding and a subsequent water crisis, the commitment to this locale is no small thing. After the dinner, the energy among the staff was that of a job well done. New Orleans met Jackson for the night, in a city described by some as the South’s crossroads. Later, in the Library Bar of the Fairview Inn, where I sipped on an Alice Walker and scanned stacks of Mississippi books—photographs of old blues haunts in Birney Imes's Juke Joint, poems by Natasha Trethewey—staff shook up drinks for tables occupied by locals. A patron chided the bartender with, “You haven’t been to New Orleans? It’s just down the street!” After a stay in Jackson and a dining experience at Elvie’s, I was ready to bring the same question, in reverse, back home. • elviesrestaurant.com.

Closed Mondays 5689

3-V Tourist Courts •1940’s Motor Hotel • Reservations: 225-721-7003 36

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Behind-the-scenes at Elvie's Guest Chef Dinner Series event in August, featuring a collaboration with New Orleans Chef Megan Bickford of Commander's Palace. Image courtesy of Elvie's.

CHEF PROFILES

From New Orleans in Paris, to Paris in New Orleans

INSIDE THE ELIZA JANE, CHEF RYAN PEARSON'S COUVANT IS THE BEST OF FRENCH TECHNIQUE, FLAVORED BY THE BEST OF THE GULF

By Sophie Nau

Executive Chef at Couvant, Ryan Pearson. Images courtesy of Couvant.

hotel restaurant has the odds slightly more stacked against it. Guest hexpectations might include a menu featuring palate-pleasing overviews of a city’s greatest hits, afterthoughts overshadowed by the bar, where too-dim lights facilitate a party more than an engaged meal. So it was refreshing to be sitting at one that strikes the right balance: inviting for those staying on the floors above while remaining inclined towards its local clientele, thanks to thoughtful food and service. Such is the case with Couvant, located in the Eliza Jane Hotel in New Orleans’s Central Business District, with Ryan Pearson taking the reins as executive chef after a pandemic shutter. Couvant stands out thanks to a friendly staff, (when I was there, the bartender and I talked about our favorite New Orleans dives) and a French menu that interprets New Orleans indulgence as an expression of the Gulf’s bounty. When I spoke with Pearson before dinner service, he said cooking was “the only thing I ever remember wanting to do,” and so he cooked his way into some of the best restaurants in New York under the guidance of fine dining chefs like Daniel Boulud. Pearson's motto, “Find the best chefs I can, put my career in their hands, and then work hard,” paid off: he landed positions as sous chef for the two-Michelin starred Daniel and at the one-Michelin star Bâtard, as well as the The NoMad Bar and Restaurant. The opportunity to helm a New Orleans-themed brasserie in Paris followed, where Pearson learned the value of excellent ingredients. In France, he said, “every fig is perfectly ripe, it makes you not want to accept a bag of carrots from who-knows-where.” He brought that attitude stateside. Food-wise, Couvant is heavy on French technique, but when I asked Pearson how he sets his restaurant apart from the slew of downtown French establishments, he was quick to highlight the ingredients he selects. “We try to get the best product that we can,” he said, to give the food at Couvant a “sense of place.” Every day, his distributor from JV Foods texts him selections from local farms and seafood purveyors. Even if it means a dish doesn’t stay on the menu for long thanks to Louisiana’s notoriously short seasons, Pearson highlights whatever the Coast has to offer that day. Perhaps nothing better demonstrates this than the Gulf Fish Chaudrée, cooked with bass the night I ate at Couvant. The chaudrée, a French chowder traditionally cooked in an iron pot, is a comforting canvas of the region’s offerings and Pearson’s selectivity. The best catch of the day is served in a rich broth that gets its //J A N

flavor from simmered shellfish and is thickened with blended potatoes. The shrimp and broccoli rabe provide bite, and thick cut bacon lardon makes it a very moreish dish. I only wished there was bread to mop up the stock at the bottom of the bowl. Pearson, like other fine dining chefs, is returning to simplicity. Compared to the Michelin starred restaurants of a decade ago, “the style of food has changed a lot,” he said. “It used to be like every dish would have a pickle, a pureé, a roasted element, a shaving, a this, a that. There’d be fifteen different ingredients on a plate

Dishes our reviewer enjoyed at Couvant, from left to right: Gulf Fish Chaudrée, Foie Gras Torchon, and Duck Confit.

and eight different little herbs on top. Now I think [chefs] are leaning towards ‘simple is hard’. If we do a steak frites, the steak and the frites have to be perfect, cause there’s nothing to hide behind.” Other menu items demonstrate this notion. The duck confit is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, accentuated with lima beans, lentils, and blue cheese. All the dishes I tried, though unapologetically rich (Pearson originally won the Couvant owners over with his signature brioche-crusted veal.), is prepared with the idea of enjoyment, not obliteration. I was smitten by the neatly-cut strips of baked-in-house brioche to pair with the foie gras torchon. It was a caring touch, like when a mother cuts the crusts off of a sandwich.

The details of service matched the consideration of each dish. The staff has a friendly rapport with guests and each other. The wine pairings our bartender recommended—a surprisingly hearty Gamay, a Sauvignon Blanc that was ample while remaining crisp—were fresh takes on classic styles, and paired excellently with the meal. For Pearson, returning to the childhood city where he learned to roll biscuits with his grandmother has proven to be a successful homecoming. As food ambassador for The Eliza Jane, visitors can take pleasure in a meal that celebrates the Gulf’s abundance and the city’s French history. If Couvant is a hotel restaurant, it's the best of its kind. • couvant.com

Your tickets to good times in Baton Rouge and beyond

Get your tickets today BONTEMPSTIX.COM 38

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03 . 02 . 24 | 6 10 pm MISSISSIPPI MUSEUM OF ART GARDEN

F E AT U R I N G

C AT C O R A , N I C K WA L L A C E , DA M A R R B R OW N , B U D D H A LO, ASHLEIGH SHANTI, + LO CA L A N D R E G I O N A L C H E F S & B E V E RAG E E X P E R TS

J X N F O O DA N DW I N E .CO M

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Outdoors

JANUARY 2024

40 INTRODUCING A NEW COUNTRY ROADS GARDENING COLUMN

NATIVE THOUGHT

•

O U R S U S TA I N A B L E G A R D E N

Breaking Old Ground in a New World IMAGINING A FUTURE OF ECOLOGICAL HEALING THROUGH SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPES AND NATIVE GARDENING By Jess Cole

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o much quiet magic happens around the new year in southern Louisiana. Our plants plead hdormancy, the concerto of cicadas, crickets and amphibians have taken their bow. The beech trees refuse to drop their sharp caramel leaves. Our rambunctious biosphere quiets as the night sky grows brighter… leaving space for us humans to delve deeper into the more subtle aspects of our natural world. Immersed in the wonder of a new year, it feels as good a time as any to launch a new gardening column in Country Roads magazine. My name is Jess Cole, and starting with this first edition of "Our Sustainable Garden," I’ll be contributing insights on the subject of native plants and ecological sustainability within the framework of our personal gardens, as well as our broader local ecosystems—a topic that is central to my horticultural and naturalist work as owner/operator of Sweet Fern Landscapes and co-founder of both Meadow Creek Native Plants and our related non-profit Louisiana Wild Society. The classic definition of a native plant is: a plant that naturally occurs in a given region without human introduction, having evolved over millennia alongside native insects and fauna. These long-standing, complex relationships work symbiotically to support a functioning, immensely beneficial ecosystem. When we destroy our native habitats by such unsustainable practices as clear cutting our forests, excessive tilling of our topsoils, and poisoning our soil and waterways—we lose those intricate connections, and thus, lose diversity. Life thrives within diversity. When we intentionally work with natives on our properties, some of the benefits we’ll see in our immediate environment include fostering beneficial habitats for wildlife, conserving water, controlling erosion, and enjoying a more low maintenance garden. Gardeners just starting out with native plants will quickly learn the vast range of flora encompassed by the world of “Louisiana natives”. In each of our region’s wildly different landscapes are native plants best suited to it. For example, the flora in the wet and salty soils of my childhood Bayou Lacombe are not the same as the species growing in the upland hills of St. Francisville, where I currently reside. Yet, they are all “native plants” to Louisiana. When these preferred habitats are taken into account, one can truly maximize natives’ unparalleled benefits within the framework of your particular garden. As of late, I have been thinking more about the perhaps overly-simplistic definition of “native plant” and how these ancient plants will fit into our rapidly changing environment. I find the concept itself can get caught up in fundamentalist, almost colonial, thought; and is thus incomplete, imperfect. It is worth noting that many of the plants we believe to be “native” may have been altered by humans before European records. We know that plants have been migrating and moving via wind, water, animals, and early humans long before European botanists ever found their way here to record them. So, while I believe that using native plants can be the most beneficial thing someone can do for their direct environment—I do not identify as a 100% natives-only purist. Especially considering the impacts of our chang-

ing climate, I believe we cannot ignore the ecological benefits that certain non-native plants bring to the garden. Our current weather patterns are changing far more rapidly than plants can evolve, meaning our idea of what is “native” and how we can use these plants will have to be an ongoing and open-minded conversation. Take this last year for example: Record persistent freezing hours coupled with extreme drought and heat proved that just because a plant is native does not mean it will thrive in just any local environment, no matter what. All of our flora suffered, “native” and “exotic”. The more extreme and erratic our weather patterns become, I firmly encourage a broadening of our ideas of what a sustainable planting can look like—rather than limiting it to native plants as the sole solution. Once you get past the stereotypically harmful exotics (such as the invasive Ardisia crenata, for instance), it is important to acknowledge that some exotics could be great, ecologically-valuable solutions in our near future. Some examples include the pollinator-magnet Vitex tree, which can seemingly live for ages with almost no water. Or moon vine blooms, which at dusk draw swarms of sphinx moths. Have you noticed how many tree frogs rest in banana plants? The folds of the banana leaves serve as both the sturdiest of homes and the deepest of water wells. Just because a plant is “exotic” does not mean it should be negated blindly. All that said, there is still one thing native plants offer that exotics simply cannot: they offer a sense of place and connection to home. When I lived out west, to return to Louisiana was to come home to eighty shades of green, low lying palmettos, sprawling oaks, nocturnal creatures that animate the night. These native flora and fauna defined and colored my physical space on this earth. I didn’t fully realize this until I lived without it, and it’s part of what ultimately brought me home. •

January Plant Spotlight: The American Beech Fagus grandiflora: A vital character of hardwood forests, the American Beech is a winter showstopper and wildlife powerhouse. It holds on to its leaves for most of winter, offering wild seasonal color. To say it benefits wildlife is a drastic understatement. This tree supports, via shelter and food, up to forty species of birds, mammals, and insects. Offer it lots of room to grow. It will thrive in many conditions as long as the soil is well drained. You can visit this tree also in nearby forests, often growing in colonies. Gorgeous, slow and resilient, the American Beech is a faithful ally to grow and learn from.

Annual Gardening Symposium Revolution Natives: Ecological Restoration meets Traditional Garden Design Sponsored by the Arlene Kestner Educational Fund

Saturday, January 27, 2024 • 8:30AM to 1PM, at the EBRP Main Branch Library Conference Room, 7711 Goodwood Blvd, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 Ticket Prices $35-$80 • Early registration discounts end January 15, 2024 January 7th Camellia Garden Tour & Lecture with Dr. Wayne Stromeyer

Featured speakers: Larry Weaner • Dr. Malcolm Vidrine • Dr. Charles Allen Ashlee Brackeen and Caitlin Robbins of Swamp Fly Native Landscapes

For more info and registration, visit lsu.edu/hilltop or call 225-767-6916.

A New Year calls for a new outfit! 140 Liberty Road, Natchez, MS 601-446-8664 Mon - Fri: 10 -5 Sat: 10 - 4 //J A N

JANUARY 2024

Culture

42 THE HISTORY OF THE OFFICIAL COCKTAIL OF NEW ORLEANS P R E S S // 4 5 A N D Y W A R H O L I N B A T O N R O U G E

LIQUOR, POETRY & WARHOL

// 4 4 A N E W P O E T R Y B O O K F R O M L S U

•

MADE IN LOUISIANA

The Sazerac Endures AN ORIGIN STORY LACED WITH COGNAC AND ABSINTHE By Kristy Christiansen

Louisiana is famous for our food and our cocktails, for our coffees and spices. But where do all these products begin? We (writer-photographer duo Kristy and Paul Christiansen) are on a mission to discover the origins of some of our most famous and unique locally-made products through a new Country Roads series, “Made in Louisiana”.

ur mission to better understand one of hLouisiana’s most famous cocktails led us to the corner of Canal and Magazine streets in New Orleans, to a regal, Italianate, 48,000-square-foot structure dating back to the 1860s. Following an extensive historic restoration, the former dry goods store opened as The Sazerac House, a museum and small-batch distillery, in 2019. Here we embarked on an engaging tour through three stories of New Orleans’s cocktail history, complete with interactive exhibits, lively bartenders, and drink tastings along the way. Walk through the halls, and you can smell the distinctive notes of Sazerac rye whiskey and Peychaud’s bitters, two of the key ingredients in the modern Sazerac cocktail, along with Herbsaint, a sugar cube, and a twist of lemon. “The Sazerac’s ingredients are really expressive of some of the city’s cultural influences: French/Haitian Creole bitters, rye sent down the Mississippi River, Cognac and anise liqueur from France, lemons from Italy, and sugar from the Caribbean islands,” explained Experience Team Leader Matt Ray. In a city known for its cocktails, it’s hard for one to stand out above the rest. Still, the Sazerac House makes a pretty strong case for their nominal cocktail to be elevated above all the others, starting with the fact that the Louisiana Legislature designated the Sazerac the official cocktail of New Orleans in 2008. 42

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“We are the only city in America with an official cocktail by a state-body. The entire state legislature considered the motion,” said Ray. “The Sazerac is one of the oldest classic cocktails in the United States. When you go to New York or London and see the Sazerac on a cocktail menu, it’s a real point of pride for New Orleans.” The tour journeys back to the 1800s, when Antoine Peychaud arrived in New Orleans after fleeing the slave rebellion in Saint-Domingue (now Haiti). Peychaud opened an apothecary on Royal Street in 1834, where he sold medicines and herbal remedies, including his world-famous Peychaud’s Bitters—which he served in a pharmaceutical brandy cocktail. After hours, he experimented with his bitters, adding them to Cognac, a high-quality brandy made in France, to create the earliest version of the Sazerac cocktail. At the time, “coffee houses” (where liquor was typically the drink of choice) in New Orleans were flourishing, serving as a gathering place to discuss business and politics, earning the nickname “exchanges.” By 1859, the city had almost a thousand of these establishments. The novel Sazerac cocktail—which originally included the French Sazerac de Forge et Fils Cognac, absinthe, and Peychaud’s Bitters—became popular at the Sazerac Coffee House, which opened in the 1850s at 13 Exchange Place. The Coffee House had a second entrance on Royal Street, steps away from Peychaud’s

apothecary. By the 1880s, the establishment boasted a 125-foot-long bar with twelve bartenders serving the Sazerac cocktail. To attract business, they offered free lunch with the price of a drink. In the later nineteenth century, the phylloxera epidemic swept through Europe, destroying its grapevines. Brandy and Cognac became harder to obtain in New Orleans, but Kentucky whiskey—floated down the Mississippi River—stepped in to fill the void, which is how rye whiskey replaced Cognac as the main ingredient in the Sazerac cocktail. The next recipe change occurred in 1912, when America followed the lead of European countries in banning absinthe for its alleged dangerously addictive qualities and ability to cause convulsions and hallucinations from the added wormwood. Prohibition quickly followed, and after New Orleans failed in its attempt to reclassify liquor as food, many bars went underground as speakeasies. The Sazerac House, though, permanently closed. In 1933, Prohibition ended and J. Marion Legendre introduced Herbsaint as a version of absinthe without the wormwood. That same year, the Sazerac Company opened a new bar on Carondelet Street, serving up the famed Sazerac cocktail, this time with Herbsaint rather than absinthe. Sixteen years later, the Sazerac Bar on Carondelet closed, but a new one opened in the Roosevelt Hotel. Although no longer connected to

the Sazerac Company, the Roosevelt’s Sazerac Bar remains the official place to buy a bar-made Sazerac in the city. And now, just down the street, the Sazerac House museum pays its own homage to the legacy of New Orleans’s most famous cocktail. “Sazerac House tries to celebrate the history of New Orleans through the cocktail,” said Ray. “The Sazerac Company, a local family-owned business, bought an empty building on Canal Street in downtown, returned it to its former 1860s glory, and opened it as a free cocktail museum. We’re here to get people excited about being in our city by pouring drinks and telling all our favorite stories.” •

Sazerac Rye Whiskey, Herbsaint, and Peychaud’s Bitters are all owned and made by the Sazerac Company, with the majority of the whiskey and Peychaud’s Bitters produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky. However, visitors can watch small batch amounts made at the Sazerac House during their free tour. Tours run seven days a week from 11 am–6 pm, with the last tour beginning at 4:15 pm. Reservations can be made online at sazerachouse.com.

Photo by Paul Christiansen

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BOOK REVIEW

For Today

CAROLYN HEMBREE'S NEW POETRY COLLECTION WEDS GEOGRAPHY TO ITS PEOPLE IN AN UNNAMED NEW ORLEANS

By Sophie Nau

Look for our FEBRUARY MUSIC ISSUE on stands next month!

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fter reading poet Carolyn Hembree’s newest poetry collection For Today (LSU Press, 2024), hit’s no surprise to learn that her writing space (“My little hole, as my child calls it, which is the laundry room.”) contains on its walls photographs she takes, writings, and maps. The poems in For Today are layered with images and impressions that altogether produce a simultaneous narrative of the speaker’s internal life and her neighborhood as she walks through it. In ekphrastic compositions, the pulses of a Southern city collide with personal dramas: the death of a father, motherhood in a world where middle schools have lockdown drills, a sick friend. Hembree, an associate professor at the University of New Orleans and author of Rigging a Chevy into a Time Machine and Other Ways to Escape a Plague (Trio House Press, 2016), and Skinny (Kore Press, 2012), told me that For Today began a decade ago as a documentary-style project on violence against women in disaster-struck areas. As many an artist can attest, however, sometimes “the plan is the problem.” After a year of research and writing funded by the Atlas Grant, she tossed what she had, and started on a new poem that later became the starting point for the collection’s titular long poem, “For Today.” Though themes from her original research survive, the poem took on an altogether new identity. “As I continued to work on it, I started to realize—oh no, this is ten pages,” Hembree said. “Once I got to about twenty-something … I realized, at that point, this is going to be huge. And it seemed like I could put anything in it. There was a point at which there was such joy. I had never had an experience of writing that has been that joyful or fulfilling. There was nothing I couldn’t fold into that poem, it would hold anything I put in it. It was amazing.” The city described in the pages of For Today is not named, though details like bargeboard walls and the slow rise of bridges suggest it is New Orleans. There’s the “shuttered mud hut of shutdown pawn shop,” an emblem of the disaster in “August 29, 2005” and the empty silence of a stilted, pandemic-ridden city in “April 2020.” Many sections alert us to a backdrop lush and precarious behind the personal narrative. As the speaker meanders through the neighborhoods, history pulses through old buildings, just as memories of her late father seem to slide out of the sidewalk cracks. Hembree, a Tennessee native and New Orleans resident since 2001, was conscious to not claim to represent an entire city. She has written about Alabama and Tennessee in her previous books, but from the distance of having left. With For Today, she was faced with the dilemma of writing place in the present. “As a writer I think it’s really dangerous to think one writes a place,” she said, “because a place is the people. In saying the words ‘New Orleans,’ which I never do in the book, there is a certain kind of authority that I don’t feel comfortable having. I wasn’t born here, I was not raised here. I have not experienced any of the most dehumanizing, horrifying aspects of the South, or the Gulf South.” So, she whittled the setting down to her neighborhood. “Once landscapes shrank down to neighborhood, I could feel a ‘geography wedded to its people,’” a concept borrowed from the Arkansas-born poet C.D. Wright. Indeed, the neighborhood speaks, and Hembree puts its players in conversation with each other, with memory, with objects. In one such moment, the speaker arrives home: “A rumble/about to rain/across the alley, my lakeside neighbor, retired carnival gown seamstress, whose blushing plum fleshes my window frame, blows a kiss from her window seat…” As she reflects on this neighbor’s wartime stories while going through the mail, the poem takes the shape of the lockdown drill consent form she’s received, the page ending with a line waiting for its signature. In “Dizzy Bird Fantasia” there exists both frantic worries (observing “clouds” gives way to “clot” and health concerns), and the free-form afternoons of mother and child. In "Funk Hour Fantasia,” the speaker “done thunk enough” and turns up the radio. It’s a universal feeling, though maybe one no better displayed than in the second lines rambling down nearby streets. As concentrated as For Today’s setting may be, the poems and their neighborhood are a microcosmic display of the tender tensions of living. • lsupress.org.

ON EXHIBIT

Friends & Frenemies

artists were hungry to shake up the notion of what art was expected to be. “I think it goes in with that whole time of turbulence. If you think about it, they actually just turned the art world over,” Shulte said. “And THE LSU MUSEUM OF ART'S LATEST EXHIBITION EXPLORES they pushed the bounds of what we consider art. And Andy Warhol was like, great at it.” THE ERA OF WARHOL The works in the exhibition are on loan from the By Alexandra Kennon collection of Wesley and Missy Cochran, who have devoted their lives to supporting artists and amassing an impressive assortment of twentieth he imagery of Andy Warhol’s vibrant, century artworks. Besides the Warhol prints, the iconic prints stands out as large and exhibition includes woodblocks, etchings, lithobright against the backdrop of modern graphs, serigraphs, film, and more by artists that Andy Warhol American culture as the pop artist’s perinclude Roy Lichtenstein, Helen Frankenthaler, sona itself. “He would have been an amazing social / Friends & Robert Rauschenberg, and Willem de Kooning. media star today. I guess he was like the original inFrenemies: Prints “I really wanted it to stay true to sort of this idea fluencer,” mused Michelle Shulte, executive direcfrom the Cochran that they all knew each other,” Shulte explained. tor of the LSU Museum of Art. “Because he underCollection will be “All of these artists were aware of one another stood the power of media. And he understood the on display in the … and there are artists in the show that actively power of being famous, and how he could make worked alongside Andy Warhol.” LSU Museum of himself famous. And he was great at it.” The concept of “Friends and Frenemies” came This world where art and personality inextriArt on the third from this notion, of Warhol being contextualcably combine and magnify one another is where floor of the Shaw ized amongst the art of his contemporaries who we find Warhol’s larger-than-life career, as well as Center for worked in similar styles of pop art, expressionism, the LSU Museum of Art’s new exhibition Andy the Arts and abstract art; often partying alongside him in Warhol / Friends & Frenemies: Prints from the Cofrom January New York City. “[Warhol] was such a big celebrichran Collection. In addition to over thirty large11—March ty artist in the ‘70s, that sometimes he overshadscale Warhol prints, including the entirety of his ows some of the others, but it was also this beau31, 2024. “Myths” and “Cowboys and Indians” portfolios, tiful generation and epoch of these artists who Friends and Frenemies features over sixty other lsumoa.org. were celebrities. Sort of like rock stars of today, it's works by contemporaries of Warhol, who were kind of interesting that in the ‘70s, we were putalso active participants in the major shifts the “Me New Annie Oakley (from the Cowboys and Indians series), 1986 by Andy Warting artists up on pedestals, and they were makGeneration'' was causing in contemporary art and hol © 2024 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed ing magazine covers, and we were talking about culture between 1960 and the late 1990s. by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York. them,” Shulte said. “That's what makes that era Amidst the context of the Civil Rights Movement, Gay Rights Movement, Indigenous Movement, at the time of America entering the Vietnam War—all so special to me, and so I really wanted to show work second wave of feminism, and other activism that arose against the backdrop of rising consumerism—American from it.” •

Art unWINEd Tired of the same ol’paint and drink?! If so, then check out BREC’s adult-only, fun and creative grown-up time outs.

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Escapes

J A N U A RY 2 0 24 46

LEARN

THE INS AND OUTS OF FISHING

CHATTANOOGA

LOUISIANA

BAYOU

OLD GROUND, NEW GROUND

C O U N T R Y // 5 0

CHOO, CHOO

•

GONE FISHING

The Lodge Life

THE HISTORIC, UNINCORPORATED FISHING VILLAGES OF DELACROIX, SHELL BEACH, AND HOPEDALE ARE HOME TO SOME OF THE REGION'S MOST ELEVATED HUNTING AND FISHING EXPERIENCES

Story and photos by Gary Michael Smith

Delacroix Lodge

outheast Louisiana is known for its unrivaled fishing. But hthere’s an area in Saint Bernard Parish so coveted by anglers that lodges, cabins, marinas, and RV parks dot the landscape like duckweed in a lagoon. A journey through several of these historic unincorporated fishing villages reveals a charm and intrigue still felt by those whose families have lived here for generations. 46

This strip of sandy meander belt called Delacroix was settled by Canary Islanders in 1783. Originally named “La Isla" in 1894, it was renamed “L'île de la Croix” after its landowner, the Countess Pauline Stéphanie de Livaudais du Suan de la Croix. Since seeing the 2017 documentary Rodents of Unusual Size, which tells of the hunters and fishers of the area, I’ve made several day trips to the Isleños fishing

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community of Delacroix simply for the peace and solitude of the drive. In Louisiana, the word “camp” often leads to thoughts of no-frills plywood structures that serve hunters’ and fishers’ bare essential needs. But here in St. Bernard Parish, the structures along the water are more akin to “lodges,” tastefully adorned and functionally furnished— more glamping than camping. The lodges on LA 300, known as

Delacroix Highway—are a mere two hours from Baton Rouge and just under an hour from New Orleans. Once past Chalmette, which is the nearest town for groceries, the highway weaves through the pastoral area known as Violet, originally part of Livaudais Plantation. After traversing fields of green, you’ll exit the security of massive steel and concrete flood gates, reminding you that evacuation is mandatory when storms threaten.

Pelicans Roost Resort

Moments after crossing the Florissant Highway intersection, you’re flanked on the right by the shimmering waters of Bayou Terre aux Boeufs, with bulkhead rocks bordering much of the roadside, and intriguing wilderness on the other, which separates you from Grand Lagoon. Nestled on the bucolic bayou is the pearly-white floating lodge, Pelicans Roost Resort—an all-inclusive luxury hunting and fishing experience placidly positioned in mesmerizing marsh country. Several 400-square foot Sportsman cabins are huddled in a wooded clearing across the street, which are used to house everyone from on-demand chefs and staff to out-of-town guests who want the independence to cook for themselves. Although technically the lodge (which houses up to twelve people on its own) is a barge, I easily forgot this even after stepping across the small gangplank. Steward Chad Niell, who bought Pelicans Roost Resort in April 2023, told me there are three patios, and he and I lounge on one of them in gothic chairs around a massive coffee table as the occasional pair of teal leisurely glide by. The roadway had so little traffic that we were able to hear fish splashing about looking for treats. As we relaxed comfortably under the gentle breeze of several fans, the Jonesboro, Arkansas native explained what first attracted him to the Delacroix community. He is clean-cut, yet outdoorsy, with a compe-

tent demeanor, a relaxed sparkle of confidence in his eyes, and a passion in his voice for his new project. “I used to come here often and found it easy to love the area,” he explained. When property became available, he jumped at the chance to spend more time in Delacroix. He pointed out that the full kitchen in the lodge is staffed by chefs as needed, and provides gourmet cuisine for guests in the highly-polished, deep-toned wooden dining area, which seats twelve on glossy antique Chippendale chairs around a custom thirteen-foot sinker cypress table, all a few steps from a full bar. pelicansroostresort.com Pelicans Roost Resort is one of the higher-end options for luxury hunting and fishing experiences in Delacroix.

The Delacroix Lodge

Further down the single-lane, crab traplined road, The Delacroix Lodge sign hangs mysteriously from a tiny, single-room hut, which I later learned is the lodge’s office. Adjacent are numerous boat slips that welcome fishers to a vast covered area with a handful of wellspaced picnic tables interspersed with hanging porch swings and some fish cleaning stations. Leah Melerine, with a mane of curly red hair, is daughter-in-law to one of the owners, and was my guide through a newer and an older cabin—two of the twelve red, beige, and green cottages. Afterwards, we climbed the thirty or so steps to the elevated man house, which

Drake Lodge in Shell Beach is owned and hosted by charter fishing guide, Captain Jimmy Corley—who has lived in the area all his life.

SEASON 4 PREMIERE Sunday, January 7 at 8PM

SEASON 10 PREMIERE Tuesday, January 2 at 7PM

FINAL SEASON PREMIERE Thursday, January 18 at 8PM

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who started the business in 2008. “I’ve always had a passion for the outdoors.” The Drake provides guests with a large double driveway for vehicles and boats. Up the sturdy steps and across walkways commensurate with most structures here, guests are embraced by the Southern veranda overlooking the bayou, with a side gallery providing captivating views of the marsh. A screened recreation/dining area is located on the first level, and above that is a sizable wood-, feather-, and leather-themed living room, a dining area, and a full kitchen. Fish cleaning stations are located in “Blackie” Campos Marina—and as indicated in his title, Captain Corley is an experienced charter fishing guide. waterfowlspecialist.com

The boat slips at Delacroix Lodge.

can be rented to large groups. Both sets of cabins sleep up to five; the six “Standard” cabins come with uncovered boat docks and wet slips, and the six "Deluxe" cabins include covered wet slips. Owners Brandon and Claude Jr. Melerine’s family can be traced back to Delacroix for generations, and Brandon told me the idea for the business came from his father, Claude Sr. “After seeing some small cabins for rent along a canal in Mississippi,” Melerine recalled, “he thought that would be great in Delacroix.” He remembers his father suggesting, “We could build them on a frame with wheels so they can be towed out for storms.”

“What’s neat about renting a cabin with a boat slip is that it’s like having your own camp, without the responsibilities of owning it,” Melerine noted. He can also recommend an extensive list of professionals to guide visitors through marsh tours, alligator hunts, and inland saltwater and fly-fishing excursions. thedelacroixlodge.com

The Drake Lodge

After absorbing the magic of L'île de la Croix, the Drake Lodge is in the next village of Yscloskey, locally known as Shell Beach—another entrancing fishing community founded by Isleño

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hunters, trappers, and fisherman after the Civil War. To get there, head north on LA-300 until reaching Florissant Highway, take a right, and drive east a few miles before arriving at the historic wheel and cable lift bridge crossing the picturesque Bayou la Loutre. Then, turn left onto Hopedale Highway and head back a hundred yards to Yscloskey Highway. When you take a right, you’ll see the single-family five-columned olive and beige lodge, which accommodates up to six people at a time. “I’m from a family of commercial fishers," said owner and lifelong Shell Beach resident Captain Jimmy Corley,

[

Reel Excitement Lodge

Up the road toward Shell Beach is Reel Excitement Lodge—an ocean blue four bedroom, four bath resort that sleeps up to twenty-four. Owner Captain Jonathan Sanchez, an experienced charter fishing guide, says “I focus primarily on fishing, since duck hunting is nothing like it used to be.” He added, “You might find some dos gris and teal, but mallards have been gone for ten years or more.” Nonetheless, he’ll take you to the best fishing spots in the area, and can provide the necessary accommodations for a couple dozen of your closest friends. capt.jsanchez@yahoo.com

[

CountryRoadsMag.com

Pelican Perch Lodge

The last stop on LA-46 at Shell Beach is Pelican Perch Lodge. Safely and securely mounted on pilings and steel girders that bring to mind iconic images of Empire State Building construction, the simple outside design masks an interior that leans into the “glam” of glamping, more closely resembling a home in a gated community than a camp. Owners Margaret and Bradley McCoy were away during my visit, but remotely unlocked the doors so I could tour their beautiful home away from home. The McCoys’ lavish resort has four bedrooms with fifteen beds total and three bathrooms overlooking a tributary of Bayou Yscloskey, which leads into Lake Borgne. The floor plan includes not one but two living rooms—one with an indulgently cushy sectional sofa, and the other a comfy three-seat overstuffed couch and four reclining captain chairs. Beyond is a fully furnished kitchen with four-seat wet island, dining table, and an exit leading to a side gallery balcony. “We also have a houseboat that we floated down the Mississippi River from Minnesota to Shell Beach,” Margaret said. The houseboat has a more intimate layout, with one bed on an upper deck and two more on the lower level. “We hope to have it available as a rental in the future,” Bradley added. Bradley has hunted ducks in Shell Beach since 2012, and, wanting to spend more time there, the couple

bought the houseboat in 2020, intending to use it as a camp. Enamored by the area, they pooled their real estate and hospitality backgrounds, and sold their house in New Orleans to fund their Shell Beach projects. Such endeavors include building an RV park in 2021, buying the lodge in 2022, and then two campers, which can accommodate four guests each. im-onvacation.com

Patriot Lodge

Just southeast of Shell Beach is the Patriot Lodge, which held its grand opening in late June 2023. Take LA-46 from Pelican Perch southwest to LA-624 and head southeast to Hopedale—another of the fishing communities established by Isleños fishers and trappers following the Civil War. Imagine you’re a couple centuries in the past with a screened porch, veranda, and various decks with Adirondack and rocking chairs, and large hammocks. The five-bedroom, four-bath lodge sleeps from nineteen to twenty-six depending on if you want your own bed or are willing to cozy up on double and queen beds. thepatriotfishinglodge.com Captivated by these communities as I’ve become, visions of the waterways, wildlife, and landscape occupy my dreams. Wherever you’re from, it’s worth the trip to visit. •

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Images courtesy of Visit Chattanooga.

FURTHER AFIELD

'Cha Doin' in Chattanooga?

A TRAVEL GUIDE TO A REFRESHED AND RENEWED TENNESSEE JEWEL

By Beth D'Addono

f all the spirits expected to hhgrace a Chattanooga bar hin Tennessee's robust bourbon country, mead just isn’t one of them. But there it is, the surprise of a meadery called Flora de Mel, “flower of honey,” with seven meads on tap—the place where we began our Chattanooga adventure. The honey-fueled alcohol is the oldest form of distilled spirits, dating back to Chinese makers in 600 B.C. It’s also a bee-saving passion project for local developer Jay Martin and his wife Stephanie, a ceramic artist and sculptor. They started keeping bees in 2015, a path which led to their artisan distilling business. A guided flight tasting proves that mead isn’t necessarily sweet. The twoyears of aging can render it anywhere from bone-dry to fit-for-dessert. Some sips are carbonated, light, and low alcohol; others full-bodied, dark, and potent. Amaro drinkers will feel a sense of kinship to the fuller-bodied pours, some infused with hibiscus, chili peppers, and basil. This kind of gastronomic attention paid continues to the front of the space, with Mac’s Kitchen, chef Brian “Mac” McDonald’s farm-focused new Southern bistro. His menu is a rumination on what Southern food really is, a seed-to-plate journey that seems at once original and familiar. The seasonal menu is set into categories of "foraged," "garden," and "land," delivering gorgeously-composed plates of spring onion dip served with naan, mushroom grits with sorghum butter, and chanterelles with brown butter and scapes. 50

A City Transformed

Chattanooga’s impressive success story is tied to its polluted past, long dependent upon an economy fueled by heavy manufacturing and steel mills. In 1969, CBS broadcaster Walter Cronkite announced a report from the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare that labeled the city as America’s dirtiest, the “worst city in the nation for particulate air pollution.” It took billions of dollars from industry and city government, but change started to take place over the next several decades. Factories closed, and the city was finally able to breathe. The 1990s saw a sea of change in efforts to attract visitors through initiatives such as “Vision 2000”—which aimed to revitalize Chattanooga’s downtown by the year 2000. Contributing to that plan were a group of architectural students from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, who conceived a plan to bring a Riverpark, tied to a state aquarium, to the waterfront. The glass-peaked Tennessee Aquarium opened in 1992, with gorgeous low-lit river and ocean galleries designed to treat aquatic creatures like movable Technicolor art. The aquarium hangs its hat on conservation, a story that continues out back, where Riverwalk greenways encourage wandering along the Tennessee River for twenty miles. A few blocks from the aquarium, there is the entrance to the 2,376-foot-long Walnut Street Bridge, an iconic piece of architecture on the National Register of Historic Places. Walk the pedestrian bridge to the city’s North Shore, where Clumpie’s, a local ice cream shop, awaits.

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Choo Choo

Not every city has its own song. Say Chattanooga, and somebody of a certain age is going to respond “Choo Choo”. That’s because the Glenn Miller Orchestra released the catchy “Chattanooga Choo Choo” tune in 1941. Over the years, it’s been covered by the likes of Asleep at the Wheel, Ray Charles, and Stéphane Grappelli. The city’s grand Terminal Station, with its soaring eighty-five-foot dome, was restored to its original gilded splendor in the 1970s. With a hotel, shops, bars, dining, and services, the Choo Choo, as it’s known, provided a reason for folks to linger or visit what was, at the time, still an empty downtown. These days, the station is buzzing inside and out. Have a coffee at Frothy Monkey, Southern eats at Nic & Norman’s, craft beer at American Draft, and small batch spirits and live music at Gate 11 Distillery. Since the completion of a $19 million renovation this past fall, the Hotel Chalet now offers guests the option of checking into a vintage, circa-1920s train carriage.

Some Big To-Dos

Between rambling outdoors and a lively downtown, Chattanooga delivers plenty of action. Two offbeat museums intrigue. The Lodge Museum of Cast Iron is a wonder for the campfire enthusiast and all lovers of the heavyweight cookware. The museum, which could be the star of an episode of How It’s Made, tells the story of the evolution of American cookery, using cast iron as a port of entry. One of the world’s largest frying pans beckons,

a highly Instagrammable eighteen-foot monster. Plan on hearty skillet eats afterward at Big Bad Breakfast, the brainchild of James Beard award-winning Chef John Currence. The International Towing Museum started as a passion project for a group of towing professionals. Radiating solidarity and brotherhood, the museum goes beyond the history of the tow truck, invented here in 1916. A memorial hall commemorates the drivers killed on the job, demonstrating its dangers. An average of two drivers die every month in America, making the profession the deadliest among first responders. Although it’s plenty commercial, Rock City is a popular family attraction built into the natural landscape with panoramic views and waterfalls. Follow the “enchanted trail” into Fairyland Caves, home to bizarre dioramas that pay apt homage to the Brothers Grimm. Better still, visit Ruby Falls, a cave walk that travels deep underground past a series of hidden waterfalls inside Lookout Mountain. Art lovers will appreciate large-scale works on display at the Sculpture Fields at Montegue Park. They’ll also enjoy a wander through the planned Bluff View Art District downtown, overlooking the Tennessee River, dotted with galleries and outdoor sculptures. The Hunter Museum of American Art is here, too—with an impressive American collection that includes works by Thomas Cole and Jasper Johns. After touring, tuck into some Italian fare at Tony’s Pasta Shop & Trattoria, from homemade garlic ciabatta, to fresh pasta smothered in your choice of a dozen sauces.

A Farm for the People

When Melonie Lusk took over as executive director of the twenty-two-acre Crabtree Farms of Chattanooga, it was essentially a farmer’s market for the Whole Foods set. Now, with Lusk’s impassioned vision and collaborative bent,

it’s home to a half-acre community garden and programming like a monthly potluck and Spanish immersion cooking classes. A Forrest School teaches fourth graders in the outdoor setting. Lusk’s mission, driven by inequities in food access, moved the farm from a tucked away treasure catering to ‘the haves’ to a place welcoming and accessible to all. The farm stand takes SNAP benefits, sells wildflowers, local eggs, and produce that supports growers and makers within a 100-mile radius. Aligning the farm with the needs of its Clifton Hills neighbors has enervated this urban oasis, sowing seeds of cooperation and trust that ripple out into the community.

Eating and Drinking

Some sixty restaurants have opened in Chattanooga in the past two years. Add in the already-strong line up of chef-driven spots, and choices are vast. Breakfast and brunch are a specialty at Milk and Honey, a coffee and gelato shop on the North Shore. The hangry should order the “Hot Mess,” a massive openfaced biscuit sandwich loaded with hot pepper jam, bacon, avocado, pickled red onion, melted pepper jack cheese, and a sunny side up egg. For the less peckish, avocado toast with greens and an egg hits the mark. Why shouldn’t breakfast include dessert? Homemade gelato entices. In the Choo Choo, Frothy Monkey is an all-day café with outstanding java, from-scratch pastry and bagels, and a slew of local farms credited on the menu. The biscuits and chorizo gravy will set you right. Come lunchtime, sample authentic Mexican dishes from Chef Maria Parra at Taqueria Jalisco, a homespun spot tucked away off Main Street. She and her husband Jorge started with a food truck in 2005 and now have two storefront locations. Try the street tacos worthy of Mexico City. Pastor and nopales are two of a dozen fillings topping corn tortillas

dressed with cilantro, onion and lime. Burritos, tortas, and fajitas are a few more options. “Fish so good it will smack you.” That sums up the fried catfish at Uncle Larry’s, one of a handful of Black-owned restaurants on Martin Luther King Boulevard. Now with four locations, chef Larry Torrence’s light, thin, and crispy catfish is the stuff of legend. More rib-sticking Southern specialties round out the menu. James Beard Award-nominated Chef Erik Niel’s Easy Bistro & Bar is known for inventive cocktails and a deep wine program. An impressive raw bar features seafood from all three coasts. Easy’s menu excels with cheekily named small plates, like the Georgia caprese made with heirloom tomatoes, plums, pecans, cheese, and basil. The pasta is housemade and farm ingredients inform the likes of roast chicken with eggplant and purple hull peas. Beyond Chattanooga’s swell cocktail scene, two interactive experiences raise the bar. Take a tour and a taste at Chattanooga Whiskey Experimental Distillery, founded in 2011 as the first whiskey distillery in Chattanooga in more than a century. And whether you’re staying at the boutique Kinley Hotel or not, take a cocktail making class at Company, a hidden speakeasy that’s worth the hunt. Led by experienced mixologists, you’ll be shaking and stirring like a pro in no time. The bar’s menu is outstanding, with nibbles of charcuterie, steak frites, and truffle fries. These are just a few of many portals into the city’s small but mighty food scene, which is becoming as much of a draw for visitors as the miles of accessible hiking, biking, and bouldering trails near downtown. Chattanooga is a destination that can tick the boxes for both food and outdoor-driven travelers, keeping everybody happy. •

Escapes

D E L I V E R E D D A I LY

visitchattanooga.com

Top left: Hunter Museum of American Art; Bottom left: Walnut Street Bridge; Right: Dishes from the Easy Bistro & Bar

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Directory of Merchants Akers, LA Middendorf ’s

Alexandria, LA Explore Alexandria/Pineville 16 Baton Rouge, LA Allwood Furniture 12 9 Baton Rouge Clinic Becky Parrish Advance Skincare 48 Blue Cross Blue Shield 13 BREC 45 East Baton Rouge Parish 56 Library Elizabethan Gallery 43 Hilltop Arboretum 41 Louisiana Public Broadcasting 47 LSU Rural Life 19 Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center 10 Opera Louisiane 17 Pennington Biomedical Research Ctr. 7, 29 Wilson & Wilson, LLC 49 52

Woman’s Hospital Cancer Pavilion WRKF 89.3 FM

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Livingston, LA Livingston Parish Library

Brookhaven, MS Brookhaven Tourism Council 41

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Cleveland, MS Visit Cleveland

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Natchez, MS Brakenridge Furniture Copiah-Lincoln Community College Katie’s Ladies Apparel Natchez Convention Promotion Commission Old South Trading Post

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Port Allen, LA West Baton Rouge Museum 18 West Baton Rouge CVB 6 Scott, LA Bob’s Tree Preservation

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Cross Quilter Poppin’ Up Plants The Corbel The Magnolia Cafe Town of St. Francisville

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Knotty Harts

THE STORY BEHIND THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST YARN BOMBER By Mimi Greenwood Knight

Images courtesy of Knotty Harts.

“It’s a homemade reminders that laughing is contagious, kindness is cool, and there’s always hope.” —Knottyharts

f you’ve spent any time on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in the past three years, you may have encounhtered an unexpected riot of color in one public locale or another: a jaunty yarn whale with the message “Whale Done” at the Long Beach Harbor; yarn pizza slices near a pizza joint in Gulfport, with the slogan “You Can’t be Topped”; a flush of multicolored toadstools on a fence in Bay St. Louis asserting “There’s Mushroom to Grow”; a Volkswagen, in yarn, mysteriously appearing in downtown Pass Christian just before the annual Cruisin’ the Coast antique car festival declaring “You’re a Classic”. These arresting bursts of optimism are the work of one anonymous yarn-bomb street artist (and the help of her friends) who goes by the name Knotty Harts. The concept’s origins go back to the dark days of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Knotty”, who’d been crocheting as a hobby for about fifteen years, was looking for an outside-the-box way to uplift her community. “Years before, I’d seen trees wrapped with yarn in Jacksonville,” she said. “I thought it was cool and something I might like to try some day.” Around that time, Knotty heard about a challenge from New York City “yarn bomber” London Kaye, who’d gained national notoriety creating crochet street art in Brooklyn. “She called for others to do a month of yarn bombing in their cities, one piece every day for thirty days,” Knotty recalled. After months of preparation, over the course of October 2020, she then anonymously hung thirty-one signs with funny—punny—messages across the Mississippi Gulf Coast and New Orleans. 54

Three years and hundreds of yarn bombs later, Knotty Harts has continued to spread her simple message, “Be happy. Be well,” across five countries and twenty U.S. States—delivering it through whimsical, eye-catching pictures and playful puns entirely illustrated in yarn. Knotty is the first to admit her yarn-bomb pieces can be considered cheesy, and will gladly take all the smirks, groans, and eyerolls for the sake of making one person laugh. And if it gets people talking (or sharing on social media), even better. “I started at a time when many of us were depressed because we couldn’t do the things we wanted to do,” she said. “But most of us could go for a walk. I used my yarn to try to make those walks a little brighter, for my own mental health as much as anything.” She signs each piece “knotty harts” and has set up Facebook and Instagram accounts in that name. It didn’t take long before both accounts were receiving messages from strangers thankful for the bright spots she’d created in their day. Some were even moved to make donations of yarn or money, so Knotty could continue her work. It hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows, though. Yarn bombing is technically considered graffiti, so some have treated Knotty’s art as a criminal act, in which cases her installations have been confiscated and destroyed by police. Ultimately, she’s come to terms with this ephemerality with a conviction that if one person had the chance to see and enjoy her work before it was taken down, then she’s done her job. On to the next piece. More often than not, the police have

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turned a blind eye. Knotty has also had people admit to taking some of her pieces for themselves and putting them on display in their backyard or living room. This doesn’t bother her either. “I’m just glad they loved it enough to take it,” she said. “And maybe it’s providing hope to their friends and family.” Each Knotty Harts installation represents hours of work crocheting each different element, then incorporating it into the larger design. Depending on the details, a single piece can take anywhere from five hours to eighty hours. Then, Knotty must install it in absolute anonymity—which means sneaking around between midnight and 5:00 am, stopping whenever a car or pedestrian passes and might spot her, and disappearing before anyone knows she was there. “When I started, I was hanging each element separately, which took hours in the middle of the night,” Knotty said. “But I’ve figured out how to affix everything to garden netting first. Even that can take five to six hours. But that allows me to go to my new location and put it up in two or three minutes. So, there’s less chance of getting caught.” Knotty’s largest installation to date was a massive rainbow constructed of individual yarn flowers. Commissioned by a downtown business to cover the entire side of their building, the “mural” was eight feet wide and took six months to crochet, flower by flower, then days more to turn those flowers into the rainbow. Some of her other installations go up annually for a specific holiday, then come down and are stored until the next year. Or they may be taken apart and the

pieces incorporated into a new installation to be displayed in a different town. “Sometimes I just pass a spot and think, ‘That spot needs a yarn bomb,’” Knotty said. “Then, I start thinking about what should go there.” One surprising result of Knotty’s nighttime escapades has been the reaction of her teenage son and his buddies. “My friends have always enjoyed tagging along and helping me hang my pieces,” she said. “It’s a unique opportunity to do something nice for total strangers. My son is seventeen now, and he and his friends have started helping me get into what I call ‘good trouble’. So, I’m still cool in their eyes. But mostly I love showing him how to love other people and demonstrate that love to them.” On a couple of occasions, Knotty has even been able to stand by and witness someone discovering one of her pieces. “That’s a great feeling to watch from afar and see someone else appreciate my work,” she said. Every couple of months, she compiles a spreadsheet of fifty pieces that—to her knowledge—are currently on display. She posts the list on her Instagram account and invites people to put away their cell phones, hop in a car, and go on a yarn-art scavenger hunt together. See how many you can find. Take selfies with them. Laugh at the cheesy puns. And take pleasure in knowing a total stranger has put such effort into making you feel good, even if for just a moment. •

Follow @knottyharts on Instagram or Facebook to access the most up-to-date spreadsheet, and keep up with the artist’s work.

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