Louisiana Culture from the Colonial Era to Katrina (Southern Literary Studies)

"In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson acquired 828,000 square miles of French territory in what became known as the Louisiana Purchase. Although today Louisiana makes up only a small portion of this immense territory, this exceptional state embraces a larger-than-life history and a cultural blend unlike any other in the nation. Louisiana Culture from the Colonial Era to Katrina, a collection of fourteen essays compiled and edited by John Lowe, captures all of the flavor and richness of the state's heritage, illuminating how Louisiana, despite its differences from the rest of the United States, is a microcosm of key national concerns - including regionalism, race, politics, immigration, global connections, folklore, musical traditions, ethnicity, and hybridity." "Divided into five parts, the volume opens with an examination of Louisiana's origins, with pieces on Native Americans, French and German explorers, and slavery. Two very different but complementary essays follow with investigations into the ongoing attempts to define Creoles and creolization. No collection on Louisiana would be complete without attention to its remarkable literary traditions, and several contributors offer tantalizing readings of some of the Pelican State's most distinguished writers - a dazzling array of artists any state would be proud to claim." "The volume also includes pieces on a couple of eccentric mythologies distinct to Louisiana and explorations of Louisiana's unique musical heritage. Throughout, the international slate of contributors explores the idea of place, particularly the concept of Louisiana as the center of the Caribbean wheel, where Cajuns, Creoles, Cubans, Haitians, Jamaicans, and others are part of a New World configuration, connected by their linguistic identity, landscape and climate, religion, and French and Spanish heritage. A poignant conclusion considers the devastating impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and what the storms mean for Louisiana's cultural future." "A rich portrait of Louisiana culture, this volume stands as a reminder of why that culture must be preserved."--BOOK JACKET

In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson acquired 828,000 square miles of French territory in what became known as the Louisiana Purchase. Although today Louisiana makes up only a small portion of this immense territory, this exceptional state embraces a larger-than-life history and a cultural blend unlike any other in the nation. Louisiana Culture from the Colonial Era to Katrina, a collection of fourteen essays compiled and edited by John Lowe, captures all of the flavor and richness of the state’s heritage, illuminating how Louisiana, despite its differences from the rest of the United States, is a microcosm of key national concerns—including regionalism, race, politics, immigration, global connections, folklore, musical traditions, ethnicity, and hybridity.

Divided into five parts, the volume opens with an examination of Louisiana’s origins, with pieces on Native Americans, French and German explorers, and slavery. Two very different but complementary essays follow with investigations into the ongoing attempts to define Creoles and creolization. No collection on Louisiana would be complete without attention to its remarkable literary traditions, and several contributors offer tantalizing readings of some of the Pelican State’s most distinguished writers—a dazzling array of artists any state would be proud to claim. The volume also includes pieces on a couple of eccentric mythologies distinct to Louisiana and explorations of Louisiana’s unique musical heritage.

Throughout, the international slate of contributors explores the idea of place, particularly the concept of Louisiana as the center of the Caribbean wheel, where Cajuns, Creoles, Cubans, Haitians, Jamaicans, and others are part of a New World configuration, connected by their linguistic identity, landscape and climate, religion, and French and Spanish heritage. A poignant conclusion considers the devastating impact of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and what the storms mean for Louisiana’s cultural future.

A rich portrait of Louisiana culture, this volume stands as a reminder of why that culture must be preserved.

Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Introduction: Creole Cultures and National Identity after Katrina John Lowe......Page 14 PART 1 INDIAN, FRENCH, SPANISH, AFRICAN, GERMAN: THE EARLY ORIGINS OF A UNIQUE CULTURE......Page 36 The Beginnings of Louisiana Literature: The French Domination of 1682–1763......Page 38 Louisiana—the New Egypt: Charles Sealsfield's Report from the 1820s......Page 62 Slavery in French Louisiana: From Gallic Colony to American Territory......Page 88 PART 2 THE CREOLE CONTROVERSY......Page 114 Creole Cultures and the Process of Creolization: With Special Attention to Louisiana......Page 116 One-Drop Rules: Self-Identity and the Women in the Trial of Toucoutou......Page 149 PART 3 LOUISIANA LITERATURE: THE TRADITION AND THREE CONTEMPORARY WRITERS......Page 160 Louisiana and the American Literary Tradition......Page 162 The Carnival Voices of A Confederacy of Dunces......Page 172 Ellen Gilchrist’s False Eden: The New Orleans Stories of In the Land of Dreamy Dreams......Page 204 Intimacy and/in Distance: The Poetry of Pinkie Gordon Lane......Page 225 PART 4 LOUISIANA MYTHOLOGIES, FROM THE KINGFISH TO THE PECULIAR FASCINATION WITH THE DEAD......Page 242 The Kingfish as Trickster Hero: Huey Long in Louisiana Culture......Page 244 I Want to Die in New Orleans......Page 258 PART 5 MUSIC THAT SOOTHES THE SOUL......Page 266 Hollers, Blue Notes, and Brass Sounds: Diverse Musical and Cultural Influences on Jazz in Louisiana......Page 268 One More Last Chance: Ritual and the Jazz Funeral......Page 297 Conclusion: Hearing Sappho in New Orleans......Page 307 Contributors......Page 324 Index......Page 328 Captures all of the flavour and richness of Louisiana's heritage, illuminating how the state, despite its differences from the rest of the United States, is a microcosm of key national concerns, including regionalism, race, politics, immigration, global connections, folklore, musical traditions, ethnicity, and hybridity.