BIENVENUE, folks!
Today is Mardi Gras. Is anybody celebrating? Personally, I am about to start making a good old fashioned gumbo and some delicious king cake! Might as well go all out on this day of gluttony. In light of today’s festivities, I thought it might be nice to talk about some famous New Orleans authors.
First and foremost, our lady of darkness, Anne Rice:
Anne Rice as of October has planned a return to New Orleans, the city of her birth. After a seven year absence, she has decided to find a small pied-a-terre en la vieux carre. For those of you not local to NOLA, Rice wants an apartment in the French Quarter within walking distance to her favorite places. It is here, she says, that her characters come alive. So perhaps we can look forward to more novels by the vampire queen. And, we can also look out for Rice at her local haunts, The Acme Oyster House, Mr. B’s, or Cafe Du Monde! You can read more about Rice, here.
Andrei Codrescu, founder of Exquisite Corpse, and famed poet/novelist:
Codrescu, at one time, lived in New Orleans. If you haven’t heard of him. I immediately recommend picking up his book, The Blood Countess. Although Codrescu has been recently residing in the Ozarks, he says he finds himself at home in the French Quarter at a bar in the wee hours of the morning. He was even King of the Krewe de Vieux for the 2002 Mardi Gras season. Find more about Codrescu, here.
And finally, famed American novelist, William Faulkner:
Faulkner resided in New Orleans in the year of 1925, unrecognized, and yet to publish, at the young age of 27. Faulkner only stayed a short year but it was enough time for him to publish his first book, Solider’s Pay. It was also enough time for him to fall for the wonderful city. You can see the gleam in Faulkner’s many writings of the city: ”The street was empty, but from Royal there came the hum of a trolley that rose to a staggering clatter, passed on and away leaving an interval filled with the gracious sound of inflated rubber on asphalt, like a tearing of endless silk.”
If you are interested in Faulkner’s residence in NOLA you can still visit his home which has been renovated into a bookstore named for the famous author.
Here is more on Faulkner as well.
I absolutely love New Orleans. I have only been there once but I do have an ancestor from there. It is such a wonderful, colorful city with so much rich history and culture. We also celebrate Mardi Gras at our house. I made gumbo and bought a king cake at the only grocery in town that actually sells them. I hope you enjoyed your Mardi Gras!
I didn’t know Anne Rice was returning to New Orleans! I’m quite excited by this news and I hope she finds the city as inspiring as ever. I will get there… one day…