424. Clint Bruce. Afro-Creole Poetry.
07/01/21 • 61 min
424. We interview Clint Bruce, author of Afro-Creole Poetry in French from Louisiana’s Radical Civil War–Era Newspapers:A Bilingual Edition. Collected here for the first time, seventy-nine poems published in the Civil War-era Afro-Creole New Orleans newspapers L'Union and La Tribune--most unavailable anywhere but in archives--bring to life a close-knit, politically progressive French-speaking community of artists and intellectuals whose cultural and legal legacies were monumental. The original French poems appear here alongside Clint Bruce's sensitive English translations, mindful of meaning, meter, and sound. A comprehensive introduction, biographies of the poets, and extensive annotations immerse readers in Civil War-era Louisiana. In his research for the volume, Bruce unearthed crucial issues of La Tribune long thought lost and discovered the extent of a poetic hoax undetected for nearly 150 years.
- This week in Louisiana history. July 3, 1870. The riverboat Robert E. Lee defeated the Natchez in a race on the Mississippi.
- This week in New Orleans history. Pierre Dewey LaFontaine, Jr. was born in New Orleans on White Street between Dumaine and St. Ann on July 3, 1930. As a child battling frequent respiratory infections due to weakened lungs, a local doctor advised his father to purchase a wind instrument -- Pete chose a clarinet. He took private lessons and played at McDonogh 28 school. After gigs with Monk Hazel and Al Hirt. he founded The Basin Street Six in 1950 with his longtime friend, trumpeter George Girard. He married Beverly Lang on October 27, 1951. National fame came when he joined the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. Upon returning to New Orleans, he played with The Dukes of Dixieland, then began forming his own bands. The New Orleans Jazz Club declared "Pete Fountain Day" on October 19, 1959. He opened his club at 800 Bourbon Street in the spring of 1960. A founder of The Half Fast Walking Club and a true New Orleans character, he was awarded an honorary degree by Loyola University New Orleans in 2006. On March 18, 2007, Pete Fountain was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
- This week in Louisiana.
Louisiana Culinary Trails Map
Use this map to discover Louisiana’s eight culinary trails and start planning your tasty journey. You’ll be dining like a Louisiana local in no time.
- Creole Crescent
Come taste why New Orleans is lauded for some of the most inventive and delicious food in America. - Tammany Taste
A feast of fresh produce and seafood prepared by culinary icons - Capital Cravings
Baton Rouge rallies local fare with worldwide flair - Bayou Bounty
Make room for a spicy adventure - Seafood Sensation
Riding the Gulf waters, Southwest Louisiana brings trails of fresh seafood and boudin - Prairie Home Cooking
A scenic byway of vintage towns packed with homestyle cooking and dance halls - Red River Riches
Clear your calendar for an epicurean journey and sample a global menu - Delta Delights
Grab a map and head for the hills for a feast of southern delights - Postcards from Louisiana. Maude Caillot and the Afrodiziacs play at Dos Jefes Cigar Bar.
Listen on iTunes.
424. We interview Clint Bruce, author of Afro-Creole Poetry in French from Louisiana’s Radical Civil War–Era Newspapers:A Bilingual Edition. Collected here for the first time, seventy-nine poems published in the Civil War-era Afro-Creole New Orleans newspapers L'Union and La Tribune--most unavailable anywhere but in archives--bring to life a close-knit, politically progressive French-speaking community of artists and intellectuals whose cultural and legal legacies were monumental. The original French poems appear here alongside Clint Bruce's sensitive English translations, mindful of meaning, meter, and sound. A comprehensive introduction, biographies of the poets, and extensive annotations immerse readers in Civil War-era Louisiana. In his research for the volume, Bruce unearthed crucial issues of La Tribune long thought lost and discovered the extent of a poetic hoax undetected for nearly 150 years.
- This week in Louisiana history. July 3, 1870. The riverboat Robert E. Lee defeated the Natchez in a race on the Mississippi.
- This week in New Orleans history. Pierre Dewey LaFontaine, Jr. was born in New Orleans on White Street between Dumaine and St. Ann on July 3, 1930. As a child battling frequent respiratory infections due to weakened lungs, a local doctor advised his father to purchase a wind instrument -- Pete chose a clarinet. He took private lessons and played at McDonogh 28 school. After gigs with Monk Hazel and Al Hirt. he founded The Basin Street Six in 1950 with his longtime friend, trumpeter George Girard. He married Beverly Lang on October 27, 1951. National fame came when he joined the Lawrence Welk Orchestra. Upon returning to New Orleans, he played with The Dukes of Dixieland, then began forming his own bands. The New Orleans Jazz Club declared "Pete Fountain Day" on October 19, 1959. He opened his club at 800 Bourbon Street in the spring of 1960. A founder of The Half Fast Walking Club and a true New Orleans character, he was awarded an honorary degree by Loyola University New Orleans in 2006. On March 18, 2007, Pete Fountain was inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
- This week in Louisiana.
Louisiana Culinary Trails Map
Use this map to discover Louisiana’s eight culinary trails and start planning your tasty journey. You’ll be dining like a Louisiana local in no time.
- Creole Crescent
Come taste why New Orleans is lauded for some of the most inventive and delicious food in America. - Tammany Taste
A feast of fresh produce and seafood prepared by culinary icons - Capital Cravings
Baton Rouge rallies local fare with worldwide flair - Bayou Bounty
Make room for a spicy adventure - Seafood Sensation
Riding the Gulf waters, Southwest Louisiana brings trails of fresh seafood and boudin - Prairie Home Cooking
A scenic byway of vintage towns packed with homestyle cooking and dance halls - Red River Riches
Clear your calendar for an epicurean journey and sample a global menu - Delta Delights
Grab a map and head for the hills for a feast of southern delights - Postcards from Louisiana. Maude Caillot and the Afrodiziacs play at Dos Jefes Cigar Bar.
Listen on iTunes.
Previous Episode
423. Ken Miller
423. We talk to Ken Miller of Lafayette. He has become interested in local politics in recent years. Ken is the founder of the Blackthorn PAC, which is actively raising and spending on comprehensive media and digital campaigns to shed light on elected officials or those running for office that were in support of, or involved in, the January 6 insurrection. With your support, Blackthorn PAC will combat the treasonous disinformation and un-American behaviors continuing to do harm, destroying our democracy. Ken has been in Lafayette for 40 years. He owns the Blackrose Group, nationally known business brokerage company based in Lafayette, with offices in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas Philadelphia, Atlanta.
- This week in Louisiana history. June 26, 1805. Former V.P. Aaron Burr arrives in New Orleans.
- This week in New Orleans history. June 26, 1927. Bonnabel Place opens. North and South Turnbull drives, running from the the Earhart Expressway (named for former New Orleans Commissioner of Public Utilities, Fred A. Earhart) to the lake are named for Joseph F. Turnbull, the real estate developer who was touting lots in the new Bonnabel Place subdivision on June 26, 1927. Running from Metairie Road to the lake, Bonnabel Place was owned by heirs of Parisian chemist Henri Bonnabel who had come to New Orleans in 1825. He had purchased the eleven arpents wide (an arpent is a French unit of measure which is slightly smaller than a acre) property from Hypolite deCourval in 1836. It ran from the river to the lake.
- This week in Louisiana.
Things to Do With Kids: Baton Rouge Area
The Baton Rouge area blends historical attractions with places to play. Here are some of our top kid-friendly picks for families. Not only is Baton Rouge steeped in history, but it offers an array of kid-friendly museums, plantations, memorials and historic sites as well. Itching to get outside? Hike the trails at Tunica Hills or view the nation’s largest bald cypress at Cat Island. Afterwards, cool off by splashing around in Blue Bayou Waterpark.
- Postcards from Louisiana. A jazz singer in Jackson Square.
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Next Episode
425. Coushatta Baskets, Part 1
Episode 425. Part 1 of our interview with Denise Bates and Linda Langley about Coushatta Baskets and the people who make them. Louisiana Coushatta Basket Makers brings together oral histories, tribal records, archival materials, and archaeological evidence to explore the fascinating history of the Coushatta Tribe’s famed basket weavers. After settling at their present location near the town of Elton, Louisiana, in the 1880s, the Coushatta (Koasati) tribe developed a basket industry that bolstered the local tribal economy and became the basis for generating tourism and political mobilization. The baskets represented a material culture that distinguished the Coushattas as Indigenous people within an ethnically and racially diverse region.
- This week in Louisiana history. July 10, 1941. Legendary jazz pianist and composer Jelly Roll Morton (born in New Orleans) died in Los Angeles. His musical innovations accelerated the development of jazz.
- This week in New Orleans history. On July 10, 2010, during their 35th-anniversary performance at New Orleans' Mahalia Jackson Theater, the band Zebra was inducted into The Louisiana Music Hall of Fame.
- This week in Louisiana.
Grambling University
Eddie G. Robinson Museum
The museum is now housed in the former Women’s Memorial Gymnasium, which underwent a major renovation. The free, 9,000-square-foot museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and contains videos and interactive exhibits. Be sure to stop by the Pro Room, which highlights the more than 300 players who went on to play professional football under the tutelage of Coach Robinson.
- Postcards from Louisiana. A jazz singer in Jackson Square.
Listen on iTunes.
Listen on Google Play.
Listen on Google Podcasts.
Listen on Spotify.
Listen on Stitcher.
Listen on TuneIn.
The Louisiana Anthology Home Page.
Like us on Facebook.
Listen on Google Podcasts.
Listen on Spotify.
Listen on Stitcher.
Listen on TuneIn.
The Louisiana Anthology Home Page.
Like us on Facebook.
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