Books of New Orleans for Research and Pleasure (PART 2)
“In other places, culture comes down from on high. In New Orleans, it bubbles up from the streets.”
Clarence Millet, “Old New Orleans”
In the two weeks since I posted Part 1, I thought of many more books that I’d like to share with you. Maybe I’ll do another in the future but for now, I will stoop right about here. I hope that these lists will remove you from wherever you are and transport you to a different time, often romantic or violent or appalling but nevertheless moving.
Like all cities, New Orleans’s complicated history makes it enduring and hardens itself into the American cultural lexicon. I found these writers entertained, educated and enlightened me and fortified the backbone of my art. I think they’ll do the same for you whether you want to get lost in the city or otherwise.
Just a quick note: If you’re interested in purchasing any of these books, please consider supporting our local bookstores. I’ve made it easier to locate these tiles with links below each description. I avoided Amazon when possible.
1. New Orleans Vampires: History and Legend (2017)
Marita Woyvod Crandle
Marita is known around the French Quarter as the proprietor of Boutique du Vampyre, Potions, New Orleans Vampire Cafe and soon-to-open, The Apothecary. In my opinion, she is our local authority on this subject. Her diligent and meticulous study of vampires of the city brings to life our legends and history. Although I am not a connoisseur on the mythology of vampires, I appreciated her delving into the historical aspects of local legends such as the Casket Girls (my favorite) and the Comte St. Germain. I’ve not read a book so far that has this much history and information regarding the subject of New Orleans vampires and it’s only 106 pages.
Fun fact: You’ll be able to view my prints on the walls of the soon to open The Apothecary.
Purchase here
2. Fabulous New Orleans (1928)
Lyle Saxon
It was said that Lyle Saxon loved being called “Mr. New Orleans” as he was known to many in the Quarter. He liberally wrote and perhaps exaggerated some of his reportings than his contemporary, friend and collaborator, Robert Tallant but his passion for telling a story engrosses the reader even after nearly 100 years since the publishing of this book. Marie Laveau, the Dueling Oaks, the haunting of Madam Delphine LaLaurie’s infamous mansion and much more are covered and was widely read throughout the United States, piquing curiosities toward what may now be called dark tourism.
Purchase here
3. New Orleans As It Was (1895)
Henry C. Castellanos
Castellanos, Castellanos, Castellanos…sigh. Let me begin by saying that some of his language would not be acceptable in our timeline but it should not dissuade you from reading this book. Castellanos was a lawyer who enjoyed collecting stories. Born in 1828, he describes Elysian Fields as a literal field that he recalled from his childhood where young adults would play games together. There were descriptions of the city that the writer wanted to convey to future generations. As far as I know, this book possibly contains the first published accounts of the haunting of Madam Delphine LaLaurie’s home. His conversational style is engaging, like sitting in a room and listening to a grandfather tell stories from a time that no longer exists. Most of these reports are from antebellum days so one should be aware that there is a favorable opinion of plantation life written throughout, which could disturb some despite its insight.
** What’s interesting is that at this time the French Quarter was not known by its current name.
Purchase here
4. The Sound of Building Coffins (2009)
Louis Maistros
This is one of my favorite books. Its pages I often return to meander through the old streets and feel its energy and tongue. Louis realistic, fantastical depiction of New Orleans and its characters is a love letter to the city. The book kept me company when I lived in New York City and dreamed of planting roots into the same swampy, miasmatic, musical world that Louis’s characters live. The metaphysical blending of a supernatural world reminds me to be more present in the city; to drift into a daydream of what once was before cellphones. I can ramble on and on but I found this description from Octavia Books’ site to be better than what I could explain:
“It is 1891 in New Orleans, and young Typhus Morningstar cycles under the light of the half-moon to fulfill his calling, re-birthing aborted foetuses in the fecund waters of the Mississippi River. He cannot know that nearby, events are unfolding that will change his life forever - events that were set in motion by a Vodou curse gone wrong, forty years before he was born. In the humble home of Sicilian immigrants, a one-year-old boy has been possessed by a demon. His father dead, lynched by a mob, his distraught mother at her wits' end, this baby who yesterday could only crawl and gurgle is now walking, dancing, and talking - in a voice impossibly deep. The doctor has fled, and several men of the cloth have come and gone, including Typhus' father, warned off directly by the clear voice of his Savoir. A newspaper man, shamed by the part he played in inciting the lynch mob that cost this boy his father, appalled by what he sees, goes in search of help. Seven will be persuaded, will try to help...and all seven will be profoundly affected by what takes place in that one-room house that dark night. Not all will leave alive, and all will be irrevocably changed by this demonic struggle, and by the sound of the first notes blown of a new musical form: jazz. Maistros succeeds by populating the novel with hoodoo queens, jazzbos, tricksters, rounders, and various folks with one foot in reality and the other in the spirit world. A sprawling, complex, and ultimately absorbing work. --John Lewis, Baltimore Magazine.”
I’ll add that the discovery of what “the sound of building coffins” means was delightful.
Purchase here
5. Strange True Stories of Louisiana (1889)
George Cable
George Cable was a collector of stories. He was reviled throughout the South during his lifetime for his views of equality among blacks and whites. Despite having fought for the losing team during the Civil War, he had progressive ideas regarding equality. This book comprises dozens of stories that he collected throughout Louisiana, many of which happened in New Orleans or nearby. He’s a wonderful, witty, entertaining and modern writer who was friends with Mark Twain, if that gives an idea of his writing style.
Purchase here
If you missed PART 1, follow this link.