Year: 2024

Natchitoches and the Arrival of the Americans

Natchitoches and the Arrival of the Americans

By Kathleen M. Byrd Kathleen M. Byrd describes the transformation of the sleepy agricultural and fur-trading community of Natchitoches, Louisiana, into a prominent regional center soon after the Louisiana Purchase… READ MORE

An Invitation for These Times

An Invitation for These Times

By Press Robinson Author and longtime educator Press Robinson muses on the importance of being personally engaged in our local and larger communities. Chancellor Robinson presides at the May 12,… READ MORE

The Civil War in the Age of Nationalism

The Civil War in the Age of Nationalism

By Duncan A. Campbell and Niels Eichhorn Duncan A. Campbell and Niels Eichhorn note the importance of situating the American Civil War within the context of global conflicts and trends… READ MORE

How Discovering Two New Terms Sparked a Memoir

How Discovering Two New Terms Sparked a Memoir

By Barbara Drake-Vera In this post, Barbara Drake-Vera describes finding new words to articulate grief and sorrow. Readers often ask me questions about Andean culture and disappearing glaciers at author… READ MORE

Revising “Hills Like White Elephants”

Revising “Hills Like White Elephants”

By John Beall John Beall describes the meticulous process through which Hemingway refined his stories for publication. In my book Hemingway’s Art of Revision, I give a detailed description of… READ MORE

A Walk in the Park

A Walk in the Park

By Alice Friman LSU Press poet Alice Friman shares a poem that sprang from a life-changing experience. For me, writing poetry is the great permission. Everything and anything is allowed…. READ MORE

Words and Faith

Words and Faith

By Anne Pierson Wiese LSU Press poet Anne Pierson Wiese explores how an early love of books informed her unwavering faith in reading and the written word. Before I could… READ MORE

Wild Spirits

Wild Spirits

By Jeffrey Anderson Jeffrey Anderson describes an unexpected personal encounter while conducting research in Haiti. Historical research is a lot like detective work. The historian investigates evidence without knowing for… READ MORE

Moncure Conway Rewrites the Past

Moncure Conway Rewrites the Past

By Frank Cirillo The author of The Abolitionist Civil War describes his efforts to separate fact from fiction in the autobiographical record of an antislavery activist. As a historian, I… READ MORE

Angels and Demons

Angels and Demons

By Robert Morgan The author of Fallen Angel: The Life of Edgar Allan Poe muses on the fascinating life of the beloved writer. Much we assume we know about Edgar… READ MORE