644. David T. Ballantyne, Part 1
22 September 2025

644. David T. Ballantyne, Part 1

Louisiana Anthology Podcast

About
644. Part 1 of our interview with David T. Ballantyne about his book, Fractured Freedoms: Reconstruction in Central Louisiana. "Fractured Freedoms is a riveting history of central
Louisiana from the 1860s to the 1890s, focusing on majority-Black
Rapides Parish during Reconstruction. Using the region as a case study,
Ballantyne reveals what is, in part, a rural Reconstruction success
story, emphasizing the resilience of Black politics and the persistence
of significant divisions among white residents that allowed the
Republican Party to gain and maintain power there. It was only with the
collapse of state-level Republican power in 1877 that Democratic forces
in the parish were able to dismantle local Republican political control
and gradually constrict Black freedoms." (LSU Press).



    Now available: Liberty in Louisiana: A Comedy.
    The oldest play about Louisiana, author James Workman wrote it
    as a celebration of the Louisiana Purchase. Now it is back in
    print for the first time in 221 years. Order your copy today!



    This week in the Louisiana





    Anthology
    . We've recently added Mosquitoes,
    one of William Faulkner's early novels. Faulkner was one of
    the South's greatest writers. He wrote this novel about the
    artists he had met in the French Quarter. He put them on a
    yacht that took them through Lake Pontchartrain until they ran
    aground and were stranded for several days. That's right,
    Faulkner basically created Gilligan's Isle.

        "The violet dusk held in soft suspension
    lights slow as bellstrokes, Jackson square was now a green and
    quiet lake in which abode lights round as jellyfish,
    feathering with silver mimosa and pomegranate and hibiscus
    beneath which lantana and cannas bled and bled. Pontalba and
    cathedral were cut from black paper and pasted flat on a green
    sky; above them taller palms were fixed in black and soundless
    explosions. The street was empty, but from Royal street 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. Clasping his accursed bottle, feeling like a
    criminal, Mr. Talliaferro hurried on.

        "He walked swiftly beside a dark wall,
    passing small indiscriminate shops dimly lighted with gas and
    smelling of food of all kinds, fulsome, slightly overripe. The
    proprietors and their families sat before the doors in tilted
    chairs, women nursing babies into slumber spoke in soft south
    European syllables one to another. Children scurried before
    him and about him, ignoring him or becoming aware of him and
    crouching in shadow like animals, defensive, passive and
    motionless."


    This week in Louisiana history. September 20, 1717. Gov.
    LePinay recalled to France after "ruining the colony."


    This week in New Orleans history. The last space shuttle
    fuel tank rolls out of the Michoud Assembly Facility on
    September 20, 2010.


    This week in Louisiana.

    Louisiana Gumbo Festival

    October 10-12, 2025

    326 Hwy 304

    Thibodaux, LA 70301

    Celebrate Louisiana's Rich Culinary Heritage

    Indulge in a diverse array of Cajun and Creole cuisines, savor our
    traditional gumbo recipe, and immerse yourself in the captivating
    rhythms of live Zydeco and Cajun performances. With exciting activities
    for all ages, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

         The Louisiana Gumbo Festival began in 1973. During the 1970s,
    Louisiana Governor Edwin Edwards signed a proclamation naming Chackbay
    the Gumbo Capitol of Louisiana. Annually, volunteers cook nearly 500
    gallons of Gumbo during the festival weekend. You can also find various
    Cajun food, music, amusement rides, parade, auction, and so much more
    for the whole family to enjoy.

         This year, we are offering Pay One Price Advanced Weekend Armbands
    for $65.00 + tax. 
Advanced Armbands allow children unlimited carnival
    rides throughout the duration of the festival. Advanced Armbands are
    available for purchase ONLINE ONLY until Friday October 10, 2025.
    Armbands will NOT be sold at the festival.

         Advanced armbands can be picked up at the designated line of the
    festival ticket booth on Friday, October 11th beginning at 5:30pm.


    Postcards from Louisiana. Street Poet Melody Eloise.






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