Archives
Search Archives
Stanzas Poetry Contest: Winners and Finalists, Summer 2021
Poetry editor Skye Jackson names the winners of the first French Quarter Journal poetry contest and introduces their compelling entries.
Midnight Train to the Quarter
In 1981, a young woman moves to the French Quarter and lucks into a job at the Toulouse Theatre, home of the hit show One Mo' Time.
Arcadian Books & Prints
This year marks a milestone for a neighborhood institution: Arcadian Books & Prints has been keeping love of the written word alive in two languages for 40 years. Stepping into what proprietor Russell Desmond calls the “organized chaos” of his French Quarter store (714 Orleans), customers are generally thrilled – and occasionally overwhelmed – by the literary riches packed into the confined space.
Zhang Bistro Opens on Decatur
New owners transform a familiar Quarter restaurant location with a swank makeover and a menu offering both Thai and Chinese dishes.
Two Blondes and a Buccaneer
A North Carolina mother and daughter claim Jean Laffite faked his death and lived to a ripe old age in the Tar Heel State.
City Hall Relocation Meets a Coalition of Opposition
A seemingly unstoppable juggernaut proposal to move city headquarters to Armstrong park runs up against a new and determined coalition of community groups
Luscious Fringe Benefits: NOWFE Judging
Food writing may not be the most lucrative career, but it definitely has its perks, such as judging for the New Orleans Wine & Food Experience's culinary awards.
Secret Gardens Tour 2021
Storyboard: The popular annual benefit by Patio Planters of the Vieux Carré resumed with a tour of nine courtyards in the lower Quarter. Funds raised help the group produced Caroling in Jackson Square each December.
by Ellis Anderson
A Rousing New Anthology: The Gulf South
Even regional literary connoisseurs are likely to discover new favorites in the first powerhouse anthology of Gulf Coast environmental writing, edited by Tori Bush and Richard Goodman.
Unexpected Places: In the Pool
The muses of poetry catch up with one writer at a Vermont swimming pool, where she reflects on a not-so-distant past.
Lightning Strikes: FQJ's First Poetry Contest
Announcing French Quarter Journal's first poetry contest, and FQJ poetry editor/judge Skye Jackson is looking for lightning to strike.
Of Two Mississippi Writers
Despite the state's legacy of repression, some of the country's best writers are Mississippi natives. It's the birthplace of contemporary luminaries like Kiese Laymon and Jesmyn Ward. Tennessee Williams scholar Kenneth Holditch looks back at two 20th-century literary lions who wrote about that “postage stamp of native soil.”
Stars Taking Up Collections
When a young writer lands a bit part in A Streetcar Named Desire, he steps onstage and is instantly transported into the passionate world of Tennessee Williams.
George Washington Cable: A Writer with Charm, Grace, and a Touch of Fire
More than 150 years since its publication, George Washington Cable’s Old Creole Days remains an essential New Orleans read.
St. Joseph's Day in a Reopening French Quarter
For one of our last stories before the COVID shutdown last March, "Famine to Feast," we visited three neighborhood St. Joseph's altars. This year, only the Beauregard-Keyes House and Irene's restaurant participated in the celebration. But while New Orleans isn't feasting yet, the many open doors around the Quarter seem to signal the end of a dark and anxious year.
All on a Mardi Gras Day
COVID shutdowns and frigid temperatures kept all but the die-hards out of the French Quarter and Marigny neighborhoods on Mardi Gras day. Those who came strutted with style, keeping the torch of Carnival Spirit lit until next year.
On Mardi Gras, 2021
A young writer roaming the French Quarter during this historic Carnival discovers different doesn't mean dead.
Braided with Taste
Food, culture and memories are woven together into this extraordinary cookbook, revealing the heart of chef Melissa Martin.
Saying Goodbye – or Good Riddance – to Gov. Nicholls
One of the loveliest streets in the French Quarter and Tremé neighborhoods is about to get a name change. Find out why and learn about the New Orleans legends whose names have been put forward as replacements.
Paying for Patrols: Security Tax Renewal
No matter the vote's outcome, state police details in the French Quarter will eventually be replaced. With what? No one's quite sure yet