Everyday Life in an Extraordinary Neighborhood
Everyday life in an extraordinary neighborhood. |
Scroll down for our latest in-depth stories by our FQJ team of writers and photographers.
Our digital journal publishes new stories and features each month. Subscribe to our newsletter for periodic alerts about new pieces. Like to become a sponsor? Contact us. Have a story idea? We'd love to hear it. Email our editor.
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Hunkering Down: a blog
life in the French Quarter just became more unusual In Hunkering Down, French Quarter Journal writers and photographers explore life in the country's quirkiest neighborhood during the COVID crisis.
Evergreen Lit Features from 2020Stanzas - 2020
Poetry Scene
Reprise
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The Eyes Have It
photo essays |
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St. Joseph's Day in a reawakening French QuarterIn one of our FQJ last stories before the COVID shutdown last March – "Famine to Feast" – 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 to a dark and anxious year. - photos by Ellis Anderson |
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The Eyes Have It
photo essays |
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All on a Mardi Gras DayCOVID 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 for the future. - photography by Andrew Simoneaux |
Mardi Gras afternoon in Jackson Square, 2021
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On Mardi Gras, 2021A young writer roaming the French Quarter during this historic Carnival discovers different doesn't mean dead. - story and photos by Kirsten Reneau |
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Saying Goodbye – or Good Riddance – to Gov. Nicholls StreetOne 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. - by Frank Perez |
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Around the Block
French Quarter fixtures |
Biagio Todaro at Vieux Carré Wine & Spirits
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Extended Family: Vieux Carré Wine & SpiritsImmigrating from Sicily in 1957, Biagio “Blaise” Todaro worked in a neighborhood grocery before opening his own shop - one that's become a French Quarter institution. - by Jeremy Trager |
Quarter Notes
guest columnists
guest columnists
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Haunted StreetsA tour guide well-versed in the ghoulish tales of the French Quarter's history finds the present day offers its own spooky circumstances. - by Glennis Waterman |
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Full Plate
Quarter eateries |
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A Change in Perspective at StanleyFacing the aftermath of the city's shutdown, Stanley Restaurant's owners Scott and Tanya Boswell discover a surprising sense of purpose and pleasure in the little things - while keeping their eyes on the horizon. - by Kim Ranjbar |
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What's in Store
neighborhood entrepreneurs |
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Dark Matter: Where the Strange Reigns BeautifulOpening a new shop during a pandemic shutdown is a bold move, but this couple has found a lively audience for the macabre as the French Quarter reopening unfolds. - by Reda Wigle |
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Boho Back Pages
offbeat history |
The newly installed plaque at St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, commemorating Douvillier's life and the area where she is thought to be buried.
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Danseuse du Roi - The Life of Suzanne Vaillandé DouvillierA mysterious dancer in the early 1800s mesmerized crowds and caused consternation by cross-dressing and challenging social norms. by Michael Warner Boho Back Pages is sponsored by Hines Hall |
This hotel expansion was slated to be built after the 1856 summer season on Isle Dernier. Rendering by Jim Blanchard
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In Memoriam: Lost LandsHurricane Laura was the worst storm to hit Louisiana since the one that erased the Island of Derniere in 1856, when thirteen ancestors of the writer perished.
- by Bethany Ewald Bultman - illustrations courtesy Bethany Ewald Bultman |
Frances Benjamin Johnson and "Pops" Whitesell in the courtyard of her Bourbon Street house. Photo by FB Johnston, Library of Congress
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The Gay Lens: Frances Benjamin Johnston and Pops WhitesellOne the world's early photojournalists chose to close out her extraordinary 70-year career in the French Quarter, in the company of bohemian artists like local photographer Joseph Woodson “Pops” Whitesell.
- by Frank Perez |
Monument to the Immigrant by Franco Alessandrini
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Franco Alessandrini: Italian Master Sculptor and His New Orleans StudioTake a tour of Alessandrini's significant public works along the river and through the Quarter, then visit with the artist in his Howard Avenue studio.
- by Saskia Ozols |
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Plywood Pop: Josh WingerterPhilosophy and philanthropy drive the creative process of local artist and "universe kind of cat," Josh Wingerter. - story by Reda Wigle |
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Storyboard
photo essays |
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The Up Stairs Lounge Fire Memorial ServiceOn the 47th anniversary of an arson fire that killed 32 LGBT+ people in the French Quarter, the weather reflected the mood of the mourners. photography by Andrew Simoneaux |
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The Eyes Have It
Photo Essays |
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The French Quarter Reopening: Phase TwoSaturday marked the beginning of Phase Two of the COVID reopening, in which bars not serving food could reopen at 25% capacity. Stroll with us down Bourbon Street. - by Ellis Anderson |
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The Queer Quarter: A Moveable FeastIn the 1900s, LGBT+ people from around the country were drawn to the French Quarter's shifting centers of queer gravity, which offered both a spicy nightlife scene and an evolving culture. - by Frank Perez |
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The Eyes Have It
Photo Essays |
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Jackson Square Protest - June 5Friday evening, much of New Orleans waited with bated breath in hopes the protest in the French Quarter would be peaceful. The rest of the city attended. Thousands rallied in front of Jackson Square in a remarkable show of solidarity against racism. - by Ellis Anderson |
Stewart Butler, photo by Vince Santiago
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Lion in Winter: A Tribute to Stewart ButlerStewart Butler's biographer marks the March 2020 passing of this legendary New Orleans LGBT+ activist.
- by Frank Perez |
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Bywater Notes
Guest writers |
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The View from my PorchA writer and French Quarter tour guide discovers a time-tested culture where small pleasures bring great satisfaction. - by Glennis Waterman |
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The Eyes Have It
Photo Essays |
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French Quarter Reopening - First WeekendMay 16 & 17: A sprinkling of restaurants and shops opened their doors for the first time in two months, welcoming a cautious vanguard of locals. - by Ellis Anderson |
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Balcony View
publisher's notes |
Minnie the dog
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A Small and Single KindnessNew and newly-noticed homeless people spark memories of desperation and generosity in a former French Quarter street musician. - by Ellis Anderson |
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Served Straight Up: The SazeracWith the right amount of respect, humility and luck, Lady New Orleans will embrace a visitor as one of her own. - by Kim Ranjbar |
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Harriette's HourglassAs she's closing her gallery and packing to move, Harriette Prevatte reflects on four decades spent as a working artist in the French Quarter. - story and photos by Ellis Anderson |
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Storyboard
photo essays |
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Mystic Krewe of Barkus 2020This quirky canine parade that began in a French Quarter bar in 1993 has become a favorite Mardi Gras fixture that benefits animal rescue groups. - by Kerry Maloney |
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Behind the Scenes
insider's POV |
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The Colors of Kate McNeeVisit with this creator of distinctive Carnival headdresses in her Bywater home and studio, where both colors and ideas are given free reign. - story by Harry Philpott |
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Storyboard
photo essays |
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Krewe du Vieux Parade 2020
The renowned and raucous punsters of Krewe du Vieux marched this year with "Erection 2020" as their general theme, which gave the sub-krewes infinite opportunities for fun. Followed seamlessly by krewedelusion, FQJ caught the grand show from a balcony at the corner of Royal and St. Ann. - by Kerry Maloney |
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Full Plate
Quarter eateries |
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Recreating an Icon: Irene'sThis restaurant beloved by locals moved from a cozy St. Philip Street setting to spacious new quarters on Bienville, bringing along all the original ambiance. - by Kim Ranjbar |
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Storyboard
photo essays |
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Krewe of Boheme Parade 2020Krewe of Boheme, whose presiding regent is a green fairy representing absinthe, was made up of 18 sub-krewes in 2020. Marching on February 7, it exuberantly wound its way through the Marigny and French Quarter neighborhoods with the theme of "The Soaring Twenties." - photos by Ellis Anderson |
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Storyboard
photo essays |
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Chewbacchus Parade 2020Chewbacchus rolled for the tenth year, celebrating with a parade that glowed brighter than any birthday candles. - by Ellis Anderson |
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Dixie's, Yuga and Gay CarnivalThe first gay Mardi Gras pioneers powered through many challenges - including a police raid on the fifth annual Krewe of Yuga ball, where nearly 100 men were arrested. - by Frank Perez |
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Transformations
restorations in progress |
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The Beauregard-Keyes House restoration: the tip of the iceberg phaseFor years, unseen structural issues have been addressed at the popular house museum, but now work's progressed to the Chartres Street facade, where delightful hidden details are coming to light. - by Ellis Anderson |
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Lit Life
Writers & Books |
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Faulkner House Books: The Next Chapter – A Conversation with Joe DeSalvoThe carefully considered passing of the torch at this legendary French Quarter bookstore insures the literary light will continue to burn. by Scott Naugle |
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Passing a Good Time
with Nan Parati |
Clint Maedgen at the 2019 Newport Folk Festival, photo by Douglas Mason
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Preserving Preservation at the HallEven beloved traditions can benefit from an evolutionary kick in the pants - at least according to one long time Preservation Hall fan. - by Nan Parati |
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Storyboard
photo essays |
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Krewe Joan of Arc 2020 ParadeSelf-described as a "short, family-friendly parade — quirky, whimsical and spiritual," Joan of Arc's parade exemplifies all those qualities. - by Ellis Anderson |
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Game Day
A Fan's Notes |
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Dear Science at the Backspace BarA low-stakes Saints game on an unseasonably hot December day leads to thoughts of the future in this Chartres Street bar. - by Layth Sihan |
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Going to Pots in New OrleansFloyd McLamb: a sharecropper's child from North Carolina turned high-powered French Quarter businessman reflects on the "high cotton" days in the neighborhood. -by Andrew Cominelli |
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Behind the Scenes
people who make it all work |
Three generations of the Natchez calliope.
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The Music Woman on the Steamboat NatchezFew get to meet the woman who plays the most unusual - and loudest - instrument in New Orleans. French Quarter Journal goes behind the scenes and up top of the Natchez to watch Debbie Fagnano in action. - story by Rheta Grimsley Johnson |
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Quarter Beats
music scene |
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Something About Gina ForsythWith a wicked sense of humor, stellar instrumental skills and a voice that stirs listeners, this singer-songwriter hits all the heart notes. - by Rheta Grimsley Johnson |
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Boho Back Pages
offbeat history |
The mansard roof of the Cabildo burned in the 1988 fire. Photo courtesy Louisiana State Museum
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Up From the Ashes: Rebuilding the CabildoFire is the mortal enemy of the city's oldest neighborhood, but in the case of the 1988 Cabildo inferno, dedicated preservationists prevailed in the end. by Michael Warner Boho Back Pages is sponsored by Hines Hall |
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St. Peter Street Sketchbook
creators to know |
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Craig Tracy's Body of WorkThe French Quarter artist ushered body painting into the realm of fine art while maintaining his artistic freedom, but there's more to come. - by Grace Wilson |
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Storyboard
photo essays |
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King Toffa IX Visits the Vieux CarréWest African monarch, His Majesty King Toffa IX, visits the French Quarter as part of a United States tour. - by Ellis Anderson |
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Full Plate
Quarter eateries |
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Café Cour: A Taste For HistoryRooted in Cuban traditions, the fledgling neighborhood bar has garnered national recognition and won a loyal local following. - by Reda Wigle |
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Quarter Beats
music scene 
Arséne DeLay: Engaged with Home and Adding a VerseA member of the musical Boutté family, Arséne DeLay uses her true voice as a performer, a songwriter - and a community activist. - by Christopher Romaguera |
It's All Good for Hotel AlAfter working fifty years at the French Quarter's famed Hotel Monteleone, Al Barras has become an institution - and the subject of an award-winning documentary. - story by Kirsten Reneau |
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Quarter Notes
guest columnists 
Author Richard Goodman, photo by William Widmer
Blood Type FQA New York writer finds that a year of French Quarter living has left him with an undiminished devotion for the neighborhood. - by Richard Goodman |
Go Your Own Way: the Life of Barbara ScottBarbara Scott blazed her own trail as a politician, restaurateur, hôtelier, artist, preservationist, gerontologist, feminist - and social justice warrior. - by Frank Perez |
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