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Everyday life in an extraordinary neighborhood.

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Personalities
people of note

Thelma Toole by Frank Daugherty

My Son, the Genius: An Interview with Thelma Ducoing Toole

In 1980 and again in 1983, a Mobile, Ala. writer named Frank Daugherty interviewed Thelma Toole, mother of the late John Kennedy Toole, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Confederacy of Dunces. A short excerpt of the interviews was published in the Mobile Press-Register in 2002 but the lions’ share of the material and Frank’s photos have never before been published.

We've also included a short compilation of clips from Frank’s interview tapes, in which Thelma plays original music and performs an impression of Miss Trixie.

- interview and photographs by Frank Daugherty

Behind the Scenes
neighborhood backstories

RTA2 heads for the dock during French Quarter Festival 2022

The New Algiers Ferries: The romance of the ride remains

For nearly two centuries a public ferry has crossed the Mississippi between the French Quarter and Algiers. Now sleek new catamarans zip back and forth, making the passage faster and more reliable.

- by Kim Ranjbar

Storyboard
photo essays

Two Easter Parades Celebrate Rejuvenation, Honor an Icon

The French Quarter paid homage to the entertainer Chris Owens who died April 5, in both the parade that is her namesake and the 21st Annual Gay Easter Parade.

- photos by Jackie Haze

Civics
neighborhood & government

French Quarter Walking Tours: the city reconsiders guidelines for guides

Exactly what are the regulations for walking tours? Are they being changed? What about enforcement of existing ordinances? A French Quarter resident, local tour guide and a Loyola tour guide instructor takes an in-depth look.

- by Frank Perez

Storyboard
photo essays

Comeback Carnival: Faces of Mardi Gras 2022

Meet some of the folks who came out in the French Quarter and Marigny neighborhoods to help make this historic Mardi Gras extraordinary in all the right ways.

- photos by Ellis Anderson

Quarter Notes
Op-eds on current issues

The Tuggles family say they don't want Plessy to move out of the French Quarter. Photo by Ellis Anderson

The Quarter's Last School May Close

The historic building that's often referred to as "The Little Red Schoolhouse," may soon dismiss classes permanently, despite protests from many parents and neighbors.

- by Frank Perez

Update: Homer Plessey's French Quarter campus is now open for enrollment for the 2022/2023 school year.

Passing a Good Time
French Quarter fixtures

Sandra Jaffe, photo by Danny Clinch

The Legacy of Sandra Jaffe

When a honeymoon lark turned into a musical endeavor, the young bride couldn't have imagined the reverberations that would beat on after her passing.

- by Nan Parati

Sketchbook
Notable Artistry

Sandra Jaffe, photo by Danny Clinch

Frances Swigart: New Work

This classical printmaker keeps evolving, as her latest retrospective show proves.

- by Saskia Ozols

Rainbow History

There's no fire, but there's a new Carnival king.

A Conclave of Revelers

If you spot clouds of smoke billowing from a certain Royal Street balcony in the months leading to Twelfth Night, it might be the signal that the Lord of Misrule has chosen the new monarch for the Krewe de la Royale Revelers.

- by Frank Perez

Lit Life
Writers & Books

Macon Fry, author of "They Called Us River Rats"

"They Called Us River Rats"

A fascinating new book by long-time resident Macon Fry explores life along the last batture community in New Orleans.

- by John Sledge

Full Plate
Neighborhood eateries

Chef Eric Cook at Saint John, photo by Randy Schmidt

Creole Comforts: Saint John

Chef and restaurateur Eric Cook breathes new life into a historic French Quarter space with the launch of Saint John, a Lower Decatur Street restaurant offering “haute Creole” cuisine.

- by Kim Ranjbar

Quarter Notes
op-eds

Campaign Trail Reflections: What I learned running for office in New Orleans

Are you nuts?

The overwhelming majority of NOLA's District C voters live on the West Bank and no East Bank candidate has won the council seat in more than four decades. Despite the odds, a French Quarter resident, writer and activist throws his signature hat in the ring.

- by Frank Perez

Passing a Good Time
French Quarter fixtures

Nan Parati in the French Quarter, 1981

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.

- by Nan Parati

Stanzas
Poetry Scene

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.

- by Skye Jackson

Around the Block
French Quarter fixtures

Exploring in Arcadian Books & Prints

Arcadian Books & Prints

Step into the “organized chaos” of Arcadian Books & Prints, where the love of the written word and two languages has reigned for 40 years.

- by Matt A. Sheen

Lit Life
Writers & Books

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.”

- by Kenneth Holditch

Civics
Neighborhood & Government

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.

- story by Ellis Anderson and Frank Perez

Full Plate
Neighborhood eateries

Zhang Bistro on Decatur

New owners transform a familiar Quarter restaurant location with a swank makeover and a menu offering both Thai and Chinese dishes.

- story and photos by Kim Ranjbar

Stanzas
Poetry Scene

A Conversation with Jericho Brown

The writer opens up about his Pulitzer Prize win, the power of transformation and the moment he realized he was a poet.

- by Skye Jackson

Lit Life
Writers & Books

Tennessee Williams and the French Quarter

A look at the famous playwright's complex and lifelong relationship with the neighborhood where he brought "A Streetcar Named Desire" into being.

- by Richard Goodman

Reader Favorites From Our Archives

Civics
neighborhood & government

Saying Goodbye – or Good Riddance – to Gov. Nicholls Street

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.

- by Frank Perez

Lit Life
Writers & Books

Detail from A Streetcar Named Desire movie poster, Library of Congress

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.

- by Richard Goodman

Lit Life
Writers & Books

George Washington Cable in his office, 1898

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.

- by John S. Sledge

Quarter Notes
guest columnists

Haunted Streets

A 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

Full Plate
Quarter eateries

A Change in Perspective at Stanley

Facing 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

Around the Block
French Quarter fixtures

Biagio Todaro at Vieux Carré Wine & Spirits

Extended Family: Vieux Carré Wine & Spirits

Immigrating 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

Storyboard
photo essays

The Up Stairs Lounge Fire Memorial Service

On 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

Stanzas - 2020
Poetry Scene

John Warner Smith

Interview: John Warner Smith, Poet Laureate of Louisiana

The state's former Secretary of Labor, now its Poet Laurate, offers this profound and insightful interview.

- by Skye Jackson

Lit Life 2020
Writers & Books

"Lafitte the Pirate" Turns 90

In 1930, French Quarter resident Lyle Saxon cooked up a savory gumbo of fact and fiction that's become a New Orleans classic.

- by John Sledge

Rainbow History
LGBTQ+

Frances Benjamin Johnson and "Pops" Whitesell in the courtyard of her Bourbon Street house. Photo by FB Johnston, Library of Congress

The Gay Lens: Frances Benjamin Johnston and Pops Whitesell

One 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

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.

Danseuse du Roi - The Life of Suzanne Vaillandé Douvillier

A 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

What's in Store
neighborhood entrepreneurs

Dark Matter: Where the Strange Reigns Beautiful

Opening 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

Lit Life
Writers & Books

Minrose Gwin

Minrose Gwin: The Flight of Time

Part of our virtual Tennessee Williams Fest celebration series:

The author shares her thoughts about her new award-winning novel, The Accidentals, her creative process, and her life as a Southern writer.

- by Harry Philpott

Rainbow History
LGBT+

The Queer Quarter: A Moveable Feast

In 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

Sketchbook

Monument to the Immigrant by Franco Alessandrini

Franco Alessandrini: Italian Master Sculptor and His New Orleans Studio

Take 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

Quarter Notes
guest writers

This hotel expansion was slated to be built after the 1856 summer season on Isle Dernier. Rendering by Jim Blanchard

In Memoriam: Lost Lands

Hurricanes Laura and Ida were the worst storms 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

The Eyes Have It
Photo Essays

Jackson Square Protest - June 5

Friday 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

Personalities
captivating conversations

Plywood Pop: Josh Wingerter

Philosophy and philanthropy drive the creative process of local artist and "universe kind of cat," Josh Wingerter.

- story by Reda Wigle

The Eyes Have It
Photo Essays

French Quarter Reopening - First Weekend

May 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

Rainbow History

Stewart Butler, photo by Vince Santiago

Lion in Winter: A Tribute to Stewart Butler

Stewart Butler's biographer marks the March 2020 passing of this legendary New Orleans LGBT+ activist.

- by Frank Perez

Balcony View
publisher's notes

Minnie the dog

A Small and Single Kindness

New and newly-noticed homeless people spark memories of desperation and generosity in a former French Quarter street musician.

- by Ellis Anderson

Bywater Notes
Guest writers

The View from my Porch

A writer and French Quarter tour guide discovers a time-tested culture where small pleasures bring great satisfaction.

- by Glennis Waterman

Personalities
captivating conversations

Harriette's Hourglass

As 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

Libations
cocktail culture

Served Straight Up: The Sazerac

With the right amount of respect, humility and luck, Lady New Orleans will embrace a visitor as one of her own.

- by Kim Ranjbar

Full Plate
Quarter eateries

Recreating an Icon: Irene's

This 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

Behind the Scenes
insider's POV

The Colors of Kate McNee

Visit 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

Transformations
restorations in progress

The Beauregard-Keyes House restoration: the tip of the iceberg phase

For 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

Rainbow History

Dixie's, Yuga and Gay Carnival

The 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

Passing a Good Time
with Nan Parati

Clint Maedgen at the 2019 Newport Folk Festival, photo by Douglas Mason

Preserving Preservation at the Hall

Even beloved traditions can benefit from an evolutionary kick in the pants - at least according to one long time Preservation Hall fan.

- by Nan Parati

Lit Life
Writers & Books

Faulkner House Books: The Next Chapter – A Conversation with Joe DeSalvo

The carefully considered passing of the torch at this legendary French Quarter bookstore insures the literary light will continue to burn.

by Scott Naugle

Behind the Scenes
people who make it all work

Three generations of the Natchez calliope.

The Music Woman on the Steamboat Natchez

Few 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

It's a Living
unconventional entrepreneurs

Going to Pots in New Orleans

Floyd 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

Boho Back Pages
offbeat history

The mansard roof of the Cabildo burned in the 1988 fire. Photo courtesy Louisiana State Museum

Up From the Ashes: Rebuilding the Cabildo

Fire 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

Quarter Beats
music scene

Something About Gina Forsyth

With 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

Storyboard
photo essays

King Toffa IX Visits the Vieux Carré

West African monarch, His Majesty King Toffa IX, visits the French Quarter as part of a United States tour.

- by Ellis Anderson

St. Peter Street Sketchbook
creators to know

Craig Tracy's Body of Work

The 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

Full Plate
Quarter eateries

Café Cour: A Taste For History

A member of the musical Boutté family, Arséne DeLay uses her true voice as a performer, a songwriter - and a community activist.

- by Christopher Romaguera

Around the Block
longtime Quarterites

It's All Good for Hotel Al

After 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

Quarter Notes
guest columnists

Author Richard Goodman, photo by William Widmer

Blood Type FQ

A New York writer finds that a year of French Quarter living has left him with an undiminished devotion for the neighborhood.

- by Richard Goodman

Rainbow History

Go Your Own Way: the Life of Barbara Scott

Barbara Scott blazed her own trail as a politician, restaurateur, hôtelier, artist, preservationist, gerontologist, feminist - and social justice warrior.

- by Frank Perez