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 46 weeks a year. 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, Reda Wigle.
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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.
Reprise
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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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Full Plate
Quarter eateries |
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Palm & Pine Pivots and PerseveresFlexibility learned as pop-up chefs proves invaluable to restaurant owners Amarys and Jordan Herndon in Palm and Pine's first year. - story by Kim Ranjbar |
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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 |
Legendary lesbian photographer Frances Benjamin Johnson and photographer Pops Whitesell.
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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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Stanzas
Poetry Scene |
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A Conversation with Jericho BrownThe writer opens up about his Pulitzer Prize win, the power of transformation and the moment he realized he was a poet. - by Skye Jackson |
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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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Passing a Good Time
with Nan Parati |
French Quarter Festival entertainment director, Greg Schatz
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Fancy Footwork at the FQFThe traditional opening day for French Quarter Fest finds entertainment director Greg Schatz dancing with a very fickle future. - by Nan Parati |
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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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Acknowledgments
tributes |
Richard Sobol and Gary Duncan. Sobol represented Duncan in a significant 1968 U.S. Supreme Court case.
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On Richard Sobol & Quarter CultureDarlene Fife, co-founder and editor of the 1960s French Quarter underground newspaper NOLA Express, looks back at the late Richard Sobol's defense of civil rights and Quarterites. - by Darlene Fife |
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Lit Life
Writers & Books |
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"Lafitte the Pirate" Turns 90Part of our virtual Tennessee Williams Fest celebration series:
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 |
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Lit Life
Writers & Books |
Minrose Gwin
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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 |
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Stanzas
Poetry Scene |
John Warner Smith
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Interview: John Warner Smith, Poet Laureate of Louisiana
Part of our virtual Tennessee Williams Fest celebration series:
The state's former Secretary of Labor is now its Poet Laurate. In lieu of hearing Smith speak at the Tennessee Williams Fest this year, we offer this profound and insightful interview. - by Skye Jackson |
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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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The 50th Annual Greasing of the PolesFor fifty years, a ceremony involving Vaseline and champagne has served as the official opening to the Mardi Gras weekend. - by Ellis Anderson |
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Around the Block
Quarter fixtures |
Center, Jeff Semmerling, mask-maker and one of the original artists at the 38-year-old annual Mask Market.
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To Live in a Masquerade: Inside the Mask MarketOn the weekend before Mardi Gras for the past 38 years, the French Market has hosted one of the most unusual art markets in the country. Meet a few of the makers behind it.
- by Kirsten Reneau |
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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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titRəx Parade 2020This miniature take-off on the city's mega-parades, titRəx, may be diminutive in size but participants go for satire in a very big way. - photos by Kerry Maloney |
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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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Bourbon Street and the Baptist PreacherTag along with this sharp-eyed Southern writer, her widowed aunt and a very unlikely guide on a 1960s trip to Bourbon Street. -by Rheta Grimsley Johnson |
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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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French Quarter Events
curated roster |
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Neighborhood HappeningsEver dream of having all French Quarter events listed in one place? Neighborhood denizens, here's your answer! You'll find art openings, lectures, parades, galas and lots, lots more!
Plus, you'll find Margarita's Top Shelf - pics from her favorite events from past weeks and upcoming "don't miss" happenings. - by Margarita Bergen |
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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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Domicile
neighborhood living |
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From Victorian Pair to SpareIf you're expecting Aunt Beulah's decor when you walk inside this French Quarter cottage built in 1895, you'll be in for a big surprise. - by Rheta Grimsley Johnson |
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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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Game Day
A Fan's Notes |
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Harry's on Sunny Chartres StreetA bright December afternoon, a nail-biting match-up, and a tile on the barroom floor marking a marking more than a mere memory. - by Layth Sihan |
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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 Beat
music scene |
photo courtesy estate of Leigh Harris
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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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Game Day
A Fan's Notes |
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Cosimo's ChampionsCatching the Saints' game at a classic neighborhood bar in the French Quarter with new friends, mystery shots and a dog named Sweet Potato.
- by Layth Sihan |
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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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Quarter Notes
guest columnists |
Harry Connick Jr. and James Carroll Booker III at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Photograph by Michael P. Smith ©The Historic New Orleans Collection, 2007.0103.4.714.
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The Bay St. Louis BookerOn November 8, 1983 - 36 years ago this week - legendary New Orleans pianist James Booker passed on. While his legacy grows even stronger in the city, recent interviews with Bay St. Louis family members give details about Booker's early life on the Mississippi coast - and explain why "the Bay" became one of his touchstones. - by Edward Gibson |
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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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This Time They WonThe brainchild of performance artist Dread Scott, a two-day reenactment of the 1811 slave rebellion culminates in a march through the French Quarter - and a contemporary victory in Armstrong Park. - by Rheta Grimsley Johnson - photos by Ellis Anderson |
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The Eyes Have It
photographers loose in the Quarter |
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Kerry Maloney's French QuarterKerry Maloney: I really want people to know the Quarter is a place where real people live. It's a place where misfits from all over come and find each other. We take care of each other, we are family. I wanted to show folks a very typical day in the quarter. Here's what I saw outside my door Monday, September 30. |
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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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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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Storyboard
photo essays |
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The 67th Annual Red MassPhotographer Kerry Maloney captures the pageantry of the 67th annual Red Mass on Monday, October 7. The centuries old tradition offers up prayers at opening of the judicial year for all those in the legal profession . |
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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 |
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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 |
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What's in Store
neighborhood entrepreneurs |
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Alquimie New Orleans: More Studio Than BoutiqueFor 23 years, textile artist Kate Beck has shown her extraordinary clothing designs at Jazz Fest. Now she has a year-round showcase on Royal Street where she's conjuring up more luscious wearable art. - by Grace Wilson |
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Quarter Notes
guest columnists |
Author Richard Goodman, photo by William Widmer
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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 |
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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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