New Orleans native and former Louisiana Poet Laureate Mona Lisa Saloy, whose books of poetry focus on Black Creole culture, will be featured in a virtual presentation for Black History Month.
The Louisiana Center for the Book will debut the talk on YouTube and Facebook on Monday.
Saloy said her presentation will focus on the importance of the 7th Ward, a neighborhood with a rich but often overlooked history despite its location near the French Quarter.
“Many folks ask what’s the deal with the 7th Ward? Where was the Black downtown? Gens de couleur what? We’ll celebrate some highlights of the neighborhood’s distinct history, from arts of the streets up to the founders of jazz, architectural links to Africa, and the St. Augustine Marching 100,” Saloy said. “You’ll also hear some new poems.”
Saloy is an author, folklorist and scholar of Creole culture. She is the Conrad N. Hilton endowed professor of English at Dillard University in New Orleans and recently completed her second term as Louisiana Poet Laureate.
Her first poetry collection, "Red Beans and Ricely Yours," won the T.S. Eliot Prize and the PEN/Oakland Josephine Miles Award. Her second, "Second Line Home," celebrates New Orleans Black Creole culture.
"Black Creole Chronicles," her most recent book, continues that theme. It is the 2024 selection for One Book One New Orleans, a program that invites people to read the same book at the same time as a way to increase literacy and a sense of community.
"Black Creole Chronicles: Poems" is available for purchase through Cavalier House Books, the Louisiana Book Festival’s bookseller. Use code BHM2024 for a 20% discount at checkout.