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| Cajun Country
ISBN: 9781604736175
Platform/Publisher: JSTOR / University Press of Mississippi
Digital rights: Users: unlimited; Printing: chapter; Download: chapter
Subjects: Cajuns -- Social life and customs; Louisiana -- Social life and customs;
This readable overview by Ancelet, assistant professor of French at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Edwards, associate professor of anthropology at Louisiana State University, pk and filmmaker Pitre will entertain nonspecialists who wish to study aspects of the history and culture of Louisiana Cajuns, descendants of the French-speaking Acadians driven out of Nova Scotia in the 18th century. Subjects range from traditional family structure, courtship rituals and folk medicine to the ``eccentric creativity'' of chef Paul Prudhomme (who has promoted Cajun cuisine throughout the U.S.), children's games and Cajun singers who have made the hit parade. A discussion of religion explores the Cajun blend of Catholicism and folk religion, highlighting the region's most famous festival: Mardi Gras, a lively mix of medieval and modern that even today offers a ``certain aura of outlawry.'' The scope and detail of coverage vary by topic. For example, funeral customs occupy less than a page, although architectural styles and 19th-century public dances are discussed at greater length. Particularly engaging are transcriptions of songs, traditional tales and jokes, most given in French and English versions. Illustrations not seen by PW. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Barry Jean Ancelet , a professor of French and Francophone studies at the University of Southwestern Louisiana, is the author of many books about the French culture of southern Louisiana, including Cajun and Creole Folktales: The French Oral Tradition of South Louisiana and Cajun and Creole Music Makers: Musiciens cadiens et créoles , both published by University Press of Mississippi. Glen Pitre has pursued many media-oriented careers, including television, film, and writing. However, he has also worked as a shrimp fisherman, house painter, ship's cook, roadside vendor of garlic, assistant zookeeper, and oil-field laborer. His work experiences and interactions with people of every economic level make him a well-rounded and worthy resource of information. He is author of The Crawfish Book , published by University Press of Mississippi. |
