Rien Fertel

2 months ago | theadvocate.com | Rien Fertel

“Turned Earth” by Brad Richard, LSU Press, 90 pagesIf New Orleans were to appoint a city poet laureate — and why shouldn’t we have one? — I would nominate Brad Richard. His award-winning poetry plows, with a loving and critical eye, the dense layers of New Orleans history, culture and ecology. For 28 years, he nurtured students at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts and Lusher/Willow, many of whom have gone on to become published poets.

2 months ago | theadvocate.com | Rien Fertel

“The Edge of Water” by Olufunke Grace Bankole, Tin House Books, 272 pagesIt is often said that New Orleans is “the most African city in the United States.” We can point to any number of cultural facets that descended from West Africa. Our food, the musical forms birthed in this city, the way people dance in the streets. The list goes on and on.

Feb 2, 2025 | theadvocate.com | Rien Fertel

“The Debutantes” by Olivia Worley, Wednesday Books, 352 pagesThe more Mardi Gras changes, the more it stays the same. Faddish king cakes hold sway (I’m eyeing yours, Lagniappe Bakehouse), while stale traditions fade away (farewell, Nyx!). Meanwhile, new books — histories, coffee table-worthy photography collections, kids' lit — join a burgeoning shelf of Mardi Gras bibliomania.

Jan 12, 2025 | theadvocate.com | Rien Fertel

One of the great New Orleans-produced poets, Nicole Cooley is a master of the narratively themed collection. “The Afflicted Girls,” her 2004 volume about the Salem Witch Trials, is an unsung gem of a book. Her latest collection, “Mother Water Ash,” presents a mournful exploration of her mother’s life and death alongside the ecological precarity of the city that raised her.

Nov 16, 2024 | theadvocate.com | Rien Fertel

"Between Dying and Not Dying, I Chose the Guitar: The Pandemic Years in New Orleans" by James Nolan, 210 pages, University of Louisiana at Lafayette PressEach one of us has a pandemic story. The losses, the sacrifices, the horrors. The agony of being alone, the ecstasy of being alone. New skills acquired, old dreams fulfilled — maybe even a baby.