Literary Guide to New Orleans
-prepared by Tara Lombardi, student at LSU Graduate School of Library and Information Science "The 1880s and 1890s set the pattern for New Orleans as a literary town which attracted writers with the ease of life here: a combination of decayed elegance, live music, friendly watering holes, and literary salons then, literary festivals now.”-Foreward by Patricia Brady in Literary New Orleans edited by Judy Long. |
 |
| Literary New Orleans still lives on through various natural disasters and other challenges that the city has faced in the last century. Many writers were been born here and stayed to write about life in their native town while others were visitors who found stories and a new life among the nooks and crannies of the French Quarter, the Garden District, the Faubourg Marigny and other humbler neighborhoods of the city. The following books and bookstores provide a starting point to begin your cultural exploration of New Orleans. We hope that you will visit our local bookstores and help “Re-New Orleans.” | |
| Here is an article about Louisiana's bookstores from Publishers Weekly (04/30/07). | |
| Recommended books by Louisiana authors and/or about Louisiana: | |
| The Booklover’s Guide to New Orleans by Susan Larson Literary New Orleans edited by Richard S. Kennedy Literary New Orleans in the Modern World edited by Richard S. Kennedy Literary New Orleans edited by Judy Long Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole (Grove Press) French Quarter Fiction edited by Joshua Clark (Light of New Orleans Publishing) Why New Orleans Matters by Tom Piazza (HarperCollins) New Orleans Mon Amour by Andrei Codrescu (Algonquin Books) Etouffée Mon Amour: The Great Restaurants of New Orleans by Kerri McCaffety (Pelican Publishing) Food of New Orleans by John DeMers (Tuttle Publishing) |
|
| Children’s books: Epossumondas by Coleen Salley (Harcourt) Cajun Little Red Riding Hood by Berthe Amoss Cajun Night Before Christmas by Trosclair Clovis Crawfish & Etienne Escargot by Mary Alice Fontenot Jenny Giraffe Discovers the French Quarter by Cecilia Dartez Mimi’s First Mardi Gras by Alice Couvillon Nicky, The Swamp Dog by Jacklyn Hirshberg Satchmo's Blues by Allen Schroeder Why Is Blue Dog Blue? by George Rodrique |
|
| Book Stores | |
| Arcadian Books & Art Prints French Quarter store specializes in books on Louisiana history and French language; sells new and used books, postcards, art prints. 714 Orleans Ave French Quarter New Orleans 504-523-4138 Store Hours: Tues.-Sat. 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. |
|
| Bayou Books Louisiana books. 1005 Monroe St. Gretna (located on the Westbank of New Orleans) 504-368-1171 Call for store hours. |
|
| Beth’s Books Located behind Sound Café Coffee Shop 2700 Chartres St. Faubourg Marigny New Orleans 504-947-4477 Store Hours: 7 days a week, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
|
| Beckham's Book Shop This large book emporium offers shelves upon shelves of rare, antique and second hand books. 228 Decatur St French Quarter New Orleans 504-522-9875 Store Hours: 7 days a week, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
|
| Community Book Center |
|
Crescent City Books |
|
| Dauphine Street Books 410 Dauphine St French Quarter New Orleans 504-529-2333 Store Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.; Sun: 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
|
| deVille Books & Prints New, used, free out-of-print service, book appraiser, specializing in the South; over 25 years in the book business. 736 Union St Downtown New Orleans 504-525-1846 Store Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
|
FAB - Faubourg Marigny Art & Books |
|
| The Faulkner House http://faulknerhousebooks.net Owned and operated by attorney Joseph J. DeSalvo Jr., Faulkner House Books is a sanctuary for fine literature and rare editions, including, of course, books by and about Mr. Faulkner. Other specialties include Tennessee Williams, Walker Percy, Modern First Editions, Southern Americana with an emphasis on New Orleans and Louisiana-related titles. 624 Pirate’s Alley French Quarter 504-524-2940 Store Hours: 7 days a week, 10:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. |
|
| Garden District Book Shop This bookstore attracts Anne Rice fans looking for signed copies and special editions. 2727 Prytania St Garden District New Orleans 504-895-2266 Store Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Sun. 10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. |
|
| Kaboom Books Antiquarian and other rare books. 915 Barracks St French Quarter New Orleans 504-529-5780 Store Hours: 7days a week, 11:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. |
|
| Kitchen Witch Book store specializing in cookbooks. 631 Toulouse St. French Quarter New Orleans 504-528-8382 Store Hours: 7 days a week, 10:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. |
|
| Librairie Book Shop General second-hand books with a selection of new and recent local/regional books. 823 Chartres St French Quarter New Orleans 504-525-4837 Store Hours: 7 days a week, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. |
|
| Maple Street Book Shop www.maplestreetbookshop.com "Housed in a quaint Victorian shotgun surrounded by a picket fence, this well-organized bookstore is crammed to the rafters with thousands of titles. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly, and owner Rhoda Faust is one of the city's literary leaders. The well-stocked New Orleans section includes a whole wall of regional cookbooks, works by more than 120 native authors (some signed, some first editions), and an extensive collection by Louisiana lion Walker Percy." -ACCESS New Orleans 7523 Maple St. Uptown New Orleans 504-866-4916 Store Hours: Mon.-Sat. 9:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. |
|
| McKeown's Books & Difficult Music New bookstore located in Uptown New Orleans with quality used books, with an emphasis on fiction, philosophy, and science. 4737 Tchoupitoulas Street Uptown New Orleans 504-895-9227 Store Hours: 7 days a week, 12:00 noon -8:00 p.m. |
|
| Octavia Books www.octaviabooks.com 513 Octavia St. Uptown New Orleans 504-899-READ Store Hours: Mon.-Sat. 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.; Sun. noon-5:00 p.m. |
|
Pelican Publishing Online Book Store |
|
| Starling Books & Crafts Occult/metaphysical book store. 1022 Royal St French Quarter New Orleans 504-595-6777 Store Hours: Mon., Thurs., Fri., Sat., Sun. 1:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. |
|
| Updated June 8, 2007 |
