Louisiana is a state that’s rich with history and culture you can’t find anywhere else in the United States. It was heavily influenced by the French and Spanish in the 17th century, unlike the colonies, which had a stronger British influence. In 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte gave up on an American empire and sold Louisiana — famously titled the Louisiana Purchase — to fund his war against the British.
This unique melting pot of cultures already brewing in the Bayou area continued to mature over the last few centuries to become what it is today: the birthplace of Jazz and Creole culture. Creole refers to anything New World derived from Old World heritage, such as settlers, music, food, folklore, and so much more. While Creole originally implied anything from African heritage, it has expanded to include the culmination of African influence with Native American, French, and Spanish cultures.
Louisiana-Native Authors
The diversity found in Louisiana gave rise to incredible authors and provided a bewitching backdrop for many other writers. Two notables, Anne Rice and Tennessee Williams, hail from New Orleans, and both use New Orleans culture and history as inspiration for their works.
Anne Rice
Anne Rice is most famous for her gothic novel, Interview With A Vampire. She resided in the Garden District of New Orleans, where the city’s popular independent bookstore also happens to sit — the Garden District Book Shop.
Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams, most famous for his play A Streetcar Named Desire, embodied the essence of New Orleans so much the city began hosting an annual festival in his honor. The festival’s most anticipated event is the “Stella!” Shouting Contest. The contestants dramatically drop to their knees while bellowing “Stella!” in the 1951 film style of Marlon Brando. (Cue swooning). If you can’t make the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival, have no fear! Their merchandise helps fund the festival and is available all year-round.
James Lee Burke
Louisiana, however, is more than the city of New Orleans. Directly west lies New Iberia, the hometown of notable contemporary author James Lee Burke! Born in Houston and transplanted a few hours east, Burke draws inspiration from the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast. This area is rich in cultural diversity, including influences that draw from the melting pot of Spanish, French, African American, Lao, and Creole heritage. Burke’s most famous novels featuring Detective Dave Robicheaux are set in New Iberia and peppered with regional history and lore.
Non-Native Author Recs
Louisiana’s unique history (and book festivals!) has consistently drawn tourists and authors alike over time. While the following authors may not be Louisiana natives per se, they have done diligent research and have captured facets of the local lore and legends in their novels.
The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
This novel draws direct inspiration from the historical Lost Friends ads. These were advertisements placed in the paper during the Civil War by newly freed slaves to find their enslaved friends and family. Wingate’s novel is a dual-timeline historical fiction: one timeline follows three women on a quest to Texas in 1875, and the other follows a schoolteacher, Benny, who finds herself in small-town Louisiana in 1987. The lives of the three journeying women infiltrate Benny’s life and guide her to a hidden book that could change everything.
The Seamstress of New Orleans by Diane C. McPhail
The Seamstress of New Orleans is set in New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century and features the first ever all-female Mardi Gras krewe. One woman, Alice, is pregnant and abandoned by her husband, and she leaves Chicago for the warmth of the South. She’s determined to make a home for her child by offering sewing lessons. Another woman, a widow named Constance, has thrown herself into charity work as she grieves. Constance offers Alice a place in her household if she can craft a gown for this year’s Leap Year Mardi Gras celebration. Each leap year, women have the opportunity to upend convention, and the widow intends to do just that.
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines
A National Book Critics Circle Award winner! A Lesson Before Dying is a deep and compassionate novel about a young man who returns to 1940s Cajun country to visit a Black youth on death row for a crime he didn’t commit. Together, they come to understand the heroism of resisting. First published in 1994, a new edition as part of an Ernest Gaines anthology will be released in the fall of 2024.
Louisiana gave rise to amazing literary voices, inspired authors beyond its state borders, and also hosts the annual Louisiana Book Festival! Every year, notable authors from around the world and across genres participate in panels and other activities, and one talented voice is presented with the Louisiana Writer’s Award. Each year also comes with its unique catalog compiled by the authors and organizers of the fair that year. The LA Book Festival is generally held at the end of fall or early winter.
Louisiana has a lot of literary love to offer! From the Tennessee Williams Festival to inspiring an American classic, don’t sleep on LA. The state’s diverse historical roots led to the development of such an amazing culture everyone should experience at some point in their lives.
Loving the tour? Check out another stop on our American Tour–Missouri!
All of these American Tour Recs and more can be found in our Bookshop!
