by Barry Jean Ancelet (Author), Jay Edwards (Author), Glen Pitre (Author)

This insightful book is by far the broadest examination of traditional Cajun culture ever assembled. It goes beyond the stereotypes and surface treatment given to Cajuns by the popular media and examines the great variety of cultural elements alive in Cajun culture today--cooking, music, storytelling, architecture, arts and crafts, and festivals, as well as traditional occupations such as fishing, hunting, and trapping. It not only gives fascinating descriptions of elements in Cajun life that have been woven into the fabric of American history and folklore; it also explains how they came to be. Cajun Country reveals the historical background of the Cajun people, who migrated to Louisiana as exiles from their Canadian homeland, and it shows their folklife as a living and ongoing legacy that enriches America.

Author Biography

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.