Coen's book on Forest Hill history release is Tuesday
I'm pleased to announce that my latest book, "Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History" by the History Press, will be released to bookstores on Tuesday. The book examines the central Louisiana town of 900 residents that is also home to 200-plus plant nurseries that make up a
multi-million
dollar industry.
Most gardeners know about Forest Hill and its nurseries but the town has a long and varied history. Plantation owners from the Bayou Boeuf area had summer homes near present-day Forest Hill, and plantation owner and Baptist minister William Prince Ford ran a mill there; he would become the first owner of Solomon Northup who later penned "12 Years a Slave." By the end of the 19th century a timber boom began, with companies clearing away acres of longleaf pine. World War II brought Camp Claiborne, part of the largest peacetime war maneuvers in U.S. history.
But it's the nurseries that survived and grew, to borrow a pun, starting in 1901 by Sam Stokes and continued today by later generations of many of the original owners.
I'll be signing copies of Forest Hill at the Louisiana Book Festival Nov. 1 in Baton Rouge, among other events.
New releases
Cay Gibson of Sulphur has transformed a classic trickster tale in the fun new children's story "Cajun 'Ti Beau and the Cocodries," published by Pelican Publishing. A young boy leaves home with a new set of clothes and a parasol but must hand them over to appease a group of alligators. Soon the gators fight over the new prizes and spin themselves into a puddle of roux. The book, illustrated by Colleen D'Antoni, incorporates many French names and expressions and includes a glossary in the back.
The Bayou Writers' Group of Lake Charles will release its first anthology of poetry and prose titled "Journeys" on Saturday in both paperback and ebook formats. For more information, visithttp://bayouwritersgroup.com.
Mark A. Stevens is a former Lafayette resident and Advertiser editor and I mentioned his self-published book about the fabled Clinchfield No. 1 steam engine in previous columns. He's since published the book with the History Press, titled "The Clinchfield No. 1: Tennessee's Legendary Steam Engine," along with author A.J. "Alf" Peoples. The book features nearly 80 vintage photographs, many never before seen by the general public, along with decades of media coverage. "The No. 1 had it all — intrigue, rebirth and revival mixed with sadness, anger and celebration," Stevens wrote me by email.
Letters contest
The 22nd annual Letters About Literature contest, a national reading and writing competition for students sponsored by the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress in association with its affiliate state centers, is now accepting entries.
Fourth through 12th grade students write personal letters to living or dead authors from any genre explaining how what the students read changed their views of the world or themselves. Students may enter on their own or through their schools or local libraries in three levels: Level I for grades 4 – 6, Level 2 for grades 7 — 8 and Level 3 for grades 9 – 12.
The national LAL team will choose up to 50 entries in each level from each state, and then Louisiana winners will be chosen by a panel of judges from throughout the state. Louisiana's first place winners' entries will be submitted to the Library of Congress for the national competition with the chance of winning up to $1,000. State winners will be recognized at next year's Louisiana Book Festival.
The student's letter and entry coupon, available online, must be sent to Letters About Literature, P.O. Box 5308, Woodbridge, VA 22194. The postmark deadline for Level 3 is Dec. 15, 2014; for Levels 1 and 2, the deadline is Jan. 15, 2015. The entry forms and information may be downloaded at www.read.gov/letters.
CheréCoen is the author of "Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History," "Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana" and "Exploring Cajun Country: A Historic Guide to Acadiana" and co-author of "Magic's in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets." Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.