Author: Jessica DeBold

Found and Formed

Glass artist Mitchell Gaudet finds the extraordinary in the ordinary

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Non-Fiction for Saints Fans: What does it take to become a billionaire? How does financial and business success affect family relationships and public persona? When you live in New Orleans, it’s hard not become a Saints fan, and impossible not…

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JAZZ/HIP-HOP: Parking Lot Symphony, by Trombone Shorty.  A powerful album filled with echoing horns and vocals from celebrity New Orleanian Trombone Shorty, Parking Lot Symphony has a great balance of smooth and slow jazz, booming brass, hip-hop, blues and upbeat…

Character Building

Carpenter and designer Matthew Holdren creates custom wood pieces with reclaimed materials

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ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY: One of the greatest disappearing acts recorded during the history of humankind, the southern coastal wetlands along Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida are being swallowed up and washed away into the Gulf of Mexico. The economic prosperity along…

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NONFICTION: An American woman traveling for love and bliss in Belize is taken hostage by a mentally unstable man posing as a cab driver. In The Jaguar Man by Lara Naughton, readers come to understand Naughton’s terror and incredible will…

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NON-FICTION: As a New Orleans transplant I’ve always said that one of my biggest draws to the city is the music. Since my arrival seven years ago I’ve made it a mission to explore the various locations in and just…

Meet the Newest Chewbacca

Like many fans of the “Star Wars” series, one of our favorite characters is cute, furry, an expert pilot and one hell of a fighter. His name? Chewbacca. If you’ve had the opportunity to see the new “Star Wars" films, “Rogue…

Conversation with a Vampire

In the days leading up to the Wizard World Comic Con, taking place this weekend from Jan. 6 to Jan. 8, we had the opportunity to chat with one of the most iconic vampires in television history. And there are…

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NON-FICTION: Brought to life in color by the Historic New Orleans Collection, A Life in Jazz by Danny Barker was originally released in 1986. Today, the illustrated edition includes three new passages previously unpublished due to space constraints. The materials…

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Cookbook: There are few things I love more than a holiday spent eating Cajun and Creole food in a Louisianian’s dwelling. However, I’m usually New England-bound and away from these special occasions and spicy feasts. This year, however, my Yankee…

Thanksgiving Good Reads

Just as most holidays spent in New Orleans, Thanksgiving involves flavorful dishes, themed cocktails and good company. Louisiana residents may not agree on most things (such as politics, ahem), but one thing we can all agree on is that New…

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Non-Fiction: Author of academic works and published research on the history of cuisine, Paul Freedman’s Ten Restaurants That Changed America is thick with details and hunger-inducing menus. Opening with an introduction by restaurateur Danny Meyer, the owner of Union Square…

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NON-FICTION: Published in celebration of New Orleans Magazine’s 50th anniversary, Essential New Orleans is a delectable coffee table read for those lazy Sunday mornings before a boozy brunch. Written in a short essay style format, more than a dozen contributing…

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NON-FICTION: Miss Ella of Commander’s Palace: I don’t want a restaurant where a jazz band can’t come marching through is a fantastically entertaining book of memoirs from a New Orleans restaurateur-legend and Creole-Cajun cuisine grande dame. This autobiography details the…

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FICTION: From the creative mind of award-winning New Orleans native John Gregory Brown, A Thousand Miles From Nowhere is a modern-day tragic hero story of a refugee’s path to self-discovery post-Katrina. After evacuating the city, the story’s protagonist, Henry Garrett,…

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