Shared from the 9/5/2019 American Press eEdition

MCNEESE SAGE SERIES

‘Cane River Bohemia’ includes lecture, plantation trip

McNeese State University’s SAGE series will return this fall with five lectures focusing on the theme “Cane River to Greece.”

Each session features a different guest artist, brief reception and an opportunity to purchase material from the speaker, said May Gray, Leisure Learning coordinator.

The series will open with “Cane River Bohemia” by Patricia Becker at 3 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16. Becker, a high school teacher in Shreveport, provides a vivid biography of the timeless women of Melrose Plantation in Nachitoches, including Cammie Henry, lady of the house, celebrated artist Clementine Hunter and several other notable figures of the time.

SAGE will take a corresponding trip to Melrose Plantation 7 a.m.-9 p.m. Oct. 30. Tickets are $115 per person until Oct. 16 and $125 after.

“A Cajun Girl’s Sharecropping Years” by Viola Fontenot will be featured at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7. Fontenot writes about her life growing up as a sharecropper’s daughter in Church Point. The book is considered a female perspective on Louisiana’s history of sharecropping and won the 2019 Humanities Book of the Year from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities.

Mary Ann Sternberg will present her “River Road Ramblings” at 3 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28. Sterberg will share “little known places or experiences along the river road of Baton Rouge,” Gray said. “River Road Ramblings” will feature readings from several of Sterberg’s books about Louisiana’s waterside history.

“It should be fascinating just hearing her different stories about her experiences and places she’s seen,” Gray said.

Pamela D. Arceneaux will present “Guidebooks to Sin: The Blue Books of Storyville, New Orleans” at 3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11. Arceneaux, a librarian with The Historic New Orleans Collection, will guide the audience through the historic advertisements of New Orleans “Storyville” area, a region where gambling and prostitution flourished outside of the law, Gray said.

The SAGE series will conclude with “Adventure Travels with Keith Monroe — Greece, Iceland and More” at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 20. Monroe will present his award-winning photography of normally unseen wonders. Featuring photographs of World War II military relics from Truk Lagoon, Gray said, “This will certainly appeal to military and history buffs.”

Guests need not “do their homework” before each lecture, Gray said. “You can come with no background. It’s not necessary. We have a lot of visuals in addition to the author’s presentation so it’s a great chance to learn.”

The series is $65 until Sept. 16 and $69 after. Membership to the series guarantees five programs, Gray said. Missed lectures can be transferred to a friend or members can bring a guest to the next show they attend.

For more information or tickets, call 475-5130, visit www.mcneese.edu/leisure/sage or a mail a check to “McNeese SAGE”, Box 92375, Lake Charles, LA 70609.

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