If you’re not craving chevrette, gumbo and a nice cold biere after
reading “Splendor in the Salt Grass: A Celebration of Untold Stories in Cajun
History,” then I don’t know what, cher. Jim LaBove wrote and illustrated this
book as part of what I call his Cotton’s Seafood series. With passion and
detail, he tells about his experiences growing up Cajun and collecting seafood
from Sabine Pass waters. The family’s background comes out in stories such as
“Henri and the Louisiana Black Bear.” Questions on hoodoo? All the little boats
that navigate our waters? The great barbecued crab debate? LaBove has stories.
Look for all LaBove’s books and some of his very natural artwork at www.cottons-seafood.com You can wear his blue crab on
a T-shirt. Now that will bring you some joie de vivre.
“Exploring Cajun Country: A Tour of Historic
Acadiana” - Are
you venturing out of the Great State of Texas into the Sportsman’s Paradise of
Louisiana? Consider reading up on the food, music and folktales in a book
written by an author I have given a grand tour of Port Arthur. Cheré
Dastugue Coen can tell you about a gris gris, wrap you up in a romance
and haunt your dreams. She’s a traveling writer and in “ Cajun Country: A Tour
of Historic Acadiana,” she fills us in on places we may have just passed through.
Did you know Gonzales is the known as the Jambalaya Capital of the World? Our
near-neighbor of Sulphur was once named the “richest 50 acres in the world.” In
1867 the mineral was discovered there and five men died trying to bring it to
the surface.
I love the
image of a flowering magnolia with floral “fallout” caught in a lower petal as
a bee overs in a cup of cream-colored petal. An electric blue peacock of
Jefferson Gardens’ Rip Van Winkle Gardens is on the next page, along
moss-covered oaks of Avery Island. Coen’s book can be found on Amazon.
If I was the Queen of Spain
in 1770, I’d be gifting church steeples left and right. St. Gabriel, La. got
one. On the next page read about Carville’s leprosariam and Sorrento’s
Acadian-Style Shotguns housing. A movie set is another page over in Houmas.
Mary Kay Charisma – They said Mary Kay
was “thinking like a woman.” She went with it. Her pink empire inspired
thousands of women to be proud of their contributions to their home and business
world. A new book has a “wow” story on every page about her extraordinary
personality from business sense to sharing caring moments with her workers and
their families, taking chauffeurs to dinner and a passion for burgers.
“Fixing Food: An FDA Insider
Unravels the Myths and the Solutions” -
Food labels, lemonade stands, saturated fats… Richard A. Williams, Ph.D., has
produced a book that reads like an angry crime novel. The in-fighting that goes
on behind closed government doors is enough to raise your blood pressure higher
than a can of high-sodium soup. It should be simple. Tell consumers what’s in
the can of food you are feeding your family. Then, make sure they understand
what it all means.
“Say it Now! Say it Right!” - Situations from
spinach in your teeth, how do you like my cooking/management/child rearing and
the dreaded “does my butt look big” are covered with skill in Mary J. Nestor’s
book, “Say it Now! Say it Right!” Digestible short chapters will guide readers
through job interviews, spats with friends and relationship bumps. “How to
Handle Tough or Tender Conversations” is the subtitle. Tip: Sometimes saying it right begins with
saying you have been wrong before. Lots of tips here and in the back you can
make notes on how you have handled things in the past, how you can do better
and the consequences of speaking up or not.
“The Art and
Science of Drawing” - Author/artist Brent Eviston’s book offers guidance to “Learn to Observe,
Analyze and Draw Any Subject.” Ever glance at your tea cup and get an urge to
sketch it? That gourd on kitchen counter? Let’s draw it. Ready to make 100
circles? How about a bird? You can do it, he says. The Ever-Changing
Line is my kind of project. Draw a line that continually changes in quality and
character. Begin anywhere and turn the line into dots, squiggles, explosions
and smudges. Change the pressure of your pencil and fill the page. Now you’ve
got some inspiration for representational drawing. Keep your mind open, he advises.
Empty Calories
of Words – Got
writer’s block? Take a break. Listen to music. Exercise. Hey that’s good advice
for anyone. Then there’s stay hungry and get feedback. Why do all the food and
diet exercises catch my eye in Steve Gamel’s book? “Write Like You Mean
It: Mastering Your Passion for the Written Word” is succinct, as he advises
writers to be. What’s your niche and who is your audience? Remember to listen
when people talk. Don’t make readers work to hard, get to the point and use
fewer words. Get rid of those “empty calorie” words. For instance:
·
From “At all
times,” to “Always”
·
From “In light
of the fact that,” to “Because”
·
From “Have the
ability to,” to “Can”
·
From “In order
to” to “To”
·
From “On two
separate occasions” to “Twice”
Sharing you Magic Dust? - What’s your magic dust and how
do you begin sprinkling it on others? Charisma, resilience and character are
bound to be some of the things in the best dust. The opening Mark Cuban story
of positive on positive is a good example. Author Mark J. Harris shares
profiles of positive people he’s encountered in “Magic Dust: What Is It? Who
Has It? How Do You Get It?” I say, let’s all get dusty in 2022.
“Committed: Finding Love and Loyalty Through the Seven Archetypes” - Cook for
yourself and make dishes that you – not others – love to eat. If you’re not a
good cook or you don’t like to cook, eat out by yourself. Ask for a table for
one, put away your phone and dine with yourself. Savor and don’t rush. This is
advice for a 30-day mind and spirit detox. This book covers getting over hurt
and righting one’s self when dealing with workaholics, introverts, narcissists,
etc. Hey, we’re all something. But we should all love ourselves, authors Carmen
Harra and Alexandra Harra write.
Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie craving a quiet time and a
good book. darraghcastillo@icloud.com
