Voices from Louisiana ― Profiles of Contemporary Writers

In this accessible and thoughtful collection of author profiles, Voices from Louisiana offers readers a primer on some of the state’s most respected contemporary authors. Fans of fiction and poetry will discover a new appreciation for writers whose works emanate from the cultures and history of Louisiana. Author Ann Brewster Dobie examines eleven well-known authors—including James Lee Burke, Ernest Gaines, Tim Gautreaux, Shirley Ann Grau, Julie Kane, and Tom Piazza—and concludes with a consideration of several younger writers who have published well-received books over the past ten years, such as Katy Simpson Smith. From historical fiction to detective novels and small-town comedies, with side trips for nature writing and reflective poetry, Voices from Louisiana surveys many of the authors whose works define the literary landscape of the Pelican State.

Ann Brewster Dobie, professor emerita of English at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, is the editor of three anthologies of works by Louisiana writers: Something in Common: Contemporary Louisiana Stories, Uncommonplace: An Anthology of Contemporary Louisiana Poets, and Wide Awake in the Pelican State: Contemporary Louisiana Stories.