Justin Champagne | If She Ain't Country

Gumbo Ya-Ya

by Lyle Saxon

Trade Paper $19.95

“Gumbo Ya-Ya” is considered the finest collection of Louisiana folk tales and customs. This anthology of short stories from Lyle Saxon chronicles the tales and legends that emerged from the bayou country more than 70 years ago. On every page there are new delights: garlic hanging from rafters, the Loup Garou holds a convention on Bayou Goula, spiders dwell in haunted houses, and images of St. Rosalie are carried from church to church. All aspects of the bayou state’s society are detailed in this wonderful album of Louisiana traditions. “Gumbo Ya-Ya” is a 585-page volume portraying the legends and practices of Louisiana in a most charming and engaging manner.

Review presented by Books Along the Teche 

337-367-7621  |  106 E. Main Street, New Iberia

 

SAM WRÓBEL

Work: Pelican Kolka

Medium: papercutting

Available at: sparrowpapercraft.com

Price: $775

As a young child growing up near Chicago, Sam Wróbel learned the Polish art of papercutting (called wycinanki) from folk artist Doris Sikorsky. Today, Wróbel lives in rural Louisiana, but continues to embrace their Polish ancestry by making wycinanki, with its signature vibrant colors and intricate designs. In Pelican Kolka the artist celebrates their now-home of Louisiana by featuring the brown pelican and magnolias – a stunning 30”x30”showcase of their work. View this and other original and giclee prints by Wróbel on their website at sparrowpapercraft.com.

 

DENISE GALLAGHER

Work: Strong

Medium: illustration  

Available at: Life Designed, Lafayette

Price: $375

Denise Gallagher is a graphic designer, illustrator and author with an eye for the fantastical. The owner of Denise Gallagher Design & Illustration in Lafayette recently published a children’s book, Moonsong, and select illustrations by the artist have been included in the Society of Illustrators New York annual exhibition and the Society of Illustrators Los Angeles show. While many of her commercial designs and book illustrations are whimsical in nature, they are at the same time sophisticated – as seen in her stirring painting Strong, available at Life Designed in Louisiana.

 

JUSTIN CHAMPAGNE

Work: If She Ain’t Country

Medium: music

Available at: Most Streaming Services

Price: Varies

Justin Champagne has been described as a genre-bending country artist whose South Louisiana roots run deep and strong throughout his music. In his newest EP, a six-song collection that is as much a salute to small town living as it is a gritty commentary on the hard-drinking life, Champagne has further strengthened his rapidly growing fan base. His single “Bottom of the Bottle” (written by Champagne and Austin Dore) gained lots of attention recently with the release of its official music video – a soulful and raw look at what happens when a man tries to get over his girl.