NEW IBERIA, La. --- Books Along The Teche Literary Festival presents a poetry event, “Breakdowns, Poems, Two-Steps and Blues,” from 4 – 5:30 p.m., Friday, April 5, at the Iberia Parish Main Library (445 Main St.).
This program, presented by poet Darrell Bourque and Creole accordionist Mary Broussard, combines poetry from Bourque’s book
Where I Waited with music.
Where I Waited tells stories in narrative poems of four iconic Louisiana Creole and Cajun musicians: Amédé Ardoin, Cleoma Falcon, Iry Lejeune, and Goldman Thibodeaux.
Born and still living in Church Point, Darrell Bourque is a published poet and retired University of Louisiana at Lafayette English professor. As Louisiana’s Poet Laureate from 2007 to 2011, Bourque actively promoted the art form throughout the state and beyond.
“Being poet laureate gives you opportunities to have conversations with people who would not ordinarily be talking about poetry,” he said in an interview for
Louisiana Cultural Vistas magazine.
Mary Broussard is a professional Creole-style accordionist, who comes from a musical family that includes her uncles, legendary accordion-player ”Bois Sec” Ardoin and fiddler Carlton Frank. Broussard was with the original Magnolia Sisters in the 1970s, has her own band, Creole Sweet La La, and makes regular guest appearances with her son’s zydeco group, T-Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers.
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