The 2006 Louisiana Folklore Society's annual meeting, hosted by University of Louisiana at Lafayette, will take place at Vermilionville in Lafayette on March 24-25. The program will celebrate the 50 years of the society with a keynote address on Friday night, two paper sessions on Saturday morning, and special presentations at the luncheon and business meeting on Saturday. The meeting will also feature a panel and discussion on Louisiana folklife in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita on Saturday afternoon.
Dr. Barry Jean Ancelet will present the keynote address at 7:30 Friday night on “Storm Stories: The Social and Cultural Implications of Katrina and Rita.” The lecture is free and open to the public. Dr. Ancelet has published eight books on Louisiana folklore and Francophone literature, including The Makers of Cajun Music, Cajun and Creole Folktales, and Cajun Country. His scholarly and creative work has been published in highly prestigious publications such as Le français en Amérique du Nord, Études de linguistique appliquée, Francophonies d'Amériques, Journal of American Folklore, and Journal of Folklore Research. He is the Granger-Debaillon/BORSF Endowed Professor in Francophone Studies at UL Lafayette. In 2005, he became a Fellow of the American Folklore Society. Dr. Ancelet's address is co-sponsored by Vermilionville and UL Lafayette.
The Louisiana Folklore Society was founded in 1956 to encourage the study, documentation, and accurate representation of the traditional cultures of Louisiana. Registration for the sessions from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday is $10 ($5 for students). Anyone interested in Louisiana folklore and folklife is invited to attend the conference. For more information about the 50th Anniversary meeting, contact the program chair, Dr. Marcia Gaudet, Department of English, UL Lafayette, at 482-6907 or by e-mail at mgaudet@louisiana.edu>