Notes From New Orleans

Think about your favorite children’s book. Now, was the main character an animal or a human? Most likely, it was an animal, as animal protagonists have been a staple of the children’s literary canon for centuries. To help us think through why we often prefer furry friends at any age, NolaVie’s Kelley Crawford spoke with Olivia Motley , author of the new children’s book Do You Know What it Means to Miss New Orleans . Visit ViaNolaVie for a related article written by Kelley Crawford.

New Orleans is a place where when you ask someone what they do, you don’t get a single answer. While other places may call these endeavors a side hustle, many people feel that it’s not so much a side hustle as it is an interesting way to live. For NolaVie’s new series Side Hustles , Kelley Crawford invited Nicole Young into the studio to talk about how she took the plunge into full-time creative work. Visit ViaNolaVi e for a related article written by Kelley Crawford.

The New Orleans Film Society is hosting the 23rd French Film Festival this weekend. To mark the occasion, NolaVie has been spotlighting the filmmakers behind the features. Brian Friedman spoke with Syd Horn and Olivia Perillo, whose documentary film, Intention , will screen at the Prytania Theatre on February 28. Visit ViaNolaVie for a related article written by Brian Friedman.

The 23rd French Film Festival begins on February 27, and for the next two weeks, NolaVie will be spotlighting a couple of the festival’s featured filmmakers. Marshall Woodworth’s documentary La Veille traces the loss of Louisiana French, as well as the widespread efforts to preserve it. Brian Friedman sat down with Marshall for a quick preview. Visit ViaNolaVie for a related article written by Brian Friedman.

It’s Carnival time in New Orleans, and that means that throw season has arrived. Throw as in the noun, a throw, not the verb, to throw. We’re talking about that time of year when revelers raise their arms in supplication for trinkets tossed from passing Mardi Gras parade floats. Of all the things that make New Orleans one-of-a-kind, parade throws may well be the most idiosyncratic. I don’t know of any other place on Earth where this ritual of tossing and catching from krewe to crowd takes place.

Preservation Hall has been bringing people into the French Quarter since the 1950s to hear authentic New Orleans jazz. With Carnival season upon us, the Foundation’s Jazz in Class Program will move from the band room to the parade route.

People Museum is about half of what its name suggests. This group of alternative pop musicians has been building a reputation at gigs around New Orleans. The band plans to share songs from their new EP, “I Made a Madman out of Me and You,” at a show at One Eyed Jack’s on Friday, January 31. NolaVie’s David Benedetto spoke with band members Claire Givens and Jeremy Phipps as part of the ongoing series, Listening to Locals . Visit ViaNolaVie for a related article written by David Benedetto.

Meryl Murman is a choreographer and filmmaker who made the bold decision to combine her disciplines into one art form. She creates dance films that explore improvisation and performance in places like New Orleans and Ukraine. Kelley Crawford invited Meryl into the studio for the latest installment in NolaVie’s ongoing series, Conversations With Artists. Visit ViaNolaVie for a related article written by Kelley Crawford.

Based simply on output, New Orleans is clearly a fertile ground for artists. But how welcoming and nurturing is New Orleans to all kinds of art, specifically street art? NolaVie’s Brian Friedman sat down with Neal Morris, founder of the NOLA Mural Project , to try and answer that question.

Co-working spaces are beginning to pop up all over the city, but few are tailor-made for artists. Atelier Mimi is a gallery and co-working space dedicated to promoting creative cross-pollination. In this installment of NolaVie’s occasional series, Conversations with Artists, Kelley Crawford invited founder and visual artist Miriam Lilje into the studio to talk about how she conceptualizes space in art and life. Visit ViaNolaVie for a related article written by Kelley Crawford.