Online Lecture: New Orleans — Joie de Vivre in the Bible Belt

Helped me sign up for my trip there in October!

I really appreciated Brian Altobello's presentation. His conversational tone made it seem like a friend sharing stories about a favorite experience. I particularly appreciated his anecdote about taking pictures at Marie Laveau's crypt. I bet he is a favorite of his students. He made me want to return to New Orleans to experience more of the city. The history and geography insights were valuable. I had not previously understood that Lake Pontchartrain is a bay. A riverboat pilot told me that New Orleans is 100 miles from the Gulf of Mexico, down the Mississippi River. I had not taken time to think about the strategy of having the city placed where those coming up the river would need to navigate a couple of river bends to reach port. It is such a vibrant city. The presentation could have gone longer and still held the audience's attention. That's perfect motivation to look into Road Scholar experience options. I look forward to reading Altobello's book "Whiskey, Women, and the War: How World War I Shaped Jim Crow New Orleans".

There just wasn't enough time to give a thorough accounting of the subject. It did spark a curiosity to learn more

I was not able to watch the entire lecture and have not received the lecture for a two week view. Please let me know who to access it. Linda Fitzharris

This program gave a great descriptive background on the history of New Orleans. I learned about the early explorers who settled New Orleans and how the culture there has evolved over time. All very interesting -- unique to the U.S. or maybe the world.