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137 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS When I approached LSU Press with the idea of writing a collection of essays about the River Road featuring places and aspects that I deemed unique or underappreciated, MaryKatherine Callaway, the director of the Press, enthusiastically encouraged me. I should thank her for committing me to the most challenging project I’ve ever undertaken . It was premised on personal experience, but I determined it would be more interesting with the addition of archival research and interviewing people whose first-hand information and background was more complete than my own, whose insights would enrich the stories. Tracking down the right people was sometimes difficult and I was forced to abandon two subjects when I couldn’t get the responses I needed or inveigle individuals into allowing me to use their information . Nevertheless, I am eternally grateful to the following people who did share what they knew about their subjects. In a very real sense, they get credit as my ghostwriters: Mandy Capella, Red Guerts, Gretchen Bankston, Lorraine Oubre, Merrill Gerstner, Robert Montelius; Grant Martin, Mark Ryan, Curtis Hymel, Ken Guidry, Donal F. Day; Delos Turner; Peter Patout, Susan Turner, Scott Purdin, Kevin Risk; Hazel Taylor, John Rodrigue, Michael Knight; Bill Stegelmeyer, Mark Gautreau, Jay Lemann, Stuart Rockoff; Andrew Capone; Glenn Falgoust; Sam Bacot; Clifford Normand , Gene LeBlanc, David Broussard; Simeon Peterson, Elizabeth Schexnyder, Jim Krahenbuhl, Andi Bahlinger, Diane Follmer; Sidney Marchand, Jay Lemann; Virginia Noland, Claude Reynaud; Father Frank Uter, Father Vincent J. Dufresne; Charlie Duhe, Joe Samrow; Kathe Hambrick-Jackson; Andrew; Jane Boddie, Joseph McGill, Joyce Jackson. I am indebted, as always, to the professional and efficient 138 Acknowledgments librarians who saved me inordinate amounts of time by helping find relevant material much more quickly than I could have done so independently . Among the best were Marc Wellman, Louisiana State Library , and Tara Laver and Judy Bolton, Hill Memorial Library at LSU. And I continue to be grateful to my family for asking how I was doing and cheering me on when I seemed to be slogging through instead of skating along. For inspiration and constant support—thank you all! ...

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