The Reading Life

Happy Mardi Gras from The Reading Life as we hear from Cornell Landry, author of "Happy Mardi Gras! And "One Dat, Two Dat, Are You a Who Dat?," whose many children's books are perfect for our festive season. Writer/musician/teacher Michael Patrick Welch discusses "New Orleans: The Underground Guide," and his novels "The Donkey Show" and "Y'all's Problem." Michael will be appearing at Ogden After Hours, Thursday, February 23.

On this special holiday edition of The Reading Life, meet Dianne de las Casas, author of "Dinosaur Mardi Gras!" Then hear some sexy love poetry from Gian Smith.

The Reading Life for 2/7/12:  Constance Adler shares her vision of home in “My Bayou: New Orleans Through the Eyes of a Lover," and writer/publisher Arthur Hardy talks about putting together the season's essential reading, "Arthur Hardy's Mardi Gras Guide."

This week on The Reading Life: Robert Leleux, whose new book is "The Living End: A Memoir of Forgetting and Forgiving," and poet Alison Pelegrin, author of "Hurricane Party."

This week on The Reading Life: Architectural historian Ellen Weiss' new book:  "Robert R. Taylor and Tuskegee: An African American Architect Designs for Booker T. Washington." Also,  poet Andy Young tells us about her new collection: "The People Is Singular."

This week on The Reading Life, we'll be talking with John Barry, whose new book is Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty. We'll also hear Fred Kasten's "Sound of Books" interview with Anka Muhlstein, author of "Balzac's Omelette: A Delicious Tour of French Food and Culture with Honore de Balzac."