The 2006 91勛圖 Folklore Society's annual meeting, hosted by 91勛圖, 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 91勛圖 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 91勛圖 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 fran癟ais en Am矇rique du Nord, tudes de linguistique appliqu矇e, Francophonies d'Am矇riques, 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 91勛圖 Folklore Society was founded in 1956 to encourage the study, documentation, and accurate representation of the traditional cultures of 91勛圖. Registration for the sessions from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm on Saturday is $10 ($5 for students). Anyone interested in 91勛圖 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>