“The author of this book, Myron Tassin, saved me. Numerous times. He gave me self-confidence. He won me awards. He was instrumental in my having a career as a movie director. And I never met the man.”
—Glen Pitre, filmmaker and author of Belizaire the Cajun
This pictorial essay portraying the Acadian people of Louisiana captures the many faces of the timeless Cajun—witty, wise, tolerant, hard-working, and fun-loving. Farmers, fishermen, oil workers, and creators of world-famous cuisine exemplify the Cajuns as they were and as they are in modern Louisiana. Tassin’s words poetically describe the rich black-and-white photographs.
A new foreword by Glen Pitre, who was dubbed by American Film as the “father of the Cajun film,” testifies to the tremendous influence this book has had. Pitre eloquently describes the scenes throughout the book and the timelessness of the photographs translated directly into his films. These words and images portray a people who turned a heritage of hardship into a philosophy that declares, when work is done, Laissez les bon temps rouler—Let the good times roll!
About the Author
Myron Tassin is a native New Orleans author. He worked as a public relations consultant and has written several books about the city. Tassin and his father are proud Louisiana Acadians who consider the Acadian culture a major component of their unique nationality.
About the Foreword Author
Glen Pitre has spent his life bringing the culture and history of the state and the Cajun people to an international audience. Born in Cut Off, Louisiana, he graduated from Harvard before returning to his home state. In 1988, the French government bestowed on him the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in honor of his contributions. He lives with his wife in New Orleans.
About the Photographer
Fonville Winans, a descendant of Louisiana’s French Creoles, is considered a premier photographer of Acadiana. After attending Louisiana State University in the 1930s, he opened his own studio in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Born in Missouri in 1911, he traversed the bayou country for more than a decade during the 1920s and 1930s. Winans died in 1992 in Louisiana.
WE ARE ACADIANS
Nous Sommes Acadiens
By Myron Tassin
Photographed by Fonville Winans
Foreword by Glen Pitre
HISTORY / United States / State & Local / South
96 pp. 6 x 9
58 b/w photos
ISBN: 9781455615452
E-book ISBN: 9781455615551