Their simple life, which replicated the experiences of their ancestors at bayou chene, struck a chord with readers and then viewers when it was made into an lpb documentary by the same name. I was a teenager working at a summer camp in louisiana when i first came across this book. During the interview, her book, atchafalaya houseboat my years in the louisiana swamp was introduced and i knew i had to get a copy and read it. Writer gwen roland built a houseboat and lived in louisianas millionacre atchafalaya swamp as her. She is at work on a novel set one hundred years ago in the atchafalaya basin. Petrossi lived in the adjoining structure with his wife, mary, and five children.
Louisiana swamp tours in and near the atchafalaya basin. The atchafalaya basin is a scenic semiwilderness area of hardwood forests, cypress stands, marshes and bayous. A houseboat different from boathouse, which is a shed for storing boats is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Houseboat and lease in the atchafalaya basin posted by atchafalaya on 9812 at 5. Rolands heritage provides an unusual backdrop for a universal story of selfdiscovery and the embrace of youthful idealism and. After the program was over, i immediately went to my computer and ordered the book and 8 days later i was reading it. Readers of my memoir kept asking for more details about daily life back. Exxonmobil baton rouge rejoins lpb as an underwriter in may 2020 highlighting their commitment to stem education, north baton rouge, and safety amidst the global pandemic. He grew up just outside the atchafalaya swamp basin, between the towns of henderson and catahoula, and has a marvelous eye for the landscape, and a. Books by greg guirard gregs a good friend of mine, a photographer, teacher, writer, naturalist and crawfisherman.
Their dedication to community has been front and center during the covid19 crisis. Gwen roland is the author of atchafalaya houseboat 4. Rolands first book, atchafalaya houseboat, describes her years of living in a. Readers of my memoir kept asking for more details about daily life back when bayou chene was a real community, gwen shared, and, to tell the truth, i was just as curious as they were.
But to fully comprehend and appreciate the magnificence of the atchafalaya, you must journey back to when the atchafalaya was as nomadic as its people. Rolands first book, atchafalaya houseboat, describes her years of living in a houseboat that she and calvin voisin built in the 1970s. The atchafalaya, with more than a million acres of wetlands created by the mississippi river, is. Gwen roland is the author of atchafalaya houseboat. He has received the sierra clubs ansel adams award for conservation photography. Be sure to browse all of the dvds, digital downloads, books, tshirts, and more available at shoplpb. I think when they do come up for sale, they get scooped up by someone who knows the family that is selling it.
There is a private boat ramp available for our houseboat customers and their guests. If you are a member of friends, you can get a 15% discount on all shoplpb purchases. Atchafalaya houseboat shares the experiences of gwen roland and her companion calvin voisin, who left. Some houseboats are not motorized, because they are usually moored, kept stationary at a fixed point and often tethered to land to provide utilities. Lpbs great american read book club march 15, 2019 our friends at the conundrum are hosting a book signing for gwen carpenter roland, author of atchafalaya houseboat, tomorrow, saturday, march 16 from pm, as part of the audubon pilgrimage in st. Armed with a box of crayons and a book called how to build your home in the woods, they drew up plans to recycle a slavebuilt.
It is one of the last great river swamps left in the nation. As the children grew in age, each worked at petrossis in different capacities. If you want to get away from it all, consider traveling to south louisiana, the most inquiredabout region of the united states. Where to rent houseboats in louisiana louisiana travel.
This journey back in time goes deep into louisianas millionacre atchafalaya swamp for an adventure with writer gwen roland, who 30 years ago built a houseboat by hand and lived as her forebears had generations earlier. This small book about a priviledged time spent living in a southern louisianan swamp tells an enjoyable story of what daytoday life on an old bargelike houseboat was like. On louisianas bayous, houseboat living is cheap and easy. Log in to see more information about gwen roland log in or register now.
Cutting a 15milewide path across south louisiana, it is the largest and last great riverbasin swamp. Gwen roland writes about life on bayou chene centralspeaks. My years in the louisiana swamp, published by lsu press. Calvin voison and gwen roland built a house boat on a barge and lived off the land in.
Atchafalaya houseboat is one of my favorite books, and i love the backstory that led me to the book a few years back. He is also the cofounder of several environmental organizations, including the baton rouge audubon society, the clean team and marsh mission. The atchafalaya basin comprises an area of 860,000 acres of swamps, lakes and water prairies. The atchafalaya houseboat dvd, digital download, and book are also available. Memories of life on an atchafalaya houseboat in the 1970s, gwen roland decided to live off the land and water in the louisiana swamp. Lpb aired atchafalaya houseboat, based on gwens book, in 2007. Nestled in the middle of the atchafalaya basin swamp, cypress cove is one of five landings on henderson lake. Showcasing several lodgings, travelers will find the ideal louisiana vacation and a peaceful cajun experience along the atchafalaya basins bayous. She continues to write about agriculture and selfsufficient lifestyles from her homestead in georgia. The book is composed of some of her notebook writings while living in the bayou, including the process of building the houseboat with reclaimed materials from a slavebuilt house and living sustainably off of.
Atchafalaya houseboat is the story of a young womans life path that brought her to live in the atchafalaya bayou in the early 1970s. Armed with a box of crayons and a book called how to build your home in the woods, they drew up plans to recycle a slavebuilt structure into a houseboat. Best sites about houseboat rentals atchafalaya basin. I caught most of the atchafalya houseboat documentary on pbs and was enchanted. My years in the louisiana swamp available in hardcover.
The atchafalaya basin is the nations largest river swamp, containing almost one million acres of the nations most significant bottomland hardwoods, swamps, bayous and backwater lakes besides the giant cypress trees and abundant fauna, the swamp is home to a variety of alligators, turtles, snakes, birds and other wildlife. Atchafalaya houseboat louisiana public broadcasting. In the early 1970s, two idealistic young people gwen carpenter roland and calvin voisin decided to leave civilization and recreate the vanished simple life of their greatgrandparents in the heart of louisianas millionacre atchafalaya river basin swamp. Houseboat adventures and mequets swamp tours are located at cypress cove landing, on the henderson lake, in the heart of cajun paradise. Find 32 listings related to fishing boat rental atchafalaya basin in henderson on. My years in the louisiana swamp by gwen roland 2006, hardcover at the best online prices at. She and her partner lived on a houseboat they built. Writer gwen roland built a houseboat and lived in louisianas millionacre atchafalaya swamp as her forebears had. Cc lockwood and gwen roland will be on the air from 7 to 8 pm tonight as lpb airs, atchafalaya houseboat, join us as we talk of old days in louisianas greatest swamp. Find unique places to stay with local hosts in 191 countries.
Houseboats atchafalaya national heritage area outdoor. Lockwood is a nature and wildlife photographer specializing in louisiana and the gulf region, including the yucatan peninsula. Gwen roland is a writer and editor for the southern region sustainable agriculture research and education program at the university of georgia in griffin. When renting a houseboat in louisiana, the atchafalaya basin and the cities of lafayette and morgan city serve as good points of departure for your floating vacation considering louisiana contains the largest swamp in the u. Cc lockwood, who took all the photos in the book, was an lsu student hanging out in the swamp and made friends with them, but im sure that was in the documentary, too. Lockwood, a recipient of the sierra clubs ansel adams award for outstanding conservation photography and honored as a louisiana legend by louisiana public broadcasting, has. Sam petrossi and his wife, mary, both italian immigrants, opened petrossis restaurant on laurel street in 1924. An afternoon with gwen roland cavalier house books. The atchafalaya is a mysterious land, as much underwater as above. In livingston parish, a flap over houseboats at the warsaw marina has lent urgency to the need for houseboat regulation, springfieldarea parish councilman tab lobell said. Experience the mystery and beauty of the atchafalaya basin from the privacy of your own houseboat, tucked away in a remote cove of this great louisiana swamp.
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