The 31 titles that follow are mostly out of print but can be found on used book sites.
Email Mary Gehman at megehman@bellsouth.net if you need but can’t find a specific book.
Email Mary Gehman at megehman@bellsouth.net if you need but can’t find a specific book.
Margaret Media
The Free People of Color of New Orleans: An Introduction by Mary Gehman had ISBN 97809616377-2-2 for M. Media 1994 and ISBN 97809994589-0-7 for DVille Press 2017.
It has gone through various printings. First-ever book to explore history of the many free blacks who formed a third socio-economic stratum in New Orleans prior to the Civil War.
Women and New Orleans: A History by Mary Gehman had ISBN 97809616377-3-0 for M. Media 1988 and ISBN 97809994589-2-1 for DVille Press 2018. It has gone through various printings.
A study of the many women from the city’s beginning till the 1950s who contributed to its development in medicine, art, literature, politics, education, etc.
Women and New Orleans: A History by Mary Gehman had ISBN 97809616377-3-0 for M. Media 1988 and ISBN 97809994589-2-1 for DVille Press 2018. It has gone through various printings.
A study of the many women from the city’s beginning till the 1950s who contributed to its development in medicine, art, literature, politics, education, etc.
Both books since January 2023 are printed and handled by Crescent City Books in New Orleans, books@crescentcitybooks.com .
Margaret Media, Inc. published 1999 to 2014:
Gumbo People by Sybil Kein 1999 (revised edition), ISBN 97809616377-3-0.
Collection of poetry, sheet music, photos and essays of Creoles in Louisiana in English, with some translated into Spanish, French Creole and Haitian Creole. First self-published as Gombo People 1981, this is an early and important work for the study of Creoles and their culture.
Gumbo People by Sybil Kein 1999 (revised edition), ISBN 97809616377-3-0.
Collection of poetry, sheet music, photos and essays of Creoles in Louisiana in English, with some translated into Spanish, French Creole and Haitian Creole. First self-published as Gombo People 1981, this is an early and important work for the study of Creoles and their culture.
Touring Louisiana’s Great River Road: From Angola North to Venice South by Mary Gehman 2003, ISBN 97809616377-4-9.
A comprehensive history of both banks of the Mississippi River from where it cuts into Louisiana until it ends in the Gulf of Mexico. Filled with little known facts about the small communities, explanations of how things changed markedly in the early 20th century, suggestions of day trips, what to see, what to do, where to eat and places to overnight on or near the River Road. Illustrated with maps and drawings by Lynn Wilder.
Down at the End of the River by Angus Woodward 2008, ISBN 97809616377-6-7
New millennium collection of short stories that takes a tour of south Louisiana post-Katrina and post-Gulf War. Brent Spencer says of Woodward: “He has an uncanny ability to slip inside the hearts and minds of characters as they step off the worn paths of their lives.”
Down at the End of the River by Angus Woodward 2008, ISBN 97809616377-6-7
New millennium collection of short stories that takes a tour of south Louisiana post-Katrina and post-Gulf War. Brent Spencer says of Woodward: “He has an uncanny ability to slip inside the hearts and minds of characters as they step off the worn paths of their lives.”
Marietta’s House: A Grandmother’s Cottage by J.E. Bourgoyne, photos by J.G. Tyburski 2008, ISBN 97809616377-5-0.
Charming period piece that photographs the author’s grandmother’s house in Old Turnerville (now part of Plaquemine, LA) as lived in during the 1930s-1960s. Bourgoyne’s memories and comments throughout help to lovingly visualize a bygone era.
Marietta’s House: A Grandmother’s Cottage by J.E. Bourgoyne, photos by J.G. Tyburski 2008, ISBN 97809616377-5-0.
Charming period piece that photographs the author’s grandmother’s house in Old Turnerville (now part of Plaquemine, LA) as lived in during the 1930s-1960s. Bourgoyne’s memories and comments throughout help to lovingly visualize a bygone era.
Maters of the Heart: A Creole Love Story by Mary M.Culver 2008, ISBN 97809616377-8-1.
A romantic novel set in Louisiana features Emile de Marigny’s family, wealthy planters. The War against Mexico conscripts him, tearing him from an arranged marriage and his true love Nana, the beautiful Creole of color whom he can never hope to marry.
Maters of the Heart: A Creole Love Story by Mary M.Culver 2008, ISBN 97809616377-8-1.
A romantic novel set in Louisiana features Emile de Marigny’s family, wealthy planters. The War against Mexico conscripts him, tearing him from an arranged marriage and his true love Nana, the beautiful Creole of color whom he can never hope to marry.
New Orleans Goes to the Movies: Film Sites in the French Quarter and Beyond by Alan Leonhard 2008, ISBN 97809616377-9-8.
A compendium of fun facts and trivia about the attraction of New Orleans to film makers. Includes inside stories about movies like King Creole, A Streetcar Named Desire, The Big Easy, and Walk on the Wild Side. Illustrated by Jason LeBlanc, the book includes a listing of films by year and a streetcar tour of movie sites along St. Charles Avenue.
My Name is New Orleans: 40 Years of Poetry and Other Jazz by Arthur Pfister 2009, ISBN 978096137-7-4.
This collection of Professor Arturo’s lifetime as a poet included a CD titled Merrittorius Action of Pfister reading some of the better known poems. Its publication 4 years after Hurricane Katrina – when Pfister relocated to Stamford, CT, presented for the first time and in one place the humor, wide range and spoken word talent of a beloved New Orleans culture bearer.
My Name is New Orleans: 40 Years of Poetry and Other Jazz by Arthur Pfister 2009, ISBN 978096137-7-4.
This collection of Professor Arturo’s lifetime as a poet included a CD titled Merrittorius Action of Pfister reading some of the better known poems. Its publication 4 years after Hurricane Katrina – when Pfister relocated to Stamford, CT, presented for the first time and in one place the humor, wide range and spoken word talent of a beloved New Orleans culture bearer.
A History of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana by Brian J. Costello 2020, ISBN 978024551-1-1.
The only complete history of this important community on False River fictionalized in the famous work of writer Ernest Gaines who grew up there. Costello, an 11th generation native of the parish, has an encyclopedic grasp of the area’s culture, importance to the state, and its pivotal role in the history of the American South. Illustrated by many photos, it contains a long interview with Murray LeBeau, oral historian, and an index.
A History of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana by Brian J. Costello 2020, ISBN 978024551-1-1.
The only complete history of this important community on False River fictionalized in the famous work of writer Ernest Gaines who grew up there. Costello, an 11th generation native of the parish, has an encyclopedic grasp of the area’s culture, importance to the state, and its pivotal role in the history of the American South. Illustrated by many photos, it contains a long interview with Murray LeBeau, oral historian, and an index.
New Orleans Besieged: A Novel of Alternate History by D.K. Midkiff 2011, ISBN 97809824551-3-5.
Although based on actual people, places and events in New Orleans and parts south from 1814 to 1821, this account of the Battle of New Orleans is Midkiff’s counter-factual form of historical fiction about the battle, raising plausible other outcomes based on modest changes in the historical record. A fascinating and fresh approach to a crucial period in our history.
New Orleans Besieged: A Novel of Alternate History by D.K. Midkiff 2011, ISBN 97809824551-3-5.
Although based on actual people, places and events in New Orleans and parts south from 1814 to 1821, this account of the Battle of New Orleans is Midkiff’s counter-factual form of historical fiction about the battle, raising plausible other outcomes based on modest changes in the historical record. A fascinating and fresh approach to a crucial period in our history.
War of the Pews: A Personal Account of St. Augustine Church in New Orleans by Rev. Jerome G. LeDoux, S.V.D. 2011, ISBN 97809824551-4-2.
A first-person account of the successful attempt to thwart the Archdiocese of New Orleans from closing one of the most beloved Catholic churches in the city following Hurricane Katrina. Founded in 1841 by French whites and free people of color, St. Augustine Church was a spiritual safe-house from the Civil War through civil rights unrest, and its intrepid leader Father LeDoux kept the doors open in 2006. They remained open through 2022. This is the only published comprehensive account of that struggle.
War of the Pews: A Personal Account of St. Augustine Church in New Orleans by Rev. Jerome G. LeDoux, S.V.D. 2011, ISBN 97809824551-4-2.
A first-person account of the successful attempt to thwart the Archdiocese of New Orleans from closing one of the most beloved Catholic churches in the city following Hurricane Katrina. Founded in 1841 by French whites and free people of color, St. Augustine Church was a spiritual safe-house from the Civil War through civil rights unrest, and its intrepid leader Father LeDoux kept the doors open in 2006. They remained open through 2022. This is the only published comprehensive account of that struggle.
Louisiana Film History: A Comprehensive Overview Beginning 1896 by Ed and Susan Poole 2012, ISBN 97809855686-1-0.
Illustrated with movie posters and outtakes from films, this encyclopedic look at the role that film-making has played in Louisiana explains the state’s name of Hollywood on the Bayou. The Pooles have been collecting movie posters and memorabilia since the 1970s and are well known in the film industry. This is the authors’ 13th reference book.
Louisiana Film History: A Comprehensive Overview Beginning 1896 by Ed and Susan Poole 2012, ISBN 97809855686-1-0.
Illustrated with movie posters and outtakes from films, this encyclopedic look at the role that film-making has played in Louisiana explains the state’s name of Hollywood on the Bayou. The Pooles have been collecting movie posters and memorabilia since the 1970s and are well known in the film industry. This is the authors’ 13th reference book.
Humanus Diabolicus: A Postmodern Prophecy by James Houk, PhD 2012, ISBN 97809824551-6-6.
In this dark novel the manuscript Humanus Diabolicus has been entrusted to the author with an urgent plea to publish it as a warning of the end of humankind on this earth. Only one person, a reluctant messiah Brendon Pruitt, can save the human race. In that odyssey he explores the nature of God and finds the future is not predestined but fluid and mutable.
Floating Souls: The Canal Murders by Mary H. Manhein 2012, ISBN 97809824551-9-7.
This novel by renowned LSU forensic anthropologist Manhein aka the Bone Lady is her first foray into fiction. It features Maggie Andrepont in Manhein’s position trying to find the cause for bodies of young women floating in New Orleans drainage canals. A taut and fascinating murder mystery that only someone with Manhein’s background could pull off.
Floating Souls: The Canal Murders by Mary H. Manhein 2012, ISBN 97809824551-9-7.
This novel by renowned LSU forensic anthropologist Manhein aka the Bone Lady is her first foray into fiction. It features Maggie Andrepont in Manhein’s position trying to find the cause for bodies of young women floating in New Orleans drainage canals. A taut and fascinating murder mystery that only someone with Manhein’s background could pull off.
A Quarter Century of Student Life at Tulane: A Dean’s Narrative History, 1949-1975 by John Stibbs, edited by John Edgar Browning 2013, ISBN 9780985586-2-7.
Dean John Stibbs’ extraordinary personal account of the “times of trouble” at Tulane University, from sit-ins, “Tigernapping,” anti-ROTC protests, gay rights and more is easy to read but also an important document of the times. Illustrated with documents and photos, the book also contains Browning’s annotations as editor, and an index.
A Quarter Century of Student Life at Tulane: A Dean’s Narrative History, 1949-1975 by John Stibbs, edited by John Edgar Browning 2013, ISBN 9780985586-2-7.
Dean John Stibbs’ extraordinary personal account of the “times of trouble” at Tulane University, from sit-ins, “Tigernapping,” anti-ROTC protests, gay rights and more is easy to read but also an important document of the times. Illustrated with documents and photos, the book also contains Browning’s annotations as editor, and an index.
The Axman of New Orleans by Chuck Hustmyre 2013, ISBN 97809855686-3-4.
In this novel based on a true story, Hustmyre, a best selling author and screenwriter, makes the notorious people-hacking axman of 1910s New Orleans come to life. Detective Colin Fitzgerald narrates the urgent search for the anonymous killer who in a letter to the newspaper referred to himself as a “demon from hottest hell.” Fast-paced and gritty, this murder mystery novel is sure to please.
The Axman of New Orleans by Chuck Hustmyre 2013, ISBN 97809855686-3-4.
In this novel based on a true story, Hustmyre, a best selling author and screenwriter, makes the notorious people-hacking axman of 1910s New Orleans come to life. Detective Colin Fitzgerald narrates the urgent search for the anonymous killer who in a letter to the newspaper referred to himself as a “demon from hottest hell.” Fast-paced and gritty, this murder mystery novel is sure to please.
Singing to the Lions: A Vietnam War Novel by Robert A. Gisclair 2013, ISBN 97809855686-5-8.
In one of the most convincing portrayals of the hell that was the Vietnam War, Gisclair from Cut Off, La. and an Air Force veteran of that war, takes the reader inside the head of a recruit. More psychological than graphic, the novel gradually unravels what was so transforming for those American soldiers who fought on the frontlines in Vietnam.
Singing to the Lions: A Vietnam War Novel by Robert A. Gisclair 2013, ISBN 97809855686-5-8.
In one of the most convincing portrayals of the hell that was the Vietnam War, Gisclair from Cut Off, La. and an Air Force veteran of that war, takes the reader inside the head of a recruit. More psychological than graphic, the novel gradually unravels what was so transforming for those American soldiers who fought on the frontlines in Vietnam.
Where Writers Wrote in New Orleans by Angela Carll 2013, ISBN 97809855686-7-2. Also reprinted by DVille Press in 2018, ISBN 97809994589-3-8.
Carll, lifelong New Orleanian and longtime tour guide, compiled this comprehensive look at how the Crescent City has inspired the famous to the forgotten writers throughout its 300 year history. Includes lots of interesting facts about where the writers lived, which bars and restaurants they frequented, and what mark they left. With a beautiful water color of Tennessee Williams’ French Quarter house as a cover by Dr. Eugene Cizek who also wrote the introduction, to pen-and-ink drawings by Lloyd Sensat and an index, this is a chatty reference book to treasure.
Where Writers Wrote in New Orleans by Angela Carll 2013, ISBN 97809855686-7-2. Also reprinted by DVille Press in 2018, ISBN 97809994589-3-8.
Carll, lifelong New Orleanian and longtime tour guide, compiled this comprehensive look at how the Crescent City has inspired the famous to the forgotten writers throughout its 300 year history. Includes lots of interesting facts about where the writers lived, which bars and restaurants they frequented, and what mark they left. With a beautiful water color of Tennessee Williams’ French Quarter house as a cover by Dr. Eugene Cizek who also wrote the introduction, to pen-and-ink drawings by Lloyd Sensat and an index, this is a chatty reference book to treasure.
Cast of Characters by George Gurtner 2014, ISBN 97809916598-0-7.
Taken from the column of the same name that Gurtner published in New Orleans Magazine for 30 years, this collection of real-life stories shows in his words the “odd-ball, hilarious, ingenious, goofy, courageous and inspiring characters that make New Orleans and its environs a cultural oasis.” From nuns to musicians, from bar tenders to strippers, they each have their say in this wonderful compendium of true characters who somehow fit perfectly in the Big Easy.
Cast of Characters by George Gurtner 2014, ISBN 97809916598-0-7.
Taken from the column of the same name that Gurtner published in New Orleans Magazine for 30 years, this collection of real-life stories shows in his words the “odd-ball, hilarious, ingenious, goofy, courageous and inspiring characters that make New Orleans and its environs a cultural oasis.” From nuns to musicians, from bar tenders to strippers, they each have their say in this wonderful compendium of true characters who somehow fit perfectly in the Big Easy.
Margaret Media, Inc. was sold in 2014 with the above titles. The new owner went out of business in 2017 and all rights reverted to the authors.
DVille Press LLC published 2017 to 2022:
The following titles are in addition to 2 books first published by Margaret Media and reprinted by DVille Press – details at top of this page: The Free People of Color of New Orleans and Women and New Orleans by Mary Gehman.
Cardy the Cardinal Finds a Home in Donaldsonville by Mary Gehman, illustrated by Alvin Batiste 2017, ISBN 97809994589-1-4.
A children’s picture book of a tour by a cardinal and his bird friends of the historic town of Donaldsonville where they meet the locals, marvel at the lovely buildings, enjoy the parks, fly behind a ship on the river and decide it’s a good place to call home. Whimsical original paintings of well-known local artist Alvin Batiste. Appropriate reading for ages 1 to 6.
Cardy the Cardinal Finds a Home in Donaldsonville by Mary Gehman, illustrated by Alvin Batiste 2017, ISBN 97809994589-1-4.
A children’s picture book of a tour by a cardinal and his bird friends of the historic town of Donaldsonville where they meet the locals, marvel at the lovely buildings, enjoy the parks, fly behind a ship on the river and decide it’s a good place to call home. Whimsical original paintings of well-known local artist Alvin Batiste. Appropriate reading for ages 1 to 6.
A Savage Wisdom by Norman German 2019, ISBN 987609994589-4-5.This novel based on a true story is a reprint of the same title 2016 by Thunder Rain Publishing. It is a powerful account told in the literary tradition of true crime stories and tells how an innocent woman became a murderer earning the ignominious distinction of being the one and only female executed in Louisiana by electric chair. German researched the case meticulously and creates a moving and very believable depiction of all involved.
A Savage Wisdom by Norman German 2019, ISBN 987609994589-4-5.This novel based on a true story is a reprint of the same title 2016 by Thunder Rain Publishing. It is a powerful account told in the literary tradition of true crime stories and tells how an innocent woman became a murderer earning the ignominious distinction of being the one and only female executed in Louisiana by electric chair. German researched the case meticulously and creates a moving and very believable depiction of all involved.
Cripple Bayou Two-Step by Norman German 2019, ISBN 97809994589-5-2.
Another novel by German but not based on historical fact, this is a different type of murder mystery with a sense of humor and craziness. Clues with a nod to Edgar Allan Poe keep Investigator Shreve busy in an otherwise chaotic romp through Louisiana’s Bayou Country.
Cripple Bayou Two-Step by Norman German 2019, ISBN 97809994589-5-2.
Another novel by German but not based on historical fact, this is a different type of murder mystery with a sense of humor and craziness. Clues with a nod to Edgar Allan Poe keep Investigator Shreve busy in an otherwise chaotic romp through Louisiana’s Bayou Country.
Edwin & I: The Life and Times of the Cajun Prince as Told by His Conscience by Bob Crowley 2019, ISBN97809994589-6-9.
A clever fictionalized version of Louisiana Governor Edwin W. Edwards by Crowley who knew him well, this easy-read book is a true pleasure. It adds a less acerbic perspective to the flamboyant 16-year politician than some other books about Edwards. An eye-opening and fun read.
Edwin & I: The Life and Times of the Cajun Prince as Told by His Conscience by Bob Crowley 2019, ISBN97809994589-6-9.
A clever fictionalized version of Louisiana Governor Edwin W. Edwards by Crowley who knew him well, this easy-read book is a true pleasure. It adds a less acerbic perspective to the flamboyant 16-year politician than some other books about Edwards. An eye-opening and fun read.
No Other World by Norman German 2020, ISBN 97809994589-8-3.
This reprint of a novel of historical fiction brings back the story of the remarkable slave woman Marie Thereze Coincoin, who became the matriarch of a large community of free people of color on Cane River near Natchitoches, Louisiana. Her remarkable story is sensitively told by German in a book that in its original printing won the Deep South Writer’s Conference 1st prize awarded by Ernest Gaines in 1991.
No Other World by Norman German 2020, ISBN 97809994589-8-3.
This reprint of a novel of historical fiction brings back the story of the remarkable slave woman Marie Thereze Coincoin, who became the matriarch of a large community of free people of color on Cane River near Natchitoches, Louisiana. Her remarkable story is sensitively told by German in a book that in its original printing won the Deep South Writer’s Conference 1st prize awarded by Ernest Gaines in 1991.
Sir Bone Funk: Living Life in the Key of Triumph by Eddie Tebbe 2020, ISBN 97809994589-7-6.
An inspirational collection of short stories, poems and lyrics, this book is the life’s work of a native Orleanian for whom the city’s music served as a way to deal with being born with cerebral palsey and developing Huntington’s Disease in mid-life. Tebbe passed away in January 2023 but his wonderful smile and upbeat approach to life lives on in this poignant and beautifully crafted book.
Sir Bone Funk: Living Life in the Key of Triumph by Eddie Tebbe 2020, ISBN 97809994589-7-6.
An inspirational collection of short stories, poems and lyrics, this book is the life’s work of a native Orleanian for whom the city’s music served as a way to deal with being born with cerebral palsey and developing Huntington’s Disease in mid-life. Tebbe passed away in January 2023 but his wonderful smile and upbeat approach to life lives on in this poignant and beautifully crafted book.
Jazz Stories by Arthur Pfister aka Professor Arturo 2020, ISBN 97809994589-9-0.
Renowned poet and spoken word artist Pfister is the voice of New Orleans with all its quirks, characters and unique traditions. This collection of short stories is imbued with pre- and post-Katrina nostalgia as Pfister left the city of his birth to settle in Connecticut. Tony Bolden of American Poetry and Culture has declared this book “a literary classic.”
Murder on the Teche: A True Story of Money and a Flawed Investigation by Tom Aswell 2021, ISBN 97817368172-0-9.
A non-fiction report by veteran journalist and investigator Aswell, this book explores serious questions of justice for an undocumented immigrant now serving a life sentence for killing a prominent orthodontist in New Iberia, La. in 2010. The killer’s claim that the doctor’s wife paid him to do it was ignored despite suits brought by her step-children. The case, says Aswell, “remains a troubling example of the politics that prevail in sheriffs’ offices.”
The McFerren Plot by Martha McFerren 2021, ISBN 97817368172-1-6.
To start off the River Poets Series, DVille Press imprint, this poetry collection hits the spot. McFerren’s work is well known from several other poetry books. This one in memory of Lee Meitzen Grue, is described by McFerren’s contemporary Peter Cooley as “A deeply felt affection for experience dances through these exhuberant poems… McFerren is a poet-choreographer.”
A River Road Memoir by Jane Goette 2022, ISBN 97817368172-2-3.
Subtitled “Coming of age in a small south Louisiana river town [Donaldsonville] in the 1950s and 1960s,” this look at the world at that time through an inquisitive young girl’s eyes is immediately engaging. Although Goette left Louisiana in her 20s, the sugar cane fields, long time friendships, segregation and the intense heat made indelible marks on the woman she became.
This Absurd Desolation: Poems and Other Observations by John Corley 2022, ISBN 97817368172-3-0.
Corley already almost 30 years into a life sentence at Louisianan State Penitentiary at Angola, finds refuge from his suffocating surroundings with reading and writing, mostly poetry and some journalism for The Angolite inmate-produced magazine of which he is associate editor. Poignant, clever and often unbearably dark, these poems are culled from years of writing and belaboring each page. The book also includes 7 brief essays on various aspects of prison life. This is the second volume of the River Poets Series.
This Absurd Desolation: Poems and Other Observations by John Corley 2022, ISBN 97817368172-3-0.
Corley already almost 30 years into a life sentence at Louisianan State Penitentiary at Angola, finds refuge from his suffocating surroundings with reading and writing, mostly poetry and some journalism for The Angolite inmate-produced magazine of which he is associate editor. Poignant, clever and often unbearably dark, these poems are culled from years of writing and belaboring each page. The book also includes 7 brief essays on various aspects of prison life. This is the second volume of the River Poets Series.
DVille Press LLC closed at the end of 2022 at which time all rights to their work reverted to the authors.