Third Thursday Lecture - "Makin' Groceries"

Authors and historians Ed Branley and Derby Gisclair talk about “making groceries” at 7 p.m., Thursday, March 19 at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon, Metairie.

This event is free of charge and open to the public. There is no registration.

"Making groceries" in New Orleans means going grocery shopping, a unique phrase stemming from a literal translation of the French faire des courses (to do/make shopping).

The phrase is deeply rooted in the city's French heritage, and used by locals to mean buying food or household items at the store. It's a colorful local expression, not an error, reflecting the unique blend of cultures in the Big Easy. 

From specialty bodegas to the farmer’s markets, local options have changed through the  years. In this presentation, Gisclair and Branley take locals down memory lane to the spaces an places where food is bought.

New Orleans native Edward J. Branley has written five books for Arcadia Publishing, including Legendary Locals of New Orleans and Images of America books New Orleans: The Canal Streetcar Line, Maison Blanche Department Store and New Orleans Jazz. He is a graduate of Brother Martin High School in New Orleans and the University of New Orleans.

A lifelong resident of New Orleans, S. Derby Gisclair is a member of the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) and its 19th Century, Minor Leagues, Deadball Era, Oral History, and Pictorial History Committees. He heads the Schott-Pelican Chapter of SABR in Louisiana and is on the Nominating and Selection Committees for the Greater New Orleans Professional Baseball Hall of Fame. He is the author of several books including: Baseball in New Orleans, Baseball at Tulane University; and Early Baseball in New Orleans – A History of 19th Century Play. His most recent book, The Dixie Series, 1920-1958, was released on May 1, 2023.

Program inquiries should be directed to Chris Smith, Adult Programming, at 504-889-8143 or wcsmith@jefferson.lib.la.us.