A selection of books published by Les Éditions Tintamarre, Centenary’s French Press, are on display. Read about their significance below:

Zachary Richard, Les Rafales du carême (Éditions Tintamarre, 2024)

The musician and poet Zachary Richard penned the first French-language novel to be published in Louisiana in 130 years. Set in the bayous of Acadiana in the years after the Civil War, the novel traces the brutal murder of Martin Begnaud. It is a gripping tale of power, betrayal, love and forgiveness.

Armand Lanusse, les Cenelles, edited by Centenary student Mia Reamer (Les Cahiers du Tintamarre, 2003)

Originally published in New Orleans in 1845, Les Cenelles (The Mayhaw Berries) is widely recognized as the first anthology of poetry written by poets of color in the United States. The 16 poets who penned these works left a monument for American literature. The importance of this collection grows with every passing year.

Alfred Mercier, L’Habitation Saint-Ybars, with an introduction by Centenary student Emma Harlet (Les Éditions Tintamarre, 2022)

The Creole writer Alfred Mercier attended the College of Louisiana in 1825, became the newspaper editor for French novelist and playwright Alexandre Dumas, and was one of the founders of the first medical school in Louisiana. His novel, published in 1881, is considered to be the masterpiece of French letters in Louisiana. The novel has been translated into English with the title Saint-Ybars.

Févi. Edited by Jonathan Joseph Mayers and Oliver Mayeux (Les Cahiers du Tintamarre, 2022)

Févi is the first book ever written completely in Louisiana Creole, known to speakers of the language as Kouri vini. This anthology of Modern Creole poetry is a perfect example of our Press fulfilling its mission: the promotion of the heritage languages of American literature.

David Lanclos, Les Contes à Mèmère (Les Cahiers du Tintamarre, 2023)

Oral traditions have always been an integral part of Cajun Louisiana, and stories such as the ones presented by David Lanclos were transmitted to succeeding generations on front porches all across Acadiana. His book, Les Contes à Mémère preserves these stories in Louisiana French and English for future generations.

Paroles d’honneur. Edited and with an introduction by Chris Michaelides (Éditions Tintamarre, 2004)

This book contains the very first short story written by an American of color—and it was written in French. The following stories by writers of color appeared in the first Black daily newspaper in the United States, La Tribune de la Nouvelle Orléans, before 1871. These never-before-published works are thus monuments of American literature that speak directly to the diversity of the Black experience in the United States. The English language translation of this book is entitled Favorites of the Gods.