"The Louisiana Folklife Lady"

In this episode of DETOURS, James is joined by contributor Chris Turner-Neal for a conversation with Maida Owens, the director of the Louisiana Folklife Program—a position she has held for nearly forty years now. The three discuss the definition of “folklife” and its iterations in Louisiana, as well as some of Owens’s biggest projects, including the ten-year culmination of folktales collected through the Louisiana Storytelling Project. Owens emphasizes the importance of investing in and preserving cultural practices, especially from the perspective of the challenges Louisianans face today as threats to life in coastal communities increase. Through projects like the Bayou Culture Collaborative and its popular workshops dedicated to bringing together artists, tradition bearers, folklorists, and scientists—Owens is working to provide solutions and infrastructure for the future of Louisiana folklife.