GUMBO LAGNIAPPE (You’ve Got to Be Kidding) contains original plays, many with public health themes, but others dealing with our fascinating current political and social climate. Several plays were written for this year’s Spectral Sisters Productions Ten-Minute Play Festival for which the theme was “You’ve Got to Be Kidding,” thus the second part of the title. A collection of selected recent medical essays, some of which complement the plays, also add to this literary gumbo, as does a new translation by the author of Moliere’s classic, “Tartuffe.” Together, these new plays, an old classic and some assorted medical essays, offer “lagniappe,” a little extra, to the body of world literature. This small town, Alexandria, stuck in the middle of Louisiana and two hours’ drive (at least) from any larger city, has the advantage of being like a tramp steamer isolated in the immensity of the Indian Ocean. We have learned to entertain ourselves on the trip and this unlikely location has produced a host of plays from many other talented, but unrecognized playwrights. May creative energy continue to bubble forth from this curious location, as far off-Broadway as you can get, but perhaps a bit closer to heaven. My thanks to those who want to explore something new while supporting an undiscovered author from Central Louisiana.

GUMBO LAGNIAPPE (You've Got to Be Kidding) contains original plays, many with public health themes, but others dealing with our fascinating current political and social climate. Several plays were written for this year's Spectral Sisters Productions Ten-Minute Play Festival for which the theme was "You've Got to Be Kidding," thus the second part of the title. A collection of selected recent medical essays, some of which complement the plays, also add to this literary gumbo, as does a new translation by the author of Moliere's classic, "Tartuffe." Together, these new plays, an old classic and some assorted medical essays, offer "lagniappe," a little extra, to the body of world literature. This small town, Alexandria, stuck in the middle of Louisiana and two hours' drive (at least) from any larger city, has the advantage of being like a tramp steamer isolated in the immensity of the Indian Ocean. We have learned to entertain ourselves on the trip and this unlikely location has produced a host of plays from many other talented, but unrecognized playwrights. May creative energy continue to bubble forth from this curious location, as far off-Broadway as you can get, but perhaps a bit closer to heaven. My thanks to those who want to explore something new while supporting an undiscovered author from Central Louisiana.

Crayton Breaux makes minimum wage clerking in a French Quarter voodoo shop aimed at tourists. It’s enough to pay the rent and keep him in beer and partying because, in New Orleans, every day is Fat Tuesday, brah! As for the “voodoo”? Well, the shop, with its skull-and-candles altar and clouds of incense, definitely spooks the tourists in from Iowa or Delaware. They clutch their go-cup hurricanes and nervously joke about sticking pins in dolls and gris-gris bags full of REVENGE ON YOUR ENEMY! spell powder. Crayton thinks it’s hilarious. More than a few of these idiots think this stuff’s real … He won’t be laughing long.

Jessica's Song by Virginia Nielsen released on Jan 25, 1990 is available now for purchase.

In The Creative Therapist, Bradford Keeney makes the case that "creativity is the most essential aspect of vibrant, meaningful, and successful therapy." No matter what therapeutic orientation one practices, it must be awakened by creativity in order for the session to come alive. This book presents a theoretical framework that provides an understanding of how to go outside habituated ways of therapy in order to bring forth new and innovative possibilities. A basic structure for creative therapy, based on the outline of a three-part theatrical play, is also set forth. With these frameworks, practical guidelines detail how to initiate and implement creative contributions to any therapeutic situation.

Combining scholarly authority with a new awareness of today's communication demands, "Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus" is the simple, reliable way to find the perfect word for your needs. It features as easy-to-use dictionary format plus a revolutionary concept index that arranges words by idea, thus enhancing the user's process of association, and leading scores of additional selections. The inclusion of a wide spectrum of words and phrases with each entry -- from sophisticated choices to completely new vocabulary in the language -- brings the user an exceptional number of alternatives to fit any variation of style and tone. Created by a leading expert in linguists and lexicography with today's communication needs in mind. More word choices than any other thesaurus -- Over 1 million words! Concise definitions for each main entry. A revolutionary concept index -- arranged by idea, it mirrors the way we actually think! No obsolete terms -- all synonyms reflect modern usage.