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Ben Sandmel

Home Featured Authors & Panelists Featured Participant Lineup 2026 Ben Sandmel
© Rick Olivier

© Rick Olivier

Author, musician, and folklorist Ben Sandmel travels Louisiana documenting traditional music, produces the musicians’ interview stage at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, and was the drummer/producer on the Grammy-nominated album Deep Water by the historic Cajun band the Hackberry Ramblers. Sandmel wrote the books Zydeco! and Ernie K-Doe: The R&B Emperor of New Orleans. His articles appear in academic anthologies and such magazines as The Atlantic and The Wall Street Journal. In 2021, Sandmel received a master’s degree in musicology from Tulane University.

 

Schedule

Will be posted when available.

Louisiana from the Sky

We seldom get a full sense of Louisiana's landscape from the ground. The horizon can elude us, as foliage and structures often obstruct our view. From above though, the landscape opens up, revealing a broad sweep with remarkable depth. Louisiana from the Sky focuses on the world around us: landscapes, landmarks, and, from a distance, people. With clear eyes, the book also portrays the immense environmental challenges the state faces.

Since 1974, celebrated photographer Philip Gould has built a career capturing the Boot, primarily from ground-level. In this collection, he uses both a drone camera and high-winged aircraft to see Louisiana anew. Bolstered by essays from journalist and folklorist Ben Sandmel, Louisiana from the Sky offers a new vision of the Pelican State.