{"product_id":"the-ritz-of-the-bayou-the-new-orleans-adventures-of-a-young-novelist-covering-the-trials-of-the-governor-of-louisiana-with-digressions-on-smoldering-9798885740708","title":"The Ritz of the Bayou: The New Orleans Adventures of a Young Novelist Covering the Trials of the Governor of Louisiana, with Digressions on Smoldering","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn this \"unjustly neglected\" masterpiece, Nancy Lemann gives an atmospheric account of the New Orleans trial of the Governor of Louisiana for racketeering, fraud, and bribery. This 40th anniversary edition features a new introduction by critic James Wolcott and an afterword by the author.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eNew Orleans-born novelist Nancy Lemann returned to her hometown from Manhattan in 1985, tasked by renowned editor Tina Brown to cover Governor Edwin Edwards's two corruption trials for \u003cem\u003e\u003cem\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e. The work that emerged from this trip was less a straightforward account of the court proceedings and instead a masterful portrait of the politicians, their families, the lawyers, and the other reporters covering the trials, rendered in sparse, wry vignettes. Championed and edited by Gordon Lish, \u003cem\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Ritz of the Bayou\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is Lemann's sole book of nonfiction and has attained lost classic status in the decades it has languished out of print. \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eIn hazy, atmospheric scenes of cigar smoke-laden bars, heaping plates of oysters, and unchecked eccentricity and chaos, Lemann observes both the proceedings and a glamorous Gulf Coast gone shabby from humidity and time. She captures New Orleans's particular \"tropic zone,\" where \"the two great enemies of Louisianians are boredom and lack of style,\" and its citizens choose charismatic leaders over ethical ones, writing, \"Politics is not the place to look for saints.\" \u003c\/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAn account of government corruption and Southern character that transcends its moment, \u003cem\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Ritz of the Bayou\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e is Lemann at the height of her powers. This edition reestablishes a classic of Southern literature, rewarding its longtime fans and introducing her talent to a new generation of readers. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Nancy Lemann\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Hardcover\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Hub City Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 04\/07\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 184\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.75lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.60h x 5.50w x 0.70d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9798885740708","brand":"Hub City Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45486891860105,"sku":"9798885740708","price":24.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0636\/9240\/6921\/files\/img_b0523bc1-5e76-42bc-8325-06825e219766.jpg?v=1775544228","url":"https:\/\/sonsanddaughtersbooks.com\/products\/the-ritz-of-the-bayou-the-new-orleans-adventures-of-a-young-novelist-covering-the-trials-of-the-governor-of-louisiana-with-digressions-on-smoldering-9798885740708","provider":"Sons and Daughters Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}