"As a territory, and later a state, Louisiana has survived French rule, Spanish rule, Rebel rule, and even Republican rule. And somehow the people and place have managed to retain their culture and character. Whether it's been the Natural State, the Dream State, or the Sportsman's Paradise, Louisiana has always been a state of resiliency, community, and joie de vivre. Poem by poem, the pages of The Southern Anthology, Volume IV: Louisiana demonstrate the variety and resiliency of a state that's overcome wars, hurricanes, and floods to make more of itself every time. The lines between these covers are as beautiful and diverse as the people of Louisiana, as rich as the state's history, and as promising as the future we're all working towards."--Jack B. Bedell, author of Come Rain, Come Shine and Call and Response