Accordion Dreams: A Journey into Cajun and Creole Music is author Blair Kilpatrick's memoir of her life-changing passion for Louisiana French music - and her unlikely obsession with the accordion.

Links

Music Resources

You can download "Suggestions for Listening" from Accordion Dreams on the book page of this site. Along with a discography, you will find books and internet resources where you can learn more about Louisiana's Cajun, Creole, and zydeco music.

Mark DeWitt is a UC Berkeley-trained ethnomusicologist who has just published a comprehensive book about the Cajun and zydeco music scene in Northern California. His site has information about the book, along with a very helpful resources section. Full disclosure: Mark is a friend of Blair's as well as a fellow University Press of Mississippi author!

Blair's Band

You can learn more about Sauce Piquante at the band website, or by checking out their electronic press kit. If you'd like a CD, go here.

Sauce Piquante also has a new CD in the works. It was recorded and mixed by Alec Tabak of NYC indie rock band Attack Release.

Resources for Writers

Absolute Write is a comprehensive online site for writers, with forums on every topic imaginable.

Red Room is a new networking site for writers (and readers) with a SF Bay Area focus.

Jane Anne Staw, an acclaimed SF Bay Area writing teacher and coach, is the author of Unstuck, an invaluable guide to the writing process.

Bella Stander is a writer, reviewer, and an expert on book promotion for authors.

New Pages is an online directory of independent publishers, booksellers, literary magazines, and more.

Stories of Midlife Adventure and Transformation

Sara Davidson's Leap! What Will We Do with the Rest of Our Lives? is a serious examination of how a successful writer and scores of her fellow Boomers create meaning in the second half of life. Her website has many helpful resources.

Psychiatrist Doreen Orion's memoir Queen of the Road is a lighthearted romp with a serious story of midlife change at the core. The author reluctantly takes off a year to join her husband on a cross country road trip in a converted bus. Along with the hilarious on-the-road adventures, she learns some important life lessons.

Joel ben Izzy is a professional story teller who lost his voice and found himself. The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness weaves together his uplifting personal story with old folk tales from around the world

Blogs and Websites Blair Has Visited

Let's Polka is blog by a young couple who are united by their love for everyone's favorite instrument. This charming, quirky blog is devoted to "all things accordion." You'll find daily musings, a calendar of events around the country, reviews, and interviews with accordionists of note (including Blair, in the link above!)