Contributors
Tom Fitzmorris
Leah Draffen, associate editor at Inside Northside, sat cross-legged on the floor of her grandparents’ den intently listening to her brother, cousin and uncle play their guitars as her pawpaw played the fiddle and sometimes the mandolin. While she never picked up an instrument, she quickly picked up a pen, learning to write poetry and creative essays. After earning a bachelor’s degree from LSU in mass communications, Leah joined the Inside Publications team to continue her passion for writing. Leah now loves writing about music and listening to the many talented musicians in our area. In this issue, Leah tells the stories of musician Lynn Drury on page 48 and of the Heritage School of Music on page 40.
Tom Fitzmorris was delivered into New Orleans by a jazz musician on Mardi Gras 1951. He grew up in Treme, ate red beans every Monday from his Creole-French mother until he left home. He began writing a weekly restaurant review column that is still published after 42 years. In 1975, he started a daily radio feature, which grew into his current three-hour daily talk show on 1350, 3WL. Now a northshore resident, Tom enjoys eating and writing about food on both sides of the lake. A Certified Culinary Professional by the IACP, he is the author of several cookbooks, more than a dozen restaurant guidebooks and a daily online newsletter (nomenu.com). In At the Table (page 42), he offers a guide to the wondrous variety of foods to be enjoyed at upcoming festivals.
Yvette Jemison photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
Leah Draffen
Other Voices: Kate Brevard, Sandy Franco, Candra George, Tom Hancock, Michael Harold, Anne Honeywell, Trudy Hurley, Bill Kearney, Meri Monsour, Lauren Murphy and Terri Schlichenmeyer. 16
Inside New Orleans
photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
Our contributors give Inside New Orleans its voice, its personality and its feel. Here we are proud to highlight a few of them so that you can put a face with a name and get to know them.
Mary Satterlee Decorator/stylist/writer, Mary Satterlee was born and raised in New Orleans. She received a journalism degree from LSU and worked as a television news reporter before going to Loyola Law School. Upon graduation, Mary moved to Los Angeles, where she worked in the entertainment licensing industry. As it often does, the Crescent City drew Mary back home. She landed on Magazine Street, where she opened a small furniture store that blossomed into a decorating business. For the last 10 years, she has worked as a decorator and stylist. Mary left her full-time New Orleans inhabitance when she got married and now divides her time between New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Florida. An avid traveler, she shares her take on India on page 64.
Yvette’s passion for all things culinary extends back to her childhood while growing up in a military family. Her recipes and home cooking are influenced by the many places she has live. She was immersed in the TexMex cuisine of South Texas and has experienced food from Native American Indian reservations to the street food of Turkey. Yvette attends weekly pottery classes at John Hodge’s pottery studio, where she creates many of her serveware pieces. She often attends cooking classes while traveling with her husband and two daughters and has truly enjoyed a well-seasoned life. Yvette presents “Eggadorned Sensations” on page 127.