Nancy Lemann

The Garden District Book Shop is thrilled to welcome bestselling author Nancy Lemann to the shop on May 6 as she celebrates the release of the fortieth-anniversary edition of her sole nonfiction book, The Ritz of the Bayou, an atmospheric account of the New Orleans trial of the Governor of Louisiana for racketeering, fraud, and bribery.

New 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 Vanity Fair. 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. 

An account of government corruption and Southern character that transcends its moment, The Ritz of the Bayou is Lemann at the height of her powers. The new edition reestablishes a classic of Southern literature, rewarding its longtime fans and introducing her talent to a new generation of readers. 

The event will begin at 6:00 PM. Leamann will be joined in conversation by writer and former GDBS bookseller Benjamin Morrison. The event is free and open to the public, but interested parties are encouraged to RSVP and reserve their copies of Lemann’s books ahead of time on Eventbrite.

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