Twenty Bayou Brief Stories That Still Matter

A curated tour of investigations and essays that shaped the conversation in Louisiana—brought to Imagine Louisiana’s readers with fresh context and one-click access.

Interstate 49 South, near the Caddo/DeSoto Parish line, Dec. 28, 2024. By Lamar White, Jr.

My mission on Imagine Louisiana is simple and stubborn: correct the record, widen the context, and tell this state’s story with rigor and heart. To that end, I want to highlight a set of reports from the Bayou Brief archives that continue to do work in the world.

Why this list of twenty? Because each one changed a conversation, sharpened public understanding, or restored history that had been buried under myth. Together, they map the throughline of my journalism: documents over spin, memory over myth, people over power.

To receive new posts, support my work, and collect your gift basket, become a paid subscriber for just $50 a year.

What to Expect

• History that isn’t homework. The three-part Carlos Marcello series reads like narrative nonfiction while sticking to the paper trail.

• A truthful reckoning with the Kingfish. These Huey Long pieces resist both hagiography and hit job, focusing on evidence.

• Pow…