A New Rodrigue Book

…toasted George Rodrigue and son André as we perused the first copies of the finished hardcover, The Other Side of the Painting.

…I replied, moved by their acknowledgment, as I returned that day from a long journey after visiting an ill friend back east.  The book (still hard to write the words, “my book”), seemed terribly important during many months of rewrites and edits before slipping from my hands and into the printer’s.

(pictured, The Other Side of the Painting, 2013, 474 pages, UL Press; available now through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or at your favorite independent bookstore; click photo to enlarge-)

And of course, it’s not really my book.  It’s a Rodrigue book, a memoir starring George, and sometimes me, and sometimes others, as the main character.

"What do you think your last name is?" interjects George, as he reads the draft for this blog post.

In addition, George Rodrigue designed the layout.  The cover features a 1965 painting, completed during a studio art class while he studied at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles, and blended in this updated design with the Blue Dog.  Within the 474 pages are paintings and photographs, one per essay, reduced by George to black and white line drawings referencing the text.

Unlike my blog, this book, although not a traditional narrative, adheres to a flow, so that even those familiar with Musings of an Artist’s Wife hopefully see the material anew.  In addition, throughout this book, I reworked the original essays, applying a consistent and updated style to basic story lines, such as George’s early years in New Iberia and Lafayette, the development of his Cajun and Blue Dog paintings, and the roots of how and why we explore the visual arts both individually and together.

Within this history, the book integrates today’s Rodrigue story, including the latest from his easel, the goals within our business, the emotions behind his health issues, and our combined passion for the arts in education.

As happens in life, we scaled back the book tour in favor of local events.  George and I hope to see you at the following confirmed dates:

Stay tuned for additional New Orleans dates, plus a November Houston event, and a January signing at River House Books in Carmel, California.  Visit this link and sign up for the Rodrigue Studio email list for updates.

(pictured, a deluxe special edition of The Other Side of the Painting, signed by George and Wendy Rodrigue, limited to 500 copies; details here-)

Although pleased with the outcome, I’m still not sure if this blog-to-book format works.  My hope from the beginning with Musings of an Artist’s Wife was that the blog would attract a biographer for George.  Although several writers came forward in recent years, George passed, insisting,

To George, both the blog and book tell his story, and our story, in a non-traditional, refreshing format.  And, because the journey is ongoing, maybe that’s good enough for now.

Wendy