OBIT: A Loss for Us All (J.J.Reneaux)

Subject: A Loss for Us All
From: GUEST,Dan Keding
Date: 02 Mar 00 - 07:01 AM

Neighbors, On Tuesday, February 29th, storyteller, singer and song writer J.J.Reneaux passed away after a long illness. I had worked with J.J. many times and respected her work and her honesty. Her songs and stories about cajun life and growing up in Louisiana were a delight. She will be missed. Dan

Subject: RE: A Loss for Us All
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Mar 00 - 05:00 PM

Could you point us to any of her stories Dan? Or tell us one of them yourself. We don't have enough stories on the Mudcat.

Subject: RE: A Loss for Us All
From: GUEST,Dan Keding
Date: 02 Mar 00 - 08:29 PM

McGrath, Thanks for asking. I don't tell any of J.J.'s stories but you can get them through August House Publishers, at www.augusthouse.com They carry her audio tape, "Cajun Fairy Tales" her two book collections of Cajun stories, "Haunted Bayou" and "Cajun Ghost Stories" and her picture book for kids, " Why Alligator Hates Dog." Maybe I'll start a thread with some tales on it. Thanks for the idea. Dan

Subject: RE: A Loss for Us All
From: Áine
Date: 02 Mar 00 - 08:35 PM

Dear Kevin,

Click here to go to her homepage, which has her bio and links to her recordings also. It is a great loss to the Cajun community!

-- Áine

Subject: RE: A Loss for Us All
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 02 Mar 00 - 08:48 PM

Thanks, Áine and Dan. I'd never heard of her, and now I miss her. There's a lovely story on there about her mother and Altheimer's Disease - it could help a lot of people.

Subject: RE: A Loss for Us All
From: MAG (inactive)
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 11:49 AM

Thanks for posting here about JJ, Dan.

JJ was the featured storyteller at last summer's "Stories for a Saturday Evening" concert at the ALA (American Library Association) conference and she had us in stitches. It was in New Orleans, and she started off by saying, "If y'all hadthat blackened shrimp, I hope you didn't pay more than $9.99 for it," and then launched into one of her signature stories about her mother's cooking.

I posted once on the airplane thread that JJ would carry on her travel guitar and, if asked, would say "It's my violin." for some reason, it's OK to carry on a violin but not a travel guitar, because it's a guitar??

I didn't even know JJ had cancer until a couple of months ago. This is rather sudden and quite traumatic in the storytelling community, and we are taking it rather hard.

By the way, Dan Keding will be on at the upcoming summer's "Stories for a Satursay Evening" concert, Saturday, July 8, in Chicago. Consider yourselves invited if you are in the Chicago area. We do not have a location yet.

MA

Subject: RE: A Loss for Us All
From: Hollowfox
Date: 04 Mar 00 - 04:17 PM

(NooO!!) Thanks, Dan, for getting the news out. How to describe this petite woman who never seemed rushed, never seemed to shout, but had so much concentrated energy and passion? She's the one the other performers listened to (and danced to) at the after-concert party; she's the one who could sing a song like "I'm So Lonesome I could Cry" with perfect understanding, and still leave the audience at the end of a gig with the impression of her ferocious strength. This isn't coming out the way I'd like it to; but I think you get the idea, and I needed to share the memories.