The Outsiders of New Orleans: Loujon Press

Loujon Press began operation in the New Orleans French Quarter in 1960 with an antique printing press and almost no money, initially publishing an influential literary journal called The Outsider—featuring poets such as Allen Ginsberg and Laurence Ferlinghetti—and later presenting Charles Bukowski's first collection of poems to critical acclaim. Wayne Ewing's (Breakfast with Hunter) documentary The Outsiders of New Orleans tells the story of the passionate couple behind Loujon: the late Jon Webb and his wife Louise (aka “Gypsy Lou”), who came to New Orleans in 1940, attracted by its sense of freedom, flavorful culture, and cheap rent. Much of the film follows Louise (now in her 90s) as she visits old New Orleans haunts (such as the street corner where she once sold paintings), and talks with surviving friends, while archival film footage, stills, and audio recordings (including Bukowski's comments on his relationship with the Webbs) are intercut to portray the fascinating bohemian milieu in which the couple lived and worked. Additional interviews—with local book collectors; professors and students at the University of Alabama Book Arts Program; and Jeff Weddle, author of Bohemian New Orleans: The Story of the Outsider and Loujon Press—also help trace the significance of the Webbs' work in the avant-garde literary world. Recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (J. Wadland)