You’re probably wondering why 411 NOLA seems to be creeping along slowly.  Never fear!  Your plucky editor has not died.  She has just been overwhelmed with behind-the-scenes work.

411 NOLA will be reinvented in the upcoming couple of months.  You many not see many posts, but just hang tight.  411 NOLA as you know and love it will be back.  In the meantime, explore our many pages full of useful info.  There’s always more to know about NOLA!

You  may have noticed that things got a little slow for 411 NOLA at the end of 2011. Well…good things are still happening this year.  In fact, two of our contests end today, December 31, 2011.  Don’t miss you chance to win tour tickets, cash, and more.  (See below for more info.)

2012 is almost here, and 411 NOLA will reach its 2nd birthday in April.  It’s hard to believe, but it is true.  We hope to grow, to improve upon what we are already doing, and to create more ways to generate revenue so that we can continue to get better.  Christmas and Chanukah may be over, but there is still time to give 411 NOLA a gift.  Email us at info@411nola.com to find out how.

Thanks for your patronage in 2011.  Stick with us in 2012.  The best is yet to come (like Saints in the Super Bowl).  Who Dat!

These Contests End Today

1. To honor the publication of the 2nd edition of poet Asia Rainey’s book Soul Chant and to celebrate the upcoming WRITE, NOLA! POETRY FESTIVAL, a two-day festival aimed at revitalizing the local poetry scene, 411 NOLA is sponsoring a contest for poets and spoken word artists.  We are calling it the “Poetic Soul Contest”.   Deadline to enter is December 31, 2011 at 11:55 p. m. CST.  For full details and for info on how to enter, click here.
2. Win a pair of tickets for a walking tour courtesy of Strange True Tours of New Orleans.  This R-rated  tour tells the true tales of thieves, prostitutes, murders, and malcontents.  You’ve never been on a tour like this and you’ll never forget it once you do.  To enter to win this prize, email your name, your phone number, and your mailing address to contests@411nola.com.  You must put “Strange Tours” in the subject line of your email.  You must also name on thing about New Orleans that you think is strange.  Your answer may appear on our website.  Your name will not published.  A winner will be chosen at random using Random.org.  411 NOLA will not keep your info on file after the contest is over.  We respect your privacy.  Deadline to enter is December 31, 2011 at 11:59 p. m. CST.

All Aboard!  The Polar Express:  An IMAX 3D Experience will delight kids and adults this holiday season when it arrives at Entergy IMAX® Theatre on Friday, November 25.  Located next door to Audubon Aquarium of the Americas at 1 Canal Street, Entergy IMAX® Theatre combines the visual power of a five-and-a-half story screen with dynamic sound to put you in the middle of the action. Read the rest of this entry »

The New Orleans Fringe Festival, Nov. 16- 20, 2011 will be a five-day mind-blowing spectacle of 70 shows from New Orleans and all over the country performing at 34 venues throughout the city, primary in the Marigny and Bywater.  Tickets are $8 with the one-time purchase of a Fringe button ($3).  Visit www.nofringe.org for more info about tickets and show times. Read the rest of this entry »

Bayou Magazine, the literary journal of the University of New Orleans is hosting two writing contests, one for fiction writers and one for poets.  Entries will be accepted now through December 31, 2011.  Read on for more info.

JAMES KNUDSEN EDITOR’S PRIZE FOR FICTION

The winner will receive $500, publication and a year subscription.

Finalists will be named on our website.

The 2011 judge is Joseph Boyden.

-   Submissions must be original, previously unpublished work of fiction, no longer than 7500 words.

-   Reading fee:  $15, includes a one-year subscription to Bayou

-   You may enter more than one story, but each submission must arrive in a separate envelope with its own cover sheet and entry fee.

-   We accept novel excerpts if the submission stands alone as a complete short story.

KAY MURPHY PRIZE FOR POETRY

The winner will receive $500, publication and a year subscription.

Finalists will be named on our website.

The inaugural judge is Kay Murphy.

-   Submissions must be original, previously unpublished poetry.

-   Reading fee:  $10, includes a one-year subscription to Bayou.

-   You may enter up to three poems per entry.

ALL ENTRIES

-   Please include a cover sheet with your name, address, phone number, email address, and the title of your submission. Do not include your name on the pages of the story. Any story with identifying material will be disqualified.

-   We accept simultaneous submissions, but please indicate this on your cover sheet. You must notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.

-   All manuscripts should be in 12pt Times New Roman and double spaced with standard 1” margins.

Send your submission, cover sheet and check made payable to UNO FOUNDATION to Bayou Magazine, Department of English, University of New Orleans, 2000 Lakeshore Dr., New Orleans, LA 70148

For more information about Bayou: http://cola.uno.edu/bayou/