T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History Collection

ABSTRACT

INTERVIEWEE NAME: Mary Alice Fontenot COLLECTION: 4700.0510

IDENTIFICATION: Mary Alice Fontenot wrote for local newspapers and educated children in French using her Clovis Crawfish character.

INTERVIEWER: Yvonne Olivier

PROJECT: Acadian Handicraft Series

DATES: August 19, 1995 FOCUS DATES: 1950-1980[?]

ABSTRACT:

Tape 732, Side A

Ms. Fontenot talks about her father knowing French and not much English; talks about the crafts her mother taught her; meeting Ms. Olivier through a mutual friend; talks about going to French Week in Baton Rouge; recalls being a substitute teaching and beginning to teach children French; talks about Ms. Olivier's character; Ms. Fontenot does not recall a film Ms. Olivier made about the Cajuns; she does recall Ms. Olivier visiting schools to get French taught; describes how Ms. Olivier indirectly was responsible for her Clovis Crawfish book; describes how she got the idea from a project she was doing with her kindergarten class; Ms. Fontenot feels Ms. Olivier wanted everyone in Louisiana to know some French; she describes how the Clovis Crawfish book got published; Ms. Olivier wanted her to target adults more than children; she could not recall much concerning Ms. Olivier's craft projects; she talks about still making baby cloths; she describes Ms. Olivier as a mover and shaker.

TAPES: T0732 TOTAL PLAYING TIME: 20 minutes

# PAGES TRANSCRIPT: 25

OTHER MATERIALS:

RESTRICTIONS: None