Pelican Publishing Company is a

book publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

based in Gretna, a suburb of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

. Formed in 1926, Pelican is the largest independent trade book publisher located in the

U.S. South The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...

. Pelican publishes approximately 60 titles per year and maintains a backlist of over 2500 books. Most of its titles relate to

Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

and

Southern culture The culture of the Southern United States, Southern culture, or Southern heritage, is a subculture of the United States. The combination of its unique history and the fact that many Southerners maintain—and even nurture—an identity separate f ...

, cuisine, art, travel guides,

history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

, children's books, and textbooks.

History

Formed in 1926 by John McClure, Pelican was tied early in its history to

William Faulkner William Cuthbert Faulkner (; September 25, 1897 – July 6, 1962) was an American writer known for his novels and short stories set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, based on Lafayette County, Mississippi, where Faulkner spent most o ...

and Stuart O. Landry. In 1970, Dr. Milburn E. Calhoun and family acquired Pelican. Calhoun served as company president and publisher prior to his death in 2012. Since his passing, daughter Kathleen Calhoun Nettleton has occupied his place as publisher and president. In May 2019, the company's assets was officially purchased by

Arcadia Publishing Arcadia Publishing is an American publisher of neighborhood, local, and regional history of the United States in pictorial form.(analysis of the successful ''Images of America'' series). Arcadia Publishing also runs the History Press, which publ ...

. The purchased titles are now under the Pelican Publishing imprint of Arcadia Publishing. The company itself is still owned by Kathleen Calhoun Nettleton and the retained titles and rights are handled by her firm.

Significant titles

Pelican Publishing Company has produced many noteworthy titles, including the following: *''

Arnaud's Arnaud's is a Creole restaurant in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It serves classic Creole dishes. History Arnaud's was founded in 1918 by a French wine salesman, Arnaud Cazenave. In 1978, 60 years after the restaurant opened, it was bou ...

Restaurant Cookbook: Legendary Creole Cuisine'' by Kit Wohl. *''Blood in West Virginia: Brumfield v. McCoy'' by Brandon Ray Kirk, which tells the story of the Lincoln County Feud. *'' The Cajun Night Before Christmas'' by James Rice: A

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...

of the popular Night Before Christmas poem in which Santa Claus visits

Cajun The Cajuns (; French: ''les Cadjins'' or ''les Cadiens'' ), also known as Louisiana ''Acadians'' (French: ''les Acadiens''), are a Louisiana French ethnicity mainly found in the U.S. state of Louisiana. While Cajuns are usually described as ...

Louisiana. *''The Cavalry Battle that Saved the Union: Custer vs. Stuart at Gettysburg'', Paul D. Walker, 2002 *''Clovis Crawfish'', a children's series by Mary Alice Fontenot *''The Commissioner: A True Story of Deceit, Dishonor, and Death'', Bill Keith study of the Shreveport public safety commissioner George W. D'Artois *'' Finn McCool's Football Club'' by Stephen Rea, released February 2009. Memoir of the author's experiences at an

Irish pub An Irish pub is an establishment licensed to serve alcoholic drinks for consumption on the premises. Irish pubs are characterised by a unique culture centred around a casual and friendly atmosphere, hearty food and drink, Irish sports, and ...

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

and what happened to the patrons before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina. *'' Louisiana Almanac'' (series): A resource of statistical data and historical information related to the

State of Louisiana Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...

. *''The Maverick Guide'' (series): A series of travel guides begun by Robert W. Bone (author). *''New Orleans Classic Cookbook Series featuring Desserts, Appetizers, Seafood and Gumbos & Soups'', also by Kit Wohl *''See You at the Top'', the first book by motivational business speaker

Zig Ziglar Hilary Hinton Ziglar (November 6, 1926 – November 28, 2012) was an American author, salesman, and motivational speaker. Biography Early life and education Zig Ziglar was born prematurely in Coffee County, Alabama, to John Silas Ziglar ...

*''Sherwood Anderson and Other Famous Creoles'' by

: The first trade publication written by

. Pelican also has a history of publishing books that advance white supremacist or racist views. It published a number of Stuart Omer Landry's racist tracts, including ''The Cult of Equality: A Study of the Race Problem'' and ''Rebuilding the Tower of Babel: A Study of Christianity and Segregation''. Pelican has been called "one of the leading, if not the leading, publisher of neo-Confederate books," including books that helped "found the modern neo-Confederate movement." Among the titles it has published are ''The Southern Nation: The New Rise of the Old South'', ''Myths of American Slavery'', and ''The South Was Right!''

References

External links

Pelican Publishing Company
Book publishing companies based in Louisiana Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Political book publishing companies Companies based in New Orleans Publishing companies established in 1926 {{US-publish-company-stub