<p class="indent">McNeese State University’s fall SAGE series gets under way this month with a variety of offerings on everything from Cajun folktales to country Creole recipes.</p><p class="indent">Here’s the schedule of programs, all of which will be held at the Seed Center, 4310 Ryan St.</p><p class="indent"><strong>• “Between the Levees: Adrift on America’s Untamable River,”</strong> Boyce Upholt — 3 p.m. Sept. 24. Freelance journalist Upholt will present a program based on his Huck Finn-type trip down the Mississippi River. Upholt has written about his adventure for Sierra Club magazine and was invited by SAGE program organizers to share details of his trip.</p><p class="indent"><strong>• “Recipes and Memories from Louisiana’s German Coast,”</strong> Nancy Tregre Wilson — 3 p.m. Oct. 1. The program centers on Wilson’s cookbook, which has recipes from Louisiana’s German coast, a part of southeastern Louisiana located along the Mississippi River north of New Orleans. This rural community, originally settled by German and French immigrants, produced vibrant cuisines comprised of classic New Orleans Creole dishes that also feature Cajun flavors. For nearly 40 years, Wilson, a Louisiana native, owned and operated Louisiana Gourmet Enterprises, a food-specialty business. Wilson’s cookbook features more than 200 recipes featuring crab-stuffed shrimp, mirliton salad, gumbo and coconut pie. The book also details traditional rituals, such as her family’s annual November boucherie and the process for preparing foods like pig tails and blood boudin.</p><p class="indent"><strong>• “Loyal Forces: The American Animals of World War II,”</strong> Toni Kiser — 3 p.m. Oct. 22. At a time when every American was called upon to contribute to the war effort — whether by enlisting, buying bonds, or collecting scrap metal — the use of American animals during World War II further demonstrates the resourcefulness of the U.S. Army and the sacrifices that led to the Allies’ victory. Through 160 photographs from the National World War II Museum collection, Loyal Forces captures the heroism, hard work and innate skills of innumerable animals that aided the military as they fought to protect, transport, communicate and sustain morale. Kiser and author Lindsey F. Barnes illustrate that every branch of the armed forces and every theater of the war utilized the instincts and dexterity of these animals.</p><p class="indent"><strong>• </strong><strong>“Cajun and Creole Folktales</strong> — Deep Meanings in Small Places,” Barry Ancelet — 3 p.m. Oct. 29. The program will delve into the French oral tradition of South Louisiana. Ancelet’s book takes a look at the long and lively heritage of the Louisiana folktales among French Creoles and Cajuns and shows how tale-telling in Louisiana through the years has remained vigorous and constantly evolving. Though greatly transformed since the French arrived on southern soil, the French oral tradition is alive and flourishing today. </p><p class="p2"><strong>•“A Woman of Firsts: Suzanne Douvillier Changed Dance in New Orleans — and America,”</strong> Nina Bozak — 3 p.m. Nov. 5. Bozak’s program will focus on the sensational life of Douvillier, who was a dancer on both sides of the Atlantic. This program will spotlight experiences that Douvillier had in her life as well as the dance world.</p><p class="p2"><strong><strong>• </strong>“Native Flora of Louisiana,”</strong> Lowell Urbatsch — 3 p.m. Nov. 12. Text in the book is by Urbatsch, professor of botany and herbarium director emeritus at Louisiana State University and drawings are by Margaret Stones, who was the principal contributing artist for Curtis Botanical Magazine, where she completed more than 400 botanical drawings between 1958-83. In the book, museum-quality reproductions of the artist’s watercolors provide access to the precision and delicacy that define her mastery of the medium.</p><hr /><p class="p3">For more information on the SAGE series or to register for any of the programs, call 475-5616.</p><p>The SEED Center </p>