Singing Out Loud: A Memoir of an Ex-Mardi Gras Queen - Softcover

Marilee Eaves grew up in the elite world of Uptown New Orleans, a world of Mardi Gras parades and exclusive balls. She spent nearly five decades of her life struggling to be herself in the midst of the elitist Mardi Gras societies that ruled her home city. Finally, in her fifties and sixties, she expanded her perspective, started questioning assumptions about the way she’d grown up, and carved her own path. Eaves has published articles in New Orleans Museum of Art’s Arts Quarterly, Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana’s Churchwork, Madrona News, Touch Magazine, and The Awakenings Review.

“Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes of Mardi Gras―both literally and figuratively? Here’s the answer from a true New Orleans insider. Eaves’s lively account of how she survived carnival culture plus her own mental challenges makes for an entertaining and inspirational read.”

--Cokie Roberts, author and journalist
“Marilee Eaves hooks us from the very first paragraph in this captivating autobiographical tale of growing up in―and breaking with the tradition of―an old, powerful, and wealthy Louisiana family. Told to the reader as though we’re dear friends, sitting over tea . . . or cocktails . . . we are gifted with a series of colorful and vulnerable stories. If you’re interested in being entertained by a truly gifted writer, I recommend that you buy this book and get ready for a good read!”

―Maria Nemeth, PhD, MCC, author of The Energy of Money and Mastering Life’s Energies
“Marilee Eaves writes with grace, generosity and well-earned insight as she delves into the arcane customs of mid-century Uptown New Orleans carnival society. The heroine of this story finds her way from the smothering expectations, cloaked as privilege, of her time and her gender. Despite the painful detours, she eventually steps into the full light of her own powers with the surprising help of her boxing coach. By the end of the book, we are cheering for her victory.”

―Constance Adler, author of My Bayou: New Orleans Through the Eyes of a Lover
“A fascinating journey into an exotic world that, although glamorous and luxurious, exacts a high price from the narrator. Beginning with a close-up, Eaves expertly pulls back to reveal the insidious sexism and racism that affects and infects everyone, even the privileged. Her unique experience of overcoming a repressive upbringing and mental illness, rendered in vivid detail, becomes universal. I highly recommend that you take this wild ride!”

―Jean Kilbourne, Senior Scholar, Wellesley Centers for Women