Leslie’s List

  Stage and screen star John Malkovich has played many memorable roles, from his Academy Award-nominated Mr. Will in “Places in the Heart,” to the devilish Vicomte de Valmont in “Dangerous Liaisons,” to himself in “Being John Malkovich.” But, now…

  Who doesn’t want to be Indiana Jones, roaming the world with a cool leather jacket, a whip and a divinely inspired mission to excavate priceless antiquities hidden in situ around the globe. Whether you’re in it for the adventure,…

Leslie Becker has traveled to more than 40 countries, learned to deep-sea dive in the Great Barrier Reef, practiced yoga in Bali, camped throughout Australia and Tasmania and even worked on reality television shows including “The Apprentice” and “Survivor.” Through an…

  As a preschooler, it was all about snack time. Throughout grade school, I went to the cafeteria for lunch. During my senior year I thoroughly enjoyed (and often exploited) my “senior privileges” that enabled me to leave school grounds…

  What makes a good leader? Can leadership be taught? Is there a right or wrong way to lead? The Norman C. Francis Leadership Institute (NCFLI) at Xavier University of Louisiana provides education and leadership training to the region’s most…

  Lena Prima, the daughter of renowned New Orleans bandleader, trumpeter and vocalist Louis Prima, remembers when her dad used to perform “Jump Jive An’ Wail” and “Just A Gigolo” at the Hotel Monteleone in New Orleans’ French Quarter. She…

  As more than 49,000 New Orleans school kids go back to 86 area public schools this week, they’ll be dealing with plusses and minuses. According to personal-finance website WalletHub, Louisiana has the second-worst school system in the U.S. WalletHub compared…

  “If you want to go up into orbit, you have to go through New Orleans,” said Michael Hecht, GNO, Inc.president and CEO, at the regional economic development alliance’s “Mission to the Moon & Beyond: Exploring the Aerospace Industry in Greater…

I never met multimillionaire money manager and registered sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, but I practically lived in his mansion for years. When you think about the sex trafficking of minors you don’t exactly picture it happening inside a limestone Beaux-Arts…

  The first article I ever wrote was about Hurricane Gloria during the 1985 Atlantic hurricane season. The “Storm of the Century” Category 4 storm reached peak winds of 145 mph and caused $900 million in damage. As an intrepid…

  Blackened Louisiana drum at K-Paul’s. Double cut pork chop with citrus glaze at Dooky Chase’s. Warm bread pudding with whiskey sauce at The Gumbo Shop. They are all popular dishes New Orleans locals take for granted from restaurants located…

  If the City of New Orleans shipped out a subscription box full of food, would it include gumbo, Crawfish Étouffée and beignets? It would if Jason Brown, co-founder and CEO of Persona Nutrition was in charge of content curation. Those niche…

Justin Crossie was working for Republican Congressman Steve Scalise when the then U.S. House Majority Whip was shot in the hip by left-wing activist James Hodgkinson on June 14, 2017, in Virginia, at a baseball practice for the Congressional Baseball…

World War II cost $4 trillion in today’s adjusted dollars; defense spending made up about 40 percent of the US GDP in 1945; and more than 418,500 American military and civilian lives were lost. But on June 6, 1944, 156,000…

  I used to spend my Sunday afternoons on Broadway. I saw Patti LuPone sing “Don’t Cry For Me Argentina” in “Evita;” Richard Harris brandish the mythical Excalibur in “Camelot;” Jim Dale tame a circus of characters in “Barnum;” Frank…

The World Food Championships’ (WFC) Final Table $100,000 competition takes place in New Orleans this month, and while no New Orleanians are vying for the Final Table title, four local chefs will be judging the most anticipated culinary moments in…

  When jamming to Santana or Van Morrison in front of the Acura Stage this weekend, with a cup of Crawfish Monica in one hand and a scoop of Mango Freeze in the other, it’ll be easy to tune out…

  I have kept every Mardi Gras bead and throw I have ever caught at every parade I ever attended since 1990. I placed them in plastic baggies and labeled them with the names and dates of the parades and…

Stellllllaaaaa! Artist Frank Stella’s giant 14-foot tall and wide milled aluminum “Alu Truss Star” is being installed today at the six-acre expansion of the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden at the New Orleans Museum of Art (NOMA), and will…