Words & Music 2026 opens with a tribute to beloved New Orleans writer Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy.
Author. Educator. Friend. Folklorist. Mentor. Scholar. Sister. Singer. Cousin. Poet. Aunt. Documentarian. Creole. New Orleanian. Cultural Preservationist. All these words and more could be used to describe Dr. Mona Lisa Saloy, whose literary life includes three books, a dissertation, a tenure as Louisiana Poet Laureate (2021–23), publications and recognitions too numerous to mention here, and hundreds of students who passed through her classroom at Dillard University.
Join us for the opening night of the Words & Music Festival as we honor Mona Lisa, whose work has touched so many lives and hearts.
This event, held in Mona Lisa’s beloved Seventh Ward, is free and open to the public. All are welcome.