William Howard Russell, 1st International War Correspondent

From 1861-1862, Irish journalist William Howard Russell navigated a war-torn U.S. in search of more than just a story, but the truth. Xian Maynor, Public Historian at the Shadows, presented on the father of war correspondence and the significance his letters on the state of the Civil War had on America, the perceptions of slavery, and the harrowing truths behind war.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Xian Maynor is the Public Historian at Shadows-on-the-Teche and has spent the past eight years studying and interpreting history. A devoted scholar of Cajun and Creole History and the broader American South, Maynor obtained a Bachelor of the Arts in History from the University of Southern Mississippi and Master of the Arts in Public History and American History from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

His early research examined the history of French in Louisiana, both as a linguistic and an ethnic identity, and has since expanded to include other pockets of historical study. Maynor received the Drapeau Center for Undergraduate Research Award for his work on the effects of industrialization on the Cajun and Creole identity. He also wrote, directed, filmed, and produced Kicking the Dust, a documentary exploring Cajun and Creole identity through music and dance.

A French speaker, Maynor’s interests are wide-ranging and include documentary filmmaking, literature, and podcasting. He currently serves on the board of the Franco Fine Arts Exchange, a nonprofit dedicated to preserving Acadian art.