Make It Write Publishing Presents
The Mayor of Mardi Gras: A Memoir
Enjoy this photo slideshow of Mackie and the Cantrells’ Carnival artistry through the years:
Full-color Hardcover or B&W Paperback available now through Ingram!
Distributors: standard trade discount and returnable.
Hardcover (full-color) ISBN: 9798985925005
Paperback (B&W) ISBN: 9780578381794
New Orleans Mardi Gras parades date back to 1857. Many people attend Mardi Gras. Fewer people participate as members of a krewe, and still fewer work year-round as artists and float builders. My cousin McKinley “Mackie” J. Cantrell, III was one of the artists and builders who worked full-time to bring Mardi Gras to life. A third-generation float builder, Mackie's grandfather began building floats during the Great Depression. By the mid-70s, “Big Mac” Cantrell had his own company, called McKinley J. Cantrell and Son and was captain of his own parade, the Krewe of Mardi Gras. Cantrell Floats lives on today, but Mackie died suddenly two days after Christmas in 2021. He was forty-seven. He was more of a brother to me, a mentor, who took me on to work with him for an entire year of Carnival preparation in 2011-12. This book is a telling of all my great memories of Mackie. It is a rare glimpse into New Orleans life from an artist’s perspective. As Mackie would say, “It's a true story, stab-ah.”
Available on the shelf now at select LA & MS Barnes & Noble locations and at Garden District Books in New Orleans.
Channel the spirit of Mardi Gras anytime with Mackie.
“The Cantrell family has a long history with Mardi Gras, dating back to the Great Depression. Their legacy is quite impressive. In The Mayor of Mardi Gras: A Memoir, Gregory Fischer shares fond memories and photos of Mackie Cantrell, his cousin – best friend – and honorary brother. Every page is a tribute to the man Gregory lost just two short days after Christmas 2021 … I didn't know Mackie, but I felt like I did through Gregory's storytelling.”
– Kameron Brook, Reedsy Discovery
“Gregory Fischer is a great storyteller with the extraordinary ability to write about human emotion in detail. The Mayor of Mardi Gras: A Memoir will strike strong chords in readers who have loved and lost while offering immense entertainment to those who adore parades. It is rich in human emotion, brilliantly capturing the sense of loss while paying tribute to a man that lived with purpose. This book is a wonderful memoir with a fully drawn hero who will inspire creativity in readers.”
– Bertin Drizller, The Book Commentary
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