One local publisher is working hard to keep alive the voices of Louisiana's past.

Sarah Hudson-Pierce, founder of Ritz Publications, caters to a niche of local history enthusiasts by reprinting the work of locals and 19th-century writers who have connections to Louisiana.

Hudson-Pierce, a self-described history buff, believes reprinting old works is essential to preserving history. "The only thing we can really know about what happened back then is by reading it," she said. "We have to read what people wrote to know what it was like and the hard times they endured. It's a way of preserving their legacy."

Hudson-Pierce formed Ritz Publications in 2002 to reprint the work of out-of-print Civil War authors. She also publishes works by local writers, including former Shreveport mayor James C. Gardner.

The first work published by Ritz Publications was a reprint of "Poems" by late Alabama writer and longtime Shreveporter Julia Pleasants-Creswell, Gardner's great-grandmother.

Ritz now has 11 published books available and held a reception this summer for the release of some of its latest published books, which include four works by Sarah Ann Ellis Dorsey, three by Creswell and one by William Bradshaw.

Hudson-Pierce, a published poet, hopes to see the 3-year-old Ritz Publications keep growing. "I think this is just the beginning," she said. "I love what I do. I just think I'm going to do more and more and it's going to continue to reach out further and further."

© Ritz Publications 2003 - 2005