SEASON’S GREETINGS
It’s the Gulf Coast’s greatest hits, literally, in Hurricanes of the Gulf of Mexico (LSU Press). Authors Barry D. Keim and Robert A. Muller — the former is current Louisiana state climatologist and an LSU geology professor; the latter is former state climatologist and a professor emeritus of geology at LSU — have assembled a rogue’s gallery of the most devastating storms to pound the Gulf Coast, beginning with the Galveston hurricane of 1900, which dislodged an estimated 6,000 souls from their bodies. The authors bring decades of academic and scientific achievement to the page, but, thankfully, write for the layman in clear prose ungarnished with technical jargon. Hurricanes of the Gulf of Mexico not only recounts the great storms, but also devotes considerable ink to the science of hurricanes, the socioeconomic impact of storms and other topics. The book made landfall Aug. 31, retails for $29.95 and is available at major book sellers and at www.lsu.edu/lsupress . — Walter Pierce

ART CLUB
An art gallery in a health club? Whodathunkit? River Ranch has long planned to have its own art gallery, and a light bulb went off recently when it realized that the tremendous amount of uniform wall space in the common areas of the City Club created the perfect location. Gallery at City Club Fitness Center is being curated by Jeffery McCullough, with the first show featuring paintings by Julie Breaux, Mallory Chastant, Erin Chance Fenstermaker, Hope Hebert, Linda Moncla and Lue Svendson. McCullough, an interior designer who divides his time between Lafayette and New York, chooses the artists for each quarterly show and also does all selection of the pieces. Each show features five or six Louisiana artists, ranging from photography to abstract paintings to realism and water colors. McCullough says the relaxed setting, versus the intimidation some people feel in an actual gallery, has been a big selling point. “I hang shows the way art should be hung in homes so people can see how an abstract works with a traditional impressionist painting and how colors work together,” he says. The inaugural show, which runs through the end of September, has been a smashing success, moving 12 pieces in the first month (many galleries don’t sell that over the course of several months), and artists are booked through June of next year. To purchase art from Gallery at City Club Fitness Center, contact McCullough at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 917-282-1880. — Leslie Turk

CHOICE MUSIC
New Orleans trumpeter and composer Terence Blanchard continues to have the Midas touch with each new bold project he embarks on. His latest album, Choices, is the follow-up to his Grammy-winning 2007 release A Tale of God’s Will (A Requiem for Katrina), which was based off the score he wrote for Spike Lee’s epic documentary film When the Levees Broke. For Choices, Blanchard enlists soul singer Bilal and renowned Princeton University professor Cornel West, who’s spoken-word ruminations are lyrically mixed in on several tracks, adding another dynamic element to the band’s fluid groove. Choices can be found at all major music outlets. Visit www.terenceblanchard.com for more information. — Nathan Stubbs