In the 1970’s Gwen Roland abandoned her doctorate and decided to live off the land – and water – in South-central Louisiana’s scenic and remote Atchafalaya River Basin Swamp. With a box of crayons and the book, “How to Build Your Home in the Woods” Roland and her then-partner, Calvin Voisin, built a houseboat on a barge. They lived and thrived there for eight years, with no electricity or running water. In 2022, her book, “Atchafalaya Houseboat: My Years in the Louisiana Swamp” was chosen as Baton Rouge’s One Book One Community – a book everyone should read. It has been the focus of numerous documentaries and the inspiration for many who choose to live off the grid. The book’s evocative photographs by CC Lockwood were showcased in National Geographic magazine bringing Gwen, Calvin and CC unexpected fame, and years later revisited in National Geographic’s Best 100 renewing interest with a new generation. In her book, with quiet wisdom, Gwen recounts her voyage of discovery—about swamp life, wildlife, and herself. A keen observer of both the natural world and the ways of human beings, she transports readers to an unfamiliar and exotic place, preserving her great adventure for those who could not make the trip in person.

**Registration is required for this free event on Eventbrite due to limited seating at: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/836658998587 .