Lolis Eric Elie facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lolis Eric Elie
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Elie at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival
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| Born | April 10, 1963 New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
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| Education | Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania (B.S., Finance and Economics, 1985), Columbia University School of Journalism (M.S, 1986), University of Virginia (MFA, Creative Writing, 1991) |
| Occupation | Writer, filmmaker |
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Notable work
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Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans, Treme (TV Series), Hell on Wheels |
Lolis Eric Elie (born April 10, 1963) is an American writer, journalist, and filmmaker. He is well-known for his work on popular TV shows like Treme and Hell on Wheels. He also writes books and makes documentaries, often about food and history.
Contents
Growing Up and School
Lolis Eric Elie was born in New Orleans, Louisiana. His father, Lolis Edward Elie, was a lawyer who worked for civil rights. His mother, Dr. Gerri Elie, was a school principal and a university professor. He has an older sister named Migel Elizabeth Elie.
Elie attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts (NOCCA). He also graduated from Benjamin Franklin High School in 1981. After high school, he went to the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He earned a degree in Finance and Economics in 1985.
In 1986, he received a master's degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He was even named Alumnus of the Year in 2012. Later, Elie earned another master's degree in creative writing from the University of Virginia.
Elie's Career Journey
Elie started his career as a business reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper. After that, he worked as a road manager for the famous jazz musician Wynton Marsalis. In 1995, he became a writer and columnist for the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Writing About Food and History
During his time at the Times-Picayune, Elie wrote several books. One popular book was Smokestack Lightning: Adventures in the Heart of Barbecue Country. This book became very popular among people who love food.
Elie also wrote and helped produce an award-winning documentary film. It was called Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans (2008). The film showed at the Tribeca Film Festival and won an award at the San Francisco International Film Festival. It later aired on PBS in 2009.
Working in Television
In 2009, Elie left the Times-Picayune to work in television. He became a story editor for the HBO drama series Treme. He wrote several episodes for the show, including "I Thought I Heard Buddy Bolden Say" and "Shame, Shame, Shame". He won an NAACP Award for his writing on Treme.
In 2013, Elie moved to Los Angeles. There, he became an executive story editor for AMC's Hell on Wheels. His writing has also appeared in many well-known newspapers and magazines. These include the New York Times and Washington Post. He has also been featured on NPR and CBS News.
Elie has appeared on the Travel Channel shows No Reservations and The Layover. Both shows were hosted by the late chef and traveler Anthony Bourdain.
Elie is also one of the people who started the Southern Foodways Alliance. This group works to explore and celebrate the food traditions of the American South. In 2013, his book Treme: Stories and Recipes from the Heart of New Orleans was released. It was named one of the best food books of July by Saveur magazine.
Selected Works
Lolis Eric Elie has worked on many interesting projects in television, film, and books.
Television and Film Projects
- 2008: Faubourg Treme: The Untold Story of Black New Orleans (documentary) – He was the writer and co-producer.
- 2010-2012: Treme (HBO series) – He was a story editor and wrote several episodes.
- 2013: Hell on Wheels (AMC series) – He was an executive story editor and co-wrote an episode.
- 2016: Underground (WGN America series) – He was a co-producer for some episodes.
- 2017-2018: Greenleaf (Oprah Winfrey Network series) – He wrote episodes for this show.
- 2018: Ugly Delicious (Netflix series) – He appeared as himself in an episode about fried chicken.
- 2019: The Man in the High Castle (Amazon Prime Video series) – He was a supervising producer and wrote an episode.
- 2020: The Chi (Showtime series) – He was a supervising producer and wrote an episode.
- 2021: Bosch (Amazon Prime Video series) – He was a co-executive producer and wrote an episode.
Books Written by Elie
- Smokestack Lightning: Adventures in the Heart of Barbecue Country (1996) – This book explores barbecue traditions.
- Treme: Stories and Recipes from the Heart of New Orleans (2013) – This book shares stories and recipes from New Orleans.
- Rodney Scott's World of BBQ (2021) – He co-authored this book about barbecue.
Short Stories and Essays
Elie has also written many short stories and essays for different collections and magazines. These often focus on Southern culture, food, and history.
