Everette Maddox

Everette Maddox was one of New Orleans's most celebrated local poets. Born in Prattville, Alabama, in 1944, he moved to the city in 1975 for a short-lived stint teaching at Xavier University. While struggling with alcoholism and mental health issues, Maddox lived on the streets, cared for by a close community of friends and fellow poets. He died of complications from esophageal cancer in 1989 at age 44. 

He published three collections during his lifetime: The 13 Original Poems (1976), The Everette Maddox Songbook (1982), and Bar Scotch (1988). Three additional collections were published posthumously: American Waste (1993), Rette’s Last Stand (2004), and I Hope It’s Not Over, and Good-by (2009). He oversaw a long-running reading series at the Maple Leaf Bar in New Orleans, which still bears a plaque in his honor.