Faulkner House Books

William Faulkner rented an apartment at 624 Pirate's Alley in 1925 and wrote his first novel, *Soldiers' Pay*, here. The street runs between St. Louis Cathedral and the Cabildo — one of the most atmospheric streets in the Quarter. Now the same space holds one of the finest independent bookshops in the country, specializing in Southern literature and rare editions. The shop feels like a private library that happens to sell books. New Orleans was the largest port in the Southern United States throughout the 19th century, exporting most of the nation's cotton output and other farm products to Western Europe and New England. It was the largest city in the South at the start of the Civil War. The French founded it in 1718, the Spanish controlled it, then the French again, before the United States acquired it in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. Bulbancha — "place of many tongues" in Choctaw — was one of the original names, an important trading hub for thousands of years. That multilingual, layered history is still visible along these streets. The annual Faulkner Society festival, Words & Music, is anchored at this location. Open daily. Free to browse.