James Gill is a writer and a columnist who worked for the Times-Picayune in New Orleans, Louisiana, before joining the staff of The Advocate. He is author of Lords of Misrule: Mardi Gras and the Politics of Race in New Orleans, published by University Press of Mississippi.

Howard Hunter is a native of New Orleans and a history teacher of thirty-six years. He has published articles on New Orleans and the Civil War for both academic and general audiences. He is past president of the Louisiana Historical Society.