Grammy and Emmy Award-winning entertainer Harry Connick, Jr. will return to his hometown of New Orleans this fall for a special evening celebrating his debut book, Babe: Elaboratio – A Tribute to My Mother.
The New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University and Octavia Books will co-sponsor the event, which will take place Thursday, October 8 at Dixon Concert Hall at Tulane University. Connick will discuss the book and the life of his mother, Anita-Francis Livingston Connick, lovingly known as Babe.
In Babe: Elaboratio, Connick pays tribute to his mother, who died when he was 13, through a story that brings together family history, memory and music. From Babe’s childhood in New York to her career as one of New Orleans’ first female judges, the book explores the woman who helped shape Connick’s life and creative work.
The book was written in connection with Connick’s first-ever Carnegie Hall performance, where he premiered his composition Babe on May 22, 2026, the 100th anniversary of his mother’s birth. Through personal photographs, memories and selections from the musical score, Babe: Elaboratio offers an intimate look at the inspiration behind the composition and the enduring influence of a mother’s love.
A native of New Orleans, Connick began performing as a pianist and vocalist at age 5 and went on to build an internationally recognized career spanning music, film, television and Broadway. He has received Grammy and Emmy awards and Tony nominations for his work as a performer, composer and actor.
His connection to New Orleans has remained central to both his creative work and his philanthropy. Following Hurricane Katrina, Connick and fellow New Orleans musician Branford Marsalis helped establish Musicians’ Village and the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music.
Event Details
An Evening with Harry Connick, Jr., Moderated by Mitch Landrieu
Thursday, October 8
Dixon Concert Hall, Tulane University
Doors: 4 p.m. | Program: 5:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $35 for General Admission and $50 for Preferred Seating. Both ticket levels include a signed copy of Babe: Elaboratio – A Tribute to My Mother. Preferred Seating tickets include priority seating in the first ten rows of the lower-bowl orchestra section.
Tickets are available through Eventbrite: Buy Tickets
This event is presented by the New Orleans Book Festival at Tulane University in partnership with Octavia Books and with support from 89.9 WWNO.
Babe: Elaboratio – A Tribute to My Mother is published by Harper Celebrate, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus.
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