# Event Details - **Event Name**: Does the Church Want Free Women or Obedient Ones? - **Event Start and End Date**: Tue, 20 Oct, 2026 at 06:00 pm – Tue, 20 Oct, 2026 at 08:00 pm (-05:00) - **Event Description**: We at Baldwin & Co are elated to bring Deesha Philyaw in for an author event to speak about her debut fiction novel.About this EventThis will be a joint event with Deesha Philyaw and Nikesha Elise Williams. They will be joined in conversation by our very own Jerid P. Woods. From the moment Scharisse Freeman ditched her humble roots and married a megachurch pastor fifteen years her senior, she’s been labeled too brash and too “of the world” by church folks who grudgingly accepted her into their fold, and too holy by her estranged childhood bestie Petra. Schar doesn’t have many allies, but that hasn’t stopped her from building an enviable business empire spanning books to clothing to branded products, and living the comfortable life her husband's power affords her.On the eve of her 40th birthday, Schar gets the final bit of validation she’s always dreamt of: a coveted invitation to participate in the First Lady USA pageant. This is her chance to be accepted by the other pastors’ wives—First Ladies—who are “like Jesus’ disciples if they had been a group of mean girls.” Finally, blissfully, the ice between Schar and the other First Ladies begins to thaw.But as the pageant nears, a sensational scandal breaks with Schar at its center, and her carefully curated life implodes. Schar faces down shame and terrible secrets from her childhood and is reminded that in the eyes of the church, optics can matter more than the truth.Unflinchingly funny, frank, and splendidly unruly, The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman exults in the luscious, messy pleasure of finally feeling free."Deesha Philyaw has already established herself as one of the greatest short story writers, but in The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman she cements herself as the most soulfully entertaining writer of her era." - Kiese Laymon, author of Heavy and Long DivisionDeesha Philyaw’s debut short story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, won the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction, the Story Prize, the LA Times Book Prize: The Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction and was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction. Deesha is a Kimbilio Fiction Fellow, a Baldwin for the Arts Fellow, a United States Artists Fellow, and co-host of two podcasts, Ursa Short Fiction (with Dawnie Walton) and Reckon True Stories (with Kiese Laymon). She is currently at work developing TV shows based on her short fiction.Nikesha Elise Williams is a two-time Emmy award winning producer, an award-winning author, and producer and host of the Black and Published podcast. A narrative strategist by day and journalist always, her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Bitter Southerner, Essence, and Vox. Nikesha’s work has been supported by the Kimbilio Fiction Fellowship, the DeGroot Foundation, and the Tin House Summer Workshop. A Chicago native, she lives in Florida with her family. - **Event URL**: https://allevents.in/new-orleans/does-the-church-want-free-women-or-obedient-ones/100001996601104651 - **Event Categories**: art, literary-art, workshops - **Interested Audience**: - total_interested_count: 0 - **Event Highlights**: - Duration: 2 hours - Location: 1030 Elysian Fields Ave - Languages: English ## Ticket Details - **Ticket Price Range**: min: 35.64, max: 38.79, currency: USD ## Event venue details - **city**: New Orleans - **state**: LA - **country**: United States - **location**: 1030 Elysian Fields Ave - **lat**: 29.968237 - **long**: -90.057216 - **full address**: 1030 Elysian Fields Ave, 1030 Elysian Fields Avenue, New Orleans, United States ## Event gallery - **Alt text**: Does the Church Want Free Women or Obedient Ones? - **Image URL**: https://cdn-az.allevents.in/events9/banners/ca201b631e7e9219ddc5477ca51f2f9219cee8a874e89743918bda73b2cffc22-rimg-w1200-h600-dc082808-gmir.jpg?v=1785892604 ## FAQs - **Q**: When and where is Does the Church Want Free Women or Obedient Ones? being held? - **A:** Does the Church Want Free Women or Obedient Ones? takes place on Tue, 20 Oct, 2026 at 06:00 pm to Tue, 20 Oct, 2026 at 08:00 pm at 1030 Elysian Fields Ave, 1030 Elysian Fields Avenue, New Orleans, United States. - **Q**: Who is organizing Does the Church Want Free Women or Obedient Ones?? - **A:** Does the Church Want Free Women or Obedient Ones? is organized by Baldwin & Co.. - **Q**: Who is this event for? Is it right for me? - **A:** Does the Church Want Free Women or Obedient Ones? is ideal for professionals, entrepreneurs, startup founders, and networking enthusiasts eager to grow their connections. Whether you're a first-time attendee or a longtime enthusiast in New Orleans, this event is thoughtfully curated to deliver a standout experience worth every moment. 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