The Literary Road Trip: One More Way to Love Atlanta

Come here, for a minute. No, come in close because I need to tell you a secret.

I started my book blog with the intention of talking about books.

Shocking, I know.

You probably thought that the intention was to write endless posts about how amazing my new found city is. Well, ok, maybe that’s part of it since literature reflects our time, place, and emotional state.

I realized, as I sat down to write this post, that I was about to launch into yet another love letter to the Big Peach.

It’s fun! It’s flirty! It’s happening! It’s really quite young and liberal! Don’t like that? It’s got its dusty, musty pearl adorned relics as well. It’s everything you could ask from a city. Ok, maybe there’s a war brewing at the AJC. Maybe it’s a constant 102 degrees for the rest of the summer, now that we’re about to hit August.  Maybe there are new L.A., Chicago and New York refugees arriving in the city every day, complaining about how different Atlanta is. Oh, but still, driving down MLK, listening to various Athens born bands and The Indigo Girls, passing the Jimmy Carter Center on the way to a $5 Braves game (which, ok, I admit, has a specific draw in my ability to sit five feet behind home plate at a Red Sox game without selling my left leg), I have to wonder if this city was perhaps created just for me.

Enough. I said I wasn’t going to do it and I just failed.

The point of this specific obsession fueled entry is to introduce and announce my participation in a blog event.

Michelle of Galleysmith has put together something called The Literary Road Trip.

The posts tied to the ongoing event will feature books and interviews by and with local authors, however local is defined.

Is this just an excuse to continue my Southern Reading challenge since I’ve finished my three books and am already halfway through The Help and have The Fixer Upper on my nightstand? You could chose to look at it that way, you Negative Nancy.

I’d like to think of it as just another way to sing my praises for this fantastic city. I will be profiling the late E. Lynn Harris (of Basketball Jones), Pat Conroy (of South of Broad) , Kathryn Stockett (of The Help), Mary Kay Andrews (of the Fixer Upper) and hopefully a little bit of non fiction (Gene Roberts’ The Race Beat and King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail featuring my favorite quote in the history of quotes: Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere).

I am too excited about this and you should be, too!

Remember to look around to find the posts for your own region and Happy Reading!