Go Atlanta

In this week's episode, we discuss the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival. The AJC Decatur Book Festival, like many large gatherings, is going virtual this year. The event usually brings tens of thousands of visitors to downtown Decatur on Labor Day weekend, but the logistics of putting on this year’s edition have been deemed impractical in the midst of a pandemic.

Instead, the festival organizers will host a series of 15 “virtual events” in honor of the book fest’s 15th anniversary.

On this week’s podcast, we’ll talk about some of the online offerings you’ll find, including the Kidnote event. The AJC’s Bo Emerson spoke with Kidnote speaker Derrick Barnes about “Crown: Ode to the Fresh Cut,” which he wrote with Gordon James. The book offers a kid’s eye view of a day in the life of a barbershop.

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The travel and tourism industry has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but that doesn't mean travel has stopped. Both business and leisure travel are rebounding a bit and a recent survey by TravelPort, a leading technology company serving the global travel industry, found that the majority of travelers are ready to consider domestic and international travel again. What’s it like to travel during the pandemic era? Here to talk about it, just back from a visit to Las Vegas, is the AJC’s Melissa Ruggieri.

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In this episode of accessAtlanta, AJC reporter Melissa Ruggieri discusses alternatives to live shows at our favorite venues: drive-in concerts in Atlanta.

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In this episode of accessAtlanta, AJC reporter Rodney Ho speaks with Tyler Perry about how the media mogul has been able to produce shows at Tyler Perry Studios during the pandemic.

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How we entertain family and friends has certainly changed these days. Are there safe and creative ways to do it? AJC reporter Rosalind Bentley and accessAtlanta host Shane Harrison were talking a few weeks ago and shared their own experiences. They wondered what the experts had to say about it. Find out what they said in this episode of accessAtlanta. How are people who professionally plan parties responding? Bentley also spoke with an assistant professor of psychiatry to find out about our shifting perceptions of risk. No matter what, it’s always a good idea to listen to the medical and scientific experts in a changing pandemic landscape.

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Recently released biopics and remakes have stimulated interest in back catalogs and original songs. In this episode of accessAtlanta, ajc music writer Melissa Ruggieri provides a nostalgic guide to the best 25 movie soundtracks from the 1970s through now.

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You can see a robot that mimics a sloth at Atlanta Botanical Garden. In this episode of accessAtlanta, AJC reporter Bo Emerson speaks to Emily Coffey of the Atlanta Botanical Garden and Georgia Tech’s Magnus Egerstedt about the origins of the SlothBoth and the mission of the project, which aims fight to save endangered species.

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Lori Allen, of “Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta,” has a new book out called “Say Yes to What's Next.” The book blends the memoir and self-help genres and in this episode of accessAtlanta, Allen discusses her life and career that led her to writing and publishing her book.

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One month before Woodstock, the second Atlanta International Pop Festival took place in Byron, Georgia. In this episode of accessAtlanta, AJC music writer Melissa Ruggieri looks back at one of the largest gatherings in Georgia history and discusses what it meant for Jimi Hendrix, The Allman Brothers, Hampton Grease Band and Atlanta as a music market.

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In this episode of accessAtlanta, freelance writer Kimeko McCoy things to do to celebrate the 4th of July while social distancing.

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