"Southern women ⁠— unlike women from Boston, Des Moines or Albuquerque , are leashed to history." Editor Alison Glock wrote those words in a 2011 essay for Garden & Gun. The piece, titled "Redefining the Southern Belle" got more responses than anything she'd written in her nearly 30-year career. Much was positive, some not, but all opening up further exploration of what a "Southern woman" meant then and now.

The start of a new decade is often viewed as a beginning of a new chapter. Before that page turns, On Second Thought looked at some of the benchmark changes over the past decade - both within Georgia, and across the world. Nicole Smith, features editor at the Atlanta Journal Constitution and Thomas Wheatley, articles editor at Atlanta Magazine, joined On Second Thought to talk about some of the biggest developments in Georgia over the past 10 years, from the burgeoning film industry in Atlanta to politics throughout the state.

Glenn Jones got his start in the music industry at a young age, signing to gospel label Savoy Records at just 17 years old. Later, his single “Here I Go Again” reached the top of the R&B charts in 1991. Now, Jones is based in Atlanta and releasing new music under his independent label, Talent Room Entertainment. On Second Thought invited Glenn Jones into the studio to share his additions to the Georgia Playlist.

Atlanta-based folk musician and multi-instrumentalist John McCutcheon has had a long career of writing and performing folk music all over the world. One of his songs, though, holds a special place in the canon of Christmas music. “Christmas in the Trenches,” released in 1984 on the album Winter Solstice, tells the true story of the 1914 Christmas Truce, an unofficial ceasefire and celebration along the western front of World War I on Christmas Eve. Through the eyes of the fictional British soldier Francis Tolliver, McCutcheon weaves the story of the night soldiers came out of their trenches, exchanged souvenirs from home, and played a game of football. McCutcheon joined On Second Thought to share the story of the song, the initial inspiration, and why he decided to make a children’s book based on the song.

The Winter Sisters is a historical fiction novel set in Lawrenceville, Georgia in 1822. When a self-righteous doctor arrives in the tiny, backwater town eager to treat what he believes could be an impending rabies epidemic, he’s shocked to discover citizens favoring folk remedies over the methods he believes cures disease – namely bloodletting, amputations, and copious amounts of ether. Westover’s second novel is a cinematic tale weaving deeply-researched historical facts on early 19th century medicine and language, alongside richly imagined fantasies of Southern folklore come to life. He joined On Second Thought to talk about how he finds those stories.

When two people decide to get married, they're probably not thinking about the possibility of divorce. But that's exactly what comes into discussion during a prenuptial agreement or, as it's perhaps more commonly known, a prenup. A prenup is designed to pre-negotiate terms and protect the division of marital property. That includes money, of course, as well as items of value that may not be worth a lot in terms of finances; say, for example, a family heirloom — or even your pet.

While the holiday season may be a popular time for couples to impulsively “pop the question,” those couples generally do not think about the possibility of divorce. Family law attorney Randy Kessler joins On Second Thought to talk about why couples should consider a prenup. One Lawrenceville author turns real folk stories into fictional novels. Hear from author Tim Westover about his new book The Winter Sisters and how he draws upon local Southern folklore to craft his historical fiction stories.

On Second Thought aired a special broadcast about the story of how Richard Jewell's life changed when The Atlanta-Journal Constitution published his name as the primary suspect in the 1996 bombings at Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park. In that audio documentary, we learn about how Jewell's legal team sued The Atlanta-Journal Constitution — along with other news organizations — for defamation. The AJC fought the suit, and eventually won. Now, the paper is disputing how it is being portrayed in the film Richard Jewell , which hits theaters today.

When Atlanta hosted the 1996 Olympics, terror struck. In the rush for justice, the wrong man was presumed guilty. “Mistaken: The Real Story of Richard Jewell” follows Jewell’s descent from hero to villain in the court of public opinion. Hear this On Second Thought special broadcast featuring interviews with Kent Alexander, U.S. Attorney for the northern district of Georgia at the time of the 1996 Olympics, journalist, Kevin Salwen and Tom Johnson, former head of CNN.

In the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, the name Richard Jewell became a newsroom watchword — a code for false accusations and warnings against rushing to judgment when reporting on criminal investigations. When a bomb went off at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta during the 1996 Olympic Games, Richard Jewell, a security guard hired to man the games, discovered the bomb and helped clear the area. He was initially hailed as a hero. But the tides quickly turned on Jewell, when the FBI and the media together began to circle Jewell as the primary suspect for the bombing.