When two hijacked planes crashed into the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, Atlanta writer Jonathan Lerner remembers thinking how he could identify with Mohamed Atta. Atta, a college-educated man who was raised by affluent parents in Egypt, was the hijacker-pilot who flew the first plane into the World Trade Center.
Lerner’s friend, sex columnist and blogger Michael Alvear, who is gay, told him he needed to put those thoughts down on paper.
So Lerner took a manuscript he had been trying to complete as a memoir about his days as a founding member of the Weather Underground and condensed it into 6,000 words for an essay published Feb. 24, 2002, in the Washington Post Magazine.
After two months of online balloting and more than 20,000 votes cast, we present the best of the best — our inaugural Best of Atlanta winners.
It all started back at the beginning of May, when we asked you, our readers, to nominate your favorites for dozens of awards in the categories of Community, People, Nightlife, Dining, Retail, Pet Services, Internet, and Outside Atlanta.
The top three finalists — or more, in the case of a tie — in each category made it through to the next round of voting. For the month of June, a multiple-choice ballot asked you to pick among the finalists for who really represents the finest in LGBT Georgia.
Thanks to everyone who voted, and congratulations to all of the worthy winners and runners up.
Writer Larry Corse presents ‘Someone Bought the House on the Island: An Operatic Dream in Two Acts’ tonight
Actress Pam Grier will sign copies of her new book Foxy: My Life in Three Acts tonight at Outwrite
Senior Patrol Officer Patricia Powell, the new LGBT liaison for the Atlanta Police Department, has stopped in at least one gay-owned business to introduce herself as part of her new duties.
“My initial thought [of Powell] is I’m impressed,” said Philip Rafshoon, owner of Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse, who said Powell dropped into his store about two weeks ago and also attended the Pearl Cleage reading on May 20.
Mayor Kasim Reed pledged earlier this year that Atlanta would have at least two fulltime LGBT police liaisons, but confusion remains as to whether Powell’s appointment truly fulfills that goal.
Local poet hosts reading tonight at Outwrite Bookstore and Coffeehouse
Lambda award winner K.M. Soehnlein visits Outwrite
Chessen Parker, better known in Atlanta as YouthPride leader Frances-Ann Moran, reads from her debut novel tonight at Outwrite.
Lesbian author Fiona Zedde bids farewell to Atlanta