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CONTENTS
FEBRUARY 20, 2019
V3-08 PEACH ATL MEDIA, LLC 1874 Piedmont Ave NE Suite 580-E Atlanta, GA 30324
OPERATIONS Jeff Anderson
Sales and Development Director
jeff@peachatl.com
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8
EDITORIAL
Mikkel Hyldebrandt Editorial Director mikkel@peachatl.com Rodney Belcher Graphic Designer
rodney@peachatl.com
EVENT MARKETING Thomas Le tomthomas@peachatl.com
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SALES Andrea Dwyer andrea@peachatl.com
CONTRIBUTORS
From the Editor Stepping out of your element means to do something that makes you uncomfortable, or you feel you are unqualified to deal with. But you know what? Some of the best and most unexpectedly cool things happen when you are out of your comfort zone, and you discover that you are indeed qualified and capable of doing this. In this issue of Peach, we are launching our cover model search. It is not a competition, there is no prize, but there’s a fun photo shoot and potential coverworthy image in it for you. That is if you enter! To enter the search, you don’t need to be a professional model, nor have pro shots – a cute selfie could more than enough to land you a spot on the cover of Peach! So, maybe this is where you need to step out of your comfort zone and submit your photos to us – who knows, perhaps new and exciting experiences await if you are selected as one of our cover models?
Jamie Kirk Jeff Fuller Gregg Shapiro
NATIONAL AD REP Rivendell Media 908.232.202
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See how you submit your photos on pages 20-21 - and good luck! That and so much more in this issue of Peach!
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The content of Peach ATL Media is for your general information and use only. It is subject to change without notice. The opinions expressed by any writer, advertiser, or other person appearing in the Peach ATL Media are not necessarily those of this publication, its management or staff. The information and materials appearing in the magazine are not guaranteed or warranted as to accuracy, timeliness, performance, completeness, or suitability of the information and materials found or offered for a particular purpose. It shall be your responsibility to ensure that any products, services, or information available through Peach ATL Media meets your specific requirements. Peach ATL Media is not responsible for claims made by advertisers, content of information, changes, events, and schedules. The magazine contains information and material which is owned by or licensed to Peach ATL Media, including but not limited to articles, advertisements, design, layout, graphics, and logos. No part or portion of Peach ATL Media may be reproduced in any way without the prior written consent of the publisher. Unauthorized use of Peach ATL Media may give rise to claims for damages and or criminal offenses. Your use of the information or materials in Peach ATL Media is strictly at your own risk.
6 | 02.20.19
Party Like Stars The Stars Party is back in a new month, a new venue, and a slightly altered concept.
The Jerusalem House is starting their fundraising season a little earlier this year by moving their fun and fabulous Stars Party up to February. Another change is the venue, which this year will be the beautiful Summerour Studio.
Enjoy live jazz by Will Scruggs, complimentary cocktails by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and bites by No Mas Cantina, Seasons 52, Soiree Catering and Events, Taverna Pizzeria and Risotteria, Teranga Catering Without Borders, and Vino Venue.
The concept has also changed slightly to attract even more guests and to broaden the scope of the nonprofit organization. The focal point is still the massive silent auction, but this year admission is free with a suggested donation $25 – so no prepaid tickets or sponsor packages.
Go to jerusalemhouse.org/starsparty to RSVP and register for the silent auction.
With the silent auction being the main attraction and fundraiser, it has also been vastly revised with even more items and covetable luxury packages. One of them is an exclusive Hamilton NYC experience including 10th row VIP seats and a meet and greet with the cast – all available for you to win from simply bidding on your phone. Talk about a party for the stars!
The What, When, and Where What: The Stars Party & Silent Auction hosted by Jerusalem House When: Thursday, February 28, 6:30-9:30 pm Where: Summerour Studio, 409 Bishop St.
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About Jerusalem House Jerusalem House provides homeless and low-income individuals and families affected by HIV/AIDS in Greater Atlanta with a continuum of housing options, supportive services, and educational opportunities that contribute to a resident’s overall self-sufficiency.
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The Queer Sci-Fi Experience By Mikkel Hyldebrandt Although Michael G. Williams enjoys his day job in internet security, it is in writing his true passion lies. In fact, Michael is an accomplished horror and sci-fi author, and he has several titles already published. Peach spoke to the author about his new book - A Fall in Autumn – which falls into the category queer sci-fi.
Tell us a little bit about your new book A Fall in Autumn? It’s about Valerius Bakhoum, a gay detective in the far, far, far future, whose identity and career make him enjoyably disreputable in ways many of us might recognize from our own lives. A Fall in Autumn is set in a future in which almost everyone is genetically engineered, either to perform a specific task or to enjoy permanent perfection. Valerius, the main character and narrator, has the “honor” of being an “artisanal human,” meaning his parents made him the old-fashioned way. He grew up on a sort of genetic wildlife preserve, and by the time of the novel, he’s escaped that life to find himself simultaneously fetishized and reviled as he lives out in the larger world.
How does the book relate to our own experience as a gay man? I wanted to dig deep into my own experience as a gay man, both in my isolated childhood and the modern day. We’re at this very surreal cultural crossroads as queer people: so many of us grew up under an explicitly homophobic regime of evangelism and conservatism only to wind up in a future in which straights obsess over RuPaul’s Drag Race and Queer Eye. State legislatures pass hate-fueled “bathroom bills,” but a record number of queer persons were elected to office in 2018, including the first openly bisexual member of the US Senate. Writing this book was a chance to explore both sides of that exceptionally weird coin in current queer experience: we fought to survive our youth, to go somewhere else and make a life for ourselves, and we got there to find people are just dying to ask us for fashion advice. I think it’s a wonder we don’t all have collective whiplash.
How does this book fit into your authorship? My publisher calls this a “level up” novel, and I certainly felt that when writing it. I’ve mostly written horror novels up to this point, but they’ve all also had a strong element of comedy, or at least of irony. This novel certainly has its share of irony and a few chuckles along the way, like any good detective story, but it’s also deeply personal and intimately emotional. Valerius knows he probably won’t make it out of this situation in one piece, but he isn’t melancholy about that. Instead, he’s reflective, contem10 | 02.20.19
plative. He knows his situation is not a good one, but he also hasn’t given up on finding the moments of pleasure and of joy that lift him above that situation now and then. That’s not something I get to explore much as a horror writer. Science fiction invites optimism or at least the hope of something new tomorrow in a way horror often does not: horror is about surviving right now with little or no consideration for what happens if you make it through the night. And detective novels implicitly contain the possibility of closure in the resolution of a mystery. Getting to explore a character who has those in mind has been so refreshing.
You describe the book as a queer science fiction novel – tell us a little bit about that concept/genre? Science fiction gave me a unique set of tools to talk about a variety of queer experiences, some directly and some through metaphor, and I was able to weave a lot of what I experience as gay culture into Valerius’ story. In terms of literal queerness, Valerius is gay and spent his younger years turning tricks to get by. He meets his client on a cruising trail in a public park. He meets contacts and makes connections at a bar catering to adventurous sexualities. But beyond that, a lot of his place and position in society is meant to mirror what I think our places and positions in society often are as queer people: that we have to be scrappy, that we’re survivors, and that we have been closer to the edge of human experience than the vast majority of random straight people around us.
How do you see the need for queer literature and authors right now? I think we’re more needed than ever. Queer people of all stripes need to be telling our stories and imagining and sharing new ones.
Continued on pg. 12 >>>>
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They’re our best possible chance to build and strengthen and support our communities and walk together towards a better future. Speculative fiction – whether it’s horror, science fiction, fantasy, paranormal romance, urban fantasy, you name it – all give us powerful opportunities to weave our unique experiences into a larger narrative of how things could be, or how they should be: of finding hope or love or camaraderie in dark times, of surviving the night to see another daybreak, of finding the people we need when we most need them, of getting revenge on those who would hurt us. When a queer person reads a queer writer, the two of them are exchanging a handshake, a clasped shoulder, a friendly nod, across immense chasms of time and culture and experience. That is absolutely vital, especially when we’re in the low places in our lives.
How does the world of science fiction relate to the LGBTQ community? I think science fiction is so queer and I love it for that! I mean, seriously, don’t you know a queer person who is a huge Star Trek fan? You do, I do, we all do. I think that’s because science fiction beckons us to imagine something better: a world with greater equality, or a world in which the good guys jump in their spaceships and fight back when they’re being oppressed. We have plenty of reasons to wish the world were a better, fairer place, and sci-fi is such a wonderful way to imagine that. Science fiction is also one of the few ways we can reliably find fellow outsiders who might be “safe.” They’re already open to new ideas and different ways of being. If they weren’t, they wouldn’t get very far in sci fi! If you ever go to DragonCon, the Trek Track and the American Sci-Fi Classics Track are very queer, in the best possible ways. Seriously, the best gay dance club I’ve ever been to is the DragonCon Spectrum Party. Buy a day pass and go. You will find a million queer geeks who are ready to love that comic or show or movie or book you’re secretly super into, right alongside you.
What other authors are an inspiration to you? Oh, gosh, there are so many! Let’s see. In terms of authors I’ve read and loved, let’s start with Octavia Butler: an African American lesbian and probably the
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best science fiction author of the last 50 years. She was intensely creative, and her “voice” as a writer is starkly and hauntingly beautiful while being brutally realistic and practical. My queer book club read Parable of the Sower, a sci-fi novel set in a near future in which society has collapsed from economic and environmental causes but hasn’t quite figured it out yet, so people are still trying to pretend there’s a “normal” left, and I spent half the book digging my nails into the nearest cushioned surface. She wrote novels and tons of short stories. Find her and read her. And as for writers that made me want to write, I have to bow down to Anne Rice. Interview with the Vampire was exactly the queer fiction I needed as an introverted and awkward college freshman in 1992. Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series is phenomenal and inspiring and funny and fun, and I say that despite generally not being a big reader of fantasy. Bram Stoker’s Dracula has been my favorite novel of all time since reading it in 7th grade. It’s gorgeous and fun and weird and problematic, and also, it’s about proto-hippies, and a sort of Victorian-era Scooby gang and I love it for that. And anyone who loves imaginative science fiction should read Jack McDevitt’s Polaris.
Are you working on anything new right now – and when can we expect it? Later this year Falstaff Books will be releasing Through the Doors of Oblivion, the first in my new novella series set in San Francisco and featuring genderqueer witches, time travel, the very real historical figure of Emperor Norton, and demons obsessed with real estate scams. They’ll also be publishing Nobody Gets Out Alive, the fifth and final novel in The Withrow Chronicles, which is my series about a gay bear vampire lord who lives in suburbia and is only saving the world because he’d like to get back to watching TV. I’m also working on four more books set in Autumn, and I have a couple of other books I’d like to pitch and see if I get any bites. My dance card is delightfully full.
When and available?
how
will
your
book
be
It’s out now, both in paper and ebook form. You can buy it on Amazon, and if your local bookstore has Ingram as a distributor, you can order it from that store!
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Bob Mould Wants to Sunshine Rock Your World By Gregg Shapiro
For fans of gay indie rock legend Bob Mould, whose solo albums have borne titles such as Black Sheets of Rain and Beauty & Ruin, the name of his latest, Sunshine Rock (Merge), might come as something of a surprise. But it’s a completely fitting moniker, especially since the sun rises in the names of four of the record’s songs. Sonically, the album is also more radiant, a deliberate shift on the part of the man also known for his previous bands Hüsker Dü and Sugar. But fear not, there is still plenty of loud, crackling guitar on Sunshine Rock. Mould was kind enough to take a few minutes out of this busy schedule to answer a few questions before the release of the album.
The sun plays a starring role on your new album Sunshine Rock, appearing in the title track, “Sunny Love Song”, “Camp Sunshine” and “Western Sunset”. Please say something about becoming a sun worshipper on this album. [Laughs] I think that after a couple of albums in a row that were informed by a lot of darker, heavier incidents, it was a conscious effort to write to the brightness, to write to the light in whatever form it takes. The sun is the easy one because it keeps everything going forward for all of us.
The songs “Lost Faith” and “The Final Years” have what I would describe as a dance energy, despite the seriousness of the lyrics. What was the thinking behind that? Oddly enough, those were two of the final songs written for the album. They were both written in Berlin in February and March. That would be the global outlook on those, specifically. With “Lost Faith”, that was where the tempo landed.
Continued on pg. 16 >>>> Photo: Alicia J. Rose
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The same with “The Final Years”. Maybe those would lend themselves to the dance-floor because they have a little more room to breathe and tell the story. It’s interesting that you paired them up because they were born right next to each other in the same place.
Speaking of Berlin, you are dividing your time between there and San Francisco. Did you speak German before you moved to Berlin, if not, how is your German now? [Laughs] ich spreche eine bissen Deutsch. It’s very poor actually [laughs]. My German is not good at all. I can read a little bit and I can understand a little bit. I can speak a tiny bit, enough to get by. Fortunately for me, so many people in Berlin speak English. It’s not really a problem. The frustrating part for me, and I’ve got to work on this, when I try to speak German, after a couple of sentences I get waved off (and they say), “No, let’s just speak English”. I’m like, “Oh! I’ll never get to practice! You’re going to make me go to immersion, aren’t you? [laughs].”
Alison Chesley, who can be heard playing cello “Western Sunset”, previously appeared on The Last Dog and Pony Show. She was in the bands Jason & Alison and Verbow with your longtime band member Jason Narducy, and you produced Verbow’s debut album and toured with them. How did this musical reunion on “Western Sunset” come about? A few weeks before me and Jason and Jon (Wurster) were going to start working on the record in Oakland, I woke up one morning and said, “This record needs strings. I need more melodies on this record [laughs].” I had a lot of place-holder melodies in my demos. I typically use cellos or Hammond organs for those kinds of things. I started building the melodies out to see what would happen. After days of sitting with those songs and adding a lot more parts to them, I had all these big string arrangements. I contacted Alison and sent her my very simple scores and she, being more of a master of sheet music than I, was able to get everything in shape. We had another arranger take a look at everything and we got all of the scores super shiny and clean. The Prague TV Orchestra folks spent a day recording all of the strings alongside the basic tracks that we sent them. That’s where Alison came in. I had her come out to San Francisco at the end of the project to add some extra melodies to “Western Sunset”. She was a real key player in getting the string arrangements up to speed for the orchestra. Not only playing, but really helping with shining up all that stuff.
Sunshine Rock contains a cover of Shocking Blue’s “Send Me A Postcard”. After all these years, why did you choose to include a cover tune and why that song in particular? When the three of us (Bob, Jason and Jon) got together in Oakland for the week of basic tracks, we ended up finishing two days early. We knew that the second of those two days was going to involve a film documentary and photos and all of that. The first of the two free days, we were like, “What are we going to do?” We started looking through some covers of songs that we thought would be cool. That was one of the songs that showed up and we took a stab at it. We learned it in 10 minutes and recorded it pretty much right then. That was the first song 16 | 02.20.19
that I sang any vocals on for the record. That’s the first take, first vocal for the record. It was really funny. I said, “Somebody get the words off the internet!” My favorite part of it, and it’s really key to the whole album, is that they handed me these words and I’m singing. You can hear the warm-up that I’m doing at the beginning to try to get my voice open. About half a second before the first verse starts, I hear the vocal line in my head and I’m like, “I can’t fucking sing this!” It’s not in my range. Three hundred milliseconds before the vocal starts, I have to conjure up an new vocal line on the spot and that’s what that is [laughs].
I’m glad you mentioned Jason and Jon. You have a long history of being one third of a trio – beginning with Husker Du, continuing with Sugar and with your current band line-up featuring Jason and Jon on your solo albums from Silver Age through Sunshine Rock. Can you please say something about that? I’m aware of it but I guess I never tried to ascribe a meaning to it. That’s where I started in music, with a three-piece. I’ve always enjoyed the simplicity of it. Particularly in the live setting. When you only have one guitar, one bass and one drummer, as an audience member, you can clearly see what everyone is bringing to it. You can see the interaction. There’s just that little space in the middle of the stage where nothing physically exists, but sonically and emotionally, everything goes to that spot. That’s where so much stuff happens. Nobody’s there, but we are putting to that place and putting to the crowd. I think it’s a specific form of rock and popular music that not many people are doing anymore. It appeals to me because you get to see how people interact. For people who like that kind of music, this is what we do. If you like that, this is your kind of record, especially your kind of show.
Sunshine Rock is your fourth album on Merge Records. Do you feel like you’ve found a home with the label? It’s been really fun. We’ve had a lot of mutual success off of this. Merge’s initial interest was the reissues of the Sugar albums. When I let them know I was working on a current record, the one that became Silver Age, they were interested when I played them something from it. They were serving nostalgia, but they accidentally walked into the future. It’s funny how that happens [laughs].
What can folks expect from your upcoming tour? Probably loud. Probably sweaty. Probably a lot of yelling and banging on instruments. It’ll go by in a blur. It could feel like three hours of sheer noise. It could seem like two hours of incredible joy. Maybe you have to cut out before the show’s over because the babysitter has to leave early [laughs]. It could be so many things. Because the three of us rarely get together – we live in different cities. To make records and make music is really special for us. I hope that that conveys to the audience. It means a lot to us and we try to enjoy the times that we have doing this.
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Get Camera-Ready With No-Makeup Makeup By Mikkel Hyldebrandt Even though we snap selfies constantly, and photo ops pop up at every social gathering, there’s no need to be “camera-ready” at all times. But if you know the cameras will be flashing, and you will pop up in your own and other’s social media feed, there’s good reason to do little enhancements that will make you look nearly flawless. Here’s how.
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A concealer is concentrated pigment for those places on your face where color differences and shadows appear stronger. Use it lightly under eyes, in the fold between cheek and lips and in the creases of your nose. Also dab it (lightly!) where you may need a little coverage. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, $30
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This completely invisible powder will melt into your skin, and the tiny light pigments will make your skin appear refined and luminous – especially on photos! Youngblood Hi-Definition Hydrating Mineral Perfecting Powder, $40
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A Little Spritz
A little mist from this product refreshes and mattifies the skin – it can be used with your moisturizer or throughout the day for a reinvigorating spritz. Volition Oil-Control Mattifying Mist, $29
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Will You Be PEACH’S NEXT COVER MODEL? We want you to be on our cover! Peach is looking for local guys to grace the front page of Atlanta’s premier gay guide. Peach wants to recognize the fact that Atlanta is filled with attractive guys by putting them on the cover! If you or someone you know could be a model in Peach, please consider submitting a few photos to us along with your name, age, height, and general contact info (phone and email address) to model@peachatl.com.
A Few Photo Guidelines Please do not spend any money on professional pictures if you don’t already have them. •
All photos should be natural and friendly, clear and in focus.
•
All photos should be of you alone.
•
No hats or sunglasses.
•
If you feel comfortable, feel free to send a shirtless photo too.
•
Clean phone or digital camera shots are great too.
This is not a competition, but simply a non-competitive selection of potential models, and there is no set time frame as to when we will conduct the photo shoot. We will evaluate your submission based on our editorial discretion and will reach out to you if you are a valid candidate.
•
If you do have professional photos, you can submit those, but be sure that they are simple, natural, and current.
•
No lewd or indecent photos.
What’s in it for you
•
We will reach out to you at our discretion.
•
We may ask you to come by the office for a casting session. We will make sure to communicate when the cover photo shoot is, so you can make arrangements to participate.
You don’t have to be a professional model or even have a professional photo – a couple of cute selfies could be more than enough for us to select you to be on a cover of Peach.
If you are selected to be a cover model, you get to experience the following:
If You Are Selected
•
You participate – along with all the other chosen models – in a high-end cover photo shoot facilitated and in collaboration with Allure Models App (date to be decided).
•
•
You will get your own cover of an issue of Peach (time and date to be decided according to editorial calendar).
• You get the chance to sign up on Allure Models’ app for potential future model bookings.
•
You will be featured as Peach of the Week in the issue that has your cover photo.
• You will receive a few extra shots (unpublished) for you to use to build your portfolio, profiles, et cetera. •
You may be selected to participate in paid photo shoots for Peach or one of Peach Media’s publications (Fenuxe Magazine, Goliath Magazine).
Please, submit your photos to
model@peachatl.com PEACH’s model search is brought to you in collaboration with the Allure Models app.
* Please note: there is no cash or physical prize – this is not a competition, but simply a selection process and the chance for you to get exposure and experience a fun photo shoot.
peachATL.com | 21
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Matthew moved to Atlanta three years ago from Albany, GA, where he graduated from Paul Mitchell and now works as a freelance hair stylist and makeup artist. He also works at Woofs on Piedmont Road, so he definitely keeps busy! Matthew describes himself as a collector of tattoos and piercings and a lover of kink and kinky people. He also loves EDM music, preferably house, and he likes to attend EDM shows and festivals both here in Atlanta and all over the world. Oh, and he is currently also teaching himself to DJ.
Matthew Beal @mattyb_atl
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peachATL.com | 31
It’s Time to End the Work-Life Balance Myth By Jamie Kirk That’s not what anyone really wants, that’s a compromise on both ends. Many peoples’ concept of what a perfectly balanced professional and personal life looks like often leads to sub-par outcomes, disappointment, and frustrations because it’s based on time allocation and juggling too many things at one time. In trying too hard to “balance” our schedules, we are simply checking off boxes, but not getting the outcomes we ideally desire due to an approach that is quantitative versus qualitative. We need to shift our focus from what we are doing to how we are doing it. Are we giving it our undivided attention? Are we rushing? Are we taking for granted the time and attention people need? Rather than balance, what I believe we really are trying to accomplish is the ability to be truly focused and present in our work and our lives outside of work. We are kinda looking for meaningful, uninterrupted, “all-in” experiences at each end of the work/life spectrum, which will naturally ebb and flow at different times. There often won’t be balance within a week or a day and hours aren’t the determinate of quality. When we are most happy, we feel in control. When we are in control, it allows us to better plan events, and be more proactive to life, than reactive to things going on around us. In the end, the goal is not “balance” in the traditional sense; it’s a life that lets us integrate those pieces. Work-life integration is more akin to a puzzle where all the different pieces fit naturally together in aggregate. We have to be okay with realizing that each day or week might very well bring different combinations of things to handle, but still, represent a total account of quality experiences. We have to be open and flexible. And during these times of uncertainty of what the day could bring, is that we remain fully present and engaged in each of the pieces. It’s in the shifting of our focus when necessary that will result in better harmony of life. If working out in the middle of the day is satisfying, then do it. If taking the dog to the park in between classes is refreshing, then 32 | 02.20.19
People all too often talk about the need and desire for work-life balance, but I don’t believe it is what they are really looking for; the concept itself is fundamentally impossible. The notion of work-life balance implies that we have this perfect scale always in sync and rhythm between our personal and professional responsibilities at any given time.Balance might conjure up the image of someone working from home on their laptop with a child on their lap. Or perhaps someone that is at the car dealership trying to purchase a car but taking a conference call while the salesperson is delivering the vehicle.
do it. If preparing a nice healthy smoothie as a snack gives us a bit of energy, then do it. It’s all about doing what makes us happy when it makes us happy. Not being confined or restricted to a time clock or when we “think” we should be focused on something else. Visiting Instagram mid-morning will not cause the sky to crumble. We have to be intentional and focused, when necessary; but when we can be fluid and a bit loose, we should be. A really good exercise to try and measure our productivity and success at home, work, or school, is by the amount of quality, uninterrupted experiences we are able to have rather than trying to find an unachievable balance. When we do this, I think we can be more satisfied, more accomplished and happier with the end state. Being able to give our undivided attention to the appropriate avenue, makes everyone happy because ultimately, they will understand our focus was only on them. We do not need to participate in events, agree to dinners, or host gatherings when our minds are wondering about a big presentation or a paper due at school. Being present is awesome. You will notice that when you step back and become intentionally present, our speech, our facial expressions, our posture and even how we move our hands align. They get in sync and focus on the person or task at hand. This harmonious and deliberate position is powerful and resonant with others because it is truly authentic and unmistakably real.
Jamie Kirk works for a software company and is a certified spinning instructor. He also enjoys yoga, swimming, bicycling and running. He aspires to start a blog about what we put in our bodies not only fuels our body but our mind and spirit as well. Follow Jamie on IG @tysonsdad
You deserve Personalized Care & Individual Attention – that’s what we deliver at Family Health Care of Atlanta • Participating in many clinical trials • Certiied HIV Specialist, American Academy of HIV Medicine • 20+ years experience in Family & HIV Care SPECIALIZING IN DERMATOLOGY, STD’S, ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, UROLOGY, PSYCHIATRIC DISORDERS
peachATL.com | 33
The Beta Testing Phase By Jeff Fuller
Generation X will be the last generation with any living memory of the analog world, a world in which we communicated through handwritten letters, long distance calls on a rotary phone, or undistracted conversations in person. Life generally unfolded in real time. Entertainment mainly consisted of books, television, movies, sporting events, festivals and concerts. We had to write down directions or use maps to locate places. Without Google or Wikipedia, we thumbed through books or browsed libraries to find answers to our questions. Those times were slower, more thoughtful, and more sheltered than the current times. People could spend the free spaces in their day imagining or dreaming, rather than gazing into their screens to check their newsfeeds, email, social media posts, notifications or the number of likes that gym selfie received. For me, not only did the advances in technology during the 1990s and early 2000s change the world as I knew it, they were also instrumental in my coming out process. Before the internet, what I knew about being gay was only through what I heard on television, what my parents, teachers and friends told me, and maybe what I could access about the subject through secret peeks in books or magazines. My college gave each student an email account, just a few years before most Americans would have had one at home and at work. Email provided me with a way to correspond with friends from my hometown or friends that I met over the summer as a camp counselor. It was much faster and cheaper than writing letters or making long-distance phone calls. From my dorm room, I browsed the World Wide Web using Gopher, Lynx, and Mosaic. Within a few years, Netscape became available and offered the ability to see images on the internet. After graduating from college, I had an America OnLine account and a Yahoo account. Through these, I discovered the world of chat rooms, which opened up a whole new realm of possibilities for me.
34 | 02.20.19
In some of the chat rooms, I could explore my sexuality anonymously, often in the guise of a completely different persona. I described myself an idealized version of the person I really wanted to be. My screenname was “kudzucowboy.” Kudzu because I was living in the South and cowboy because I thought it connoted rugged manliness. I am ashamed to admit that when photos became available for my profile, I passed off some pictures of a South African rugby player who I thought was hot as my own. Part of this was to give myself the ability to chat openly about being gay while at the same time concealing my identity. I think I enjoyed the attention as well. While I was in graduate school, I began chatting with a few other gay people on campus. They really wanted to meet me (I mean what gay man wouldn’t want to meet that hot rugby player?!). But having misrepresented myself, I just couldn’t do it. I was still too terrified to do something like that. As long as it was only in my head, it was just a game, just an idea. But eventually, I decided that I didn’t want to hide behind a false identity anymore. Today, learning about sexuality or finding someone to connect with is only a few keystrokes away. There are fewer social consequences for stepping out of the closet, less of a need to hide behind the handsome pictures of someone who lives 8,000 miles away. Some people lament the triumph of the digital world, the loss of privacy, and the multitude of notifications and distractions that come with a culture of information gratification. I am glad to have experienced both worlds, but I feel fortunate to have had the ability to beta test my identity in the virtual world before doing so in the real world.
Apart from being a Gay Generation-Xer, Jeff Fuller is an attorney, writer, travel blogger, historian, and military spouse. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Jeff went to college, graduate school and law school in the Southeast. He has called Atlanta home for the last decade, interrupted by a few periods of extended travel abroad to places like Brazil and Berlin. He occasionally blogs at journeyingjeff.com.
OCTOBER 11-13,2019 atlantapride.org
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Thank You, Atlanta! Over
3,000 Toys
donated from this year’s event! We want…
...to hear your feedback! ...you to apply to our all-volunteer board! ...you to volunteer at our next event!
Email us at Support@forthekid.org or find us online: forthekidatl
Feb 20 – Feb 27
La Choloteca and Guests
Le Youth
The Latinx party is back, and they’re ready to make you move while celebrating diverse culture with unbeatable dance moves. This evening’s lineup will feature the resident DJs, including Esme and Brian Rojas, and guest DJs Prince of Queens (Combo Chimbita-NYC) and Las Chingonas.
World-renowned artist, DJ, producer, and remixer, LE YOUTH, visits Atlanta’s Music Room.Get ready for some serious moves on the dancefloor with a sound that has European flair and an air of mystery. Tickets via tixr.com.
Thursday, February 21, 10 pm – 3 am MJQ Concourse STAFF PICK!
Friday, February 22, 10 pm – 3 am The Music Room
HVA Spring Beer Bust A great afternoon of day-drinking and socializing with the boys of the Hotlanta Volleyball Association. Raise your $10 bottomless beer to toast your friends and chase it with that delicious $1 Jell-O Shot – it’s all to support our hot volleyball boys!
Saturday, February 23, 4-7 pm Woofs
Heart of the South Leather Weekend
Hops in the Hangar 2019
Join H.O.T.S. for an entire weekend of events mainly centered around the Eagle Atlanta. With cocktail mixers, a bound puppy event, and the main contests, Mr. Heart of the South and Heart of the South Leather Puppy, there is plenty of hot fun this weekend. Go to hotsleather.com for more info.
The celebration of the best craft brews from Georgia and across the country supports the Delta Flight Museum. More than 40 local breweries will participate in this year’s event!
February 22-24
Delta Flight Museum
Atlanta Eagle and other venues TBA 38 | 02.20.19
Saturday, February 23, 7-10 pm
FRIENDS NEW FACES PHOTOS: Keith Bailey
40 | 02.20.19
MIDTOWN 1
Monroe Dr. NE
14
Amsterdam Ave.
NE ve . tA
Piedmont Park
on
11
dm
6 12th St. NE
18
Pi e
Juniper St. NE
14th St. NE
7
9
2
10th St. NE
10
. NE
19
oe Dr
e. NE Piedmont Av
Juniper St . NE
Peachtree St. NE
3
Monr
Charles Allen Dr. NE
12 W. Peachtree St. NW
15
16
4th St. NE
8
13
BARS Amsterdam Blake's Bulldogs Friends The Model T My Sister’s Room Ten Atlanta
5
Dining 502 Amsterdam Ave NE 227 10th St NE 893 Peachtree St NE 736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE 699 Ponce De Leon Ave NE 66 12th St NE 990 Piedmont Ave NE
9 10 11 12
10 th & Piedmont Campagnolo Einstein's F.R.O.G.S
clubs 13 Atlanta Eagle
306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
14 Urban Body Fitness 500 Amsterdam Ave NE
spa/bath 15 Flex Spa
42 | 02.20.19
991 Piedmont Ave NE 980 Piedmont Ave NE 1077 Juniper St NE 931 Monroe Cir NE
fitness
retail 8 Barking Leather
4
Ponce De Leon Ave. NE
Ponce De Leon Ave. NE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Ponce De Leon Pl. NE
Spring St. NW
17
76 4th St. NW
16 17 18 19
G’s Midtown Henry’s Joe's on Juniper La Hacienda
219 10th St NE 132 10th St NE 1049 Juniper St NE 900 Monroe Dr NE
billards/Darts drag dancers leather non-smoking area Patio
When the world throws you Let be your savedandgay.com
Cheshire 23
ansley 21
37
e
ge
Rd
on tC ir .
Piedmont Park BARS 2043 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1086 Alco St NE 1931 Piedmont Cir NE 2425 Piedmont Rd NE 1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd
32 33 34 35 36
Midtown Moon Felix's The Hideaway Mixx Oscar's
805 Lambert Dr. NE, Suite A 2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd 2069 Cheshire Bridge Rd 1739 Cheshire Bridge Rd 2201 Faulkner Rd NE
Spa / bath 2103 Faulkner Rd NE 2135 Liddell Drive NE
1492 Piedmont Ave NE 1510 Piedmont Ave NE 1544 Piedmont Ave NE 1492 Piedmont Ave NE 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
Dining 37 Cowtippers 38 Eclectic Bistro
Fitness 30 Gravitee Fitness
NE
.
clubs 28 Heretic 29 Tokyo Valentino
e. nt mo ed
39 38
Retail 26 Barking Leather 27 Southern Nights
41
Pi
28 20
Dining 24 Las Margaritas 25 Roxx
Av
ge Rd Brid hire
r.
E
Ches
.N
.
25
BJ Roosters Opus 1 Tripps Woof's
31 Manifest 4 U 42 The Den
35
24
id Br
Dr
Rd
BARS 20 21 22 23
40
32
oe
hir
36
nr
dm
es
ll D
31 er
Mo
Pi e
29
Ch
idde
kn
27
33
. NE
Manchester St. NE
Piedmont Rd. NE
22
42 L
ul
IX
34
x Rd
Fa
26
BL
Le no
30
Lambert Dr.
PU
St.
.
A l co
1600 Piedmont Ave NE 1425 Piedmont Ave NE
Retail 39 Boy Next Door 1447 Piedmont Ave NE 40 Brushstrokes/Pleasures 1510 Piedmont Ave NE
Fitness 41 Equilibrium Fitness
1529 Piedmont Ave, Suite L
NOT SHOWN
Mary's Sister Louisa’s Church Swinging Richards Lips Atlanta
1287 Glenwood Ave SE 466 Edgewood Ave SE 1400 Northside Dr NW 3011 Buford Hwy NE
peachATL.com | 43
A snapshot of Gay Atlanta’s favorite destinations. View their ads in Peach ATL & visit their websites for weekly event listings.
Bars & Clubs
EAST ATLANTA, GRANT PARK & EDGEWOOD
Retail
MIDTOWN
MARY’S
MIDTOWN
amsterdamatlanta.com
1287 Glenwood Ave SE
AMSTERDAM
502 Amsterdam Ave. NE
ATLANTA EAGLE
marysatlanta.com
SISTER LOUISA’S CHURCH
BARKING LEATHER AFTER DARK barkingleather.com
306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
sisterlouisaschurch.com
CHESHIRE
SWINGING RICHARDS
BARKING LEATHER
1400 Northside Dr NW
805 Lambert Dr NE
BULLDOGS
Dining
2205 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
FRIENDS NEIGHBORHOOD BAR
MIDTOWN
736 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
10thandpiedmont.com
atlantaeagle.com
306 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
BLAKE’S ON THE PARK
blakesontheparkatlanta.com 227 10th St NE
893 Peachtree St NE
friendsonponce-atl.com
466 Edgewood Ave SE
swingingrichards.com
10TH & PIEDMONT
MODEL T
991 Piedmont Ave NE
699 Ponce De Leon Ave NE
einsteinsatlanta.com
modeltatlanta.com
EINSTEIN’S
MY SISTER’S ROOM
1077 Juniper St NE
66 12th St NE
frogsmidtown.com
mysistersroom.com
TEN ATLANTA
tenatlanta.com
990 Piedmont Ave NE
CHESHIRE
SOUTHERN NIGHTS VIDEO
ANSLEY BOY NEXT DOOR MENSWEAR boynextdoormenswear.com 1447 Piedmont Ave NE
GCB & PLEASURES
brushstrokesatlanta.com 1510 Piedmont Ave. NE
FROGS CANTINA
Fitness
931 Monroe Dr
MIDTOWN
G’S
gsmidtown.com 219 10th St NE
HERETIC
HENRY’S
2069 Cheshire Bridge Road
132 10th St NE
BJ ROOSTERS
JOE’S ON JUNIPER
hereticatlanta.com
barkingleather.com
henrysatl.com
URBAN BODY FITNESS urbanbodyfitness.com
500 Amsterdam Ave NE
CHESHIRE GRAVITEE FITNESS graviteeatl.com
bjroosters.com
joesonjuniper.com
2043 Cheshire Bridge Road NE
1049 Juniper St NE
OPUS 1
LA HACIENDA
Spas/Baths/Adult
900 Monroe Dr NE
MIDTOWN
1931 Piedmont Circle N
CHESHIRE
FLEX SPA
WOOFS
LAS MARGARITAS
76 4th St NW
2425 Piedmont Road NE
1842 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
CHESHIRE
ANSLEY
ROXX
MANIFEST 4U
MIDTOWN MOON
1824 Cheshire Bridge Rd NE
1492 Piedmont Ave NE
ANSLEY
FELIX’S
COWTIPPERS
1086 Alco St NE
TRIPPS
woofsatlanta.com
1510 Piedmont Ave NE
lahaciendamidtown.com
lasmargaritasmidtown.com
cowtippersatlanta.com
THE HIDEAWAY
1600 Piedmont Ave NE
1544 Piedmont Ave NE
DEKALB
MIXX
LIPS ATLANTA
1492 Piedmont Ave NE
3011 Buford Hwy NE
mixxatlanta.com
OSCAR’S
oscarsatlanta.com
1510 Piedmont Ave NE
44 | 02.20.19
atldragshow.com
2201 Faulkner Rd NE
flexspas.com
manifest4u.org
2103 Faulkner Rd NE
THE DEN
thedenatlanta.com
2135 Liddell Drive NE
Georgia Body Works.com Mobile Fitness and Massage “I come to you, so let’s get started!”
678-557-1780
Personal Training • Massage • Entertainment georgiabodyworks.com
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peachATL.com | 45
10 TIPS FOR THAT PERFECT SELFIE BECAUSE SELFIES ARE NECESSARY!
Lighting is everything – mornings and late afternoons are ideal
Get out of the shade! A huge shadow on your face doesn’t work
Filter away – pick one good one, not layers and layers
Don’t do a Kardashian – pouty lips and absent gaze is no longer cute
Get the right angle – about 45 degrees above your head
Take plenty! Or use your phone’s burst mode for the perfect capture
Learn your angles – do you have a good side?
Download an app to alter the image – but don’t overdo it
Know when to use the flash – natural lighting is best
46 | 02.20.19
Have fun – don’t take yourself so seriously; it’s just a selfie
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WE ARE SEEKING Motivated, Hard-Working, Innovative People to be Our Next Superstar Ad Sales Representatives.
Jumpstart Your Career by Joining Atlanta's Newest Gay Media Company! One Year Sales Experience Required EMAIL YOUR RESUME TO
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Atlanta:
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peachATL.com | 47
Text your Peach Pits to 540-30-PEACH, or e-mail mikkel@PeachATL.com
Him: Babe, I could really use a hug Me: A hug?
If I don’t get my shit together now, there’s no telling what kind of body I’ll be serving this summer
Him: Yeah, a really big, long hug!
Me: ok Him: A hug will make me feel better and relieve my stress
If you post any more humble-bragging photos of your privileged, spoiled life, I will block you
Me: You are really talking about a BJ, right?
Him: Yes …
How can you call food recipes ‘better than sex?’ I tried your risotto, girl, and frankly, I’m doubting your needs are being met
Don’t make me use my power bottom voice!
Asking for a friend: A sleepover can be like in high school with scary movies and stories, right?
48 | 02.20.19
Dad joke alert What does an annoying pepper do? It gets jalapeño face
So now that you are wearing a red MAGA hat, you are against getting profiled?
LEO (JUL. 23 - AUG. 22) There may be people who covet the things you have. And they will stop at nothing to get them. So keep your valuables close today and your boyfriend even closer.
VIRGO (AUG. 23 - SEP. 22) You may find yourself at odds with differing viewpoints today. While everyone is entitled to their opinions, it’ll behoove you to stand your ground. Heaven help the fool who dares compare Miley Cyrus to Madonna and you’ll nip that misguided crap right in the bud.
PISCES (FEB. 19 - MAR. 20)
LIBRA (SEP. 23 - OCT. 22)
Don’t get involved with stuff you’re unsure of today. It may be better left for when your mind is fresh. For tonight, tonight, focus on the things you know oh-so-well, like guys, great friends and good times.
Generosity won’t be one of your strong points today. So you’ll grasp and grab anything you like without any intention of sharing. This may ruffle the feathers of your friends, but you won’t care. One thing you’ll let people keep for themselves today will be their opinions.
ARIES (MAR. 21 - APR. 19)
SCORPIO (OCT. 23 - NOV. 21)
You’ll feel a renewal of spirit today. The ennui and stress of the week will be replaced by a vim and vigor that will be ignitable. So make plans to get out and set the town on fire tonight, hottie.
Men will initially be drawn to you today. But then they’ll suddenly be repulsed by you. You’ll be puzzled by this odd turn of events, but one whiff of your god-awful cologne may give you the reason why.
TAURUS (APR. 20 - MAY 20)
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22 - DEC. 21)
Of all the human emotions, jealousy is probably the most useless. So keep that little green monster locked away in the vault today. That may be tough, especially if you see ex-boyfriends out with their new beaus. Keep to the high road: You’re a better man than that.
You’ll dream of an evening that’s action packed, one where men throw themselves at you like a demigod. But in reality doing laundry is as exciting as things will get tonight, and even your cat will pay you scant attention.
GEMINI (MAY 21 - JUN. 20) You may experience an inability to express deep emotions today. Your scattered thoughts will make communicating with people difficult. It’ll be better to keep your mouth shut today rather than have your true meaning misinterpreted or misunderstood.
CANCER (JUN. 21 - JUL. 22) A recent intimate encounter may have left you shaken and stirred. But don’t go losing your heart to someone you hardly know. There’s a difference between lust and love, and the latter may not even figure into the equation.
50 | 02.20.19
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22 - JAN. 19) You may feel crestfallen today, like your world is about to collapse. So turn to your friends for help. They’ll help you see things clearer. In the long run it’ll be nice to know that while boyfriends come and go, you’ll always have good friends.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20 - FEB. 18) You may find yourself lacking in ambition and drive today. That’s not unusual, but things should turn around later in the day. Even if they don’t there won’t be anything wrong with crashing at home tonight. Sometimes it’s best to leave the car in the garage.
By Mikkel Hyldebrandt Trouble in the love department? With sex? Or just people in general? Send us your queries, questions, and problems, and you’ll get answers served straight up and with a little ice.
I
am in this beautiful relationship with a really great guy, and since the beginning, I felt like we really found each other, you know? There is one thing, though, that is starting to get to me, and that is his past. It seems that no matter what, he has already done it with past boyfriends or sex partners. I can’t help but think that I just don’t measure up to the apparently wild and crazy life he had before me. Don’t get me wrong, we have great sex, and our connection is real, but this is nagging at me. I haven’t told him about my feelings yet, and I want to try to move past this without ever letting him now that I am a little selfconscious. But how?!
Sincerely Mr Demeaning Here Dear Mr Demeaning Here When you fall in love, one of the ‘perks’ and part of the appeal is that you kind of start afresh with a new person. It’s a wonderful and passionate part of the relationship where you feel like you’re alone in the world – but then the rest of the world and reality sets in. It seems like you are pretty open with each other, which has led to him (and you?) disclosing details of past relationships. As long as it is not used as a weapon, this can be a really great thing, and even deepen the connection between two people, or be the catalyst for even greater shared moments - except when that makes someone feel inadequate like you are feeling now. You can almost feel like you are left out of your own relationship because the person you love was (also) happy with someone before you. The thing is, there is no allocation of happy, so even though your boyfriend was happy before you, that doesn’t impede on your present happiness. In fact, past experiences are probably the reason why he is with you now. So, take a second to wrap your head around that. He chose you. Keep the honesty and openness in your relationship and share with him how you feel about this.He loves you, and he will understand
why this is bothering you, and if he’s a superstar, he will even give you the reassurance that you are subconsciously looking for.
I
was dating this guy until we had the infamous DTR (Define The Relationship) conversation, and now we’re just friends – which is fine, but when I asked him if I was just a hook-up, he got really offended and went on and on about our friendship. Turns out that my group of friends actually sleep with each other quite a bit, but it’s not hooking up or even friends with benefits. It’s friends first, and then some sex. Maybe. I’m confused. Help me.
Sincerely Friendly Sex Dear Friendly Sex In this day and age, sexuality is becoming more fluid, and the act of having sex doesn’t hold nearly as many taboos and inhibitions as with previous generations. Great, if you want to be sexually open and free, but challenging if you also want to build a closer connection to someone. My suggestion is that you do a bit of a division of what friends would actually be there to support you if you needed it emotionally, and what friends who wouldn’t. Having a circle of friends that you hit up to go out with or you see at the same birthdays, and occasions is not the same as having actual friends that will be there for you no matter what. Hopefully, by making this simple distinction, you will be able to hash out the ones that are true friends – and which ones you can hit up for a little sexy time!
NEED ANSWERS? REACH OUT TO US, AND YOU WILL GET THEM! SEND YOUR BURNING QUESTIONS TO OUR EDITOR AT MIKKEL@PEACHATL.COM.
52 | 02.20.19