INtown goes online only for May issue

This May issue of Atlanta INtown is a digital-only edition. We made the decision not to produce the printed publication with the health and safety of our staff and suppliers foremost in mind. INtown will return to print in June, so look for your copy as usual next month. In the meantime, this issue is available to read on your phone, tablet, or computer.

EDITOR’S LETTER

Collin Kelley collin@atlantaintownpaper.com

As you digitally flip through this online issue, you’ll find all new reporting, features, and columns from our staff and contributors. I must extend my thanks to Clare Richie, Sally Bethea, Tim Sullivan, Matthew Terrell, and John Ruch for their assistance in getting May to your screens.

Clare Richie and I collaborated on two of our main features, including talking to parents about the “new normal” of homeschooling their kids. There were some refreshingly candid comments about the challenges, so be sure to read that story on page 6. Hats off to Clare again for her feature on how Emory University is feeding frontline healthcare workers around the city.

Our columnist Sally Bethea offered up a meditation (and a poem from Mary Oliver) on how getting back to nature has provided solace during the pandemic, while Tim “TimmyDaddy” Sullivan provides a humorous glimpse of life with his family during lockdown.

As for me, this has been a dizzying, hectic time to be a journalist. I’ve spent 30-plus years as a journalist and I have never covered anything quite like the COVID-19 outbreak. Since I’m working from home, it’s been nearly impossible to disconnect from the news and I’ve often found myself still working at 11 p.m. or midnight. I have managed to catch up on “Westworld,” “Ozark,” and “Tiger King” (Carole Baskin killed her husband, right?), so I’m definitely getting my money’s worth from the streaming platforms. I’m also re-reading Virginia Woolf’s “To the Lighthouse,” which seems appropriate with its themes of loss, subjectivity, and art. And it’s set in the UK, where I was supposed to be in May. Sigh.

Speaking of entertainment, I have been constantly inspired by the arts community and its resilience during the pandemic. Plaza Theatre, Dad’s Garage, Alliance Theatre, Horizon Theatre and the Atlanta Ballet are just some of the arts groups who have provided streaming entertainment. Bookstores like A Cappella, Charis, Bookish, Tall Tales, Little Shop of Stories, and Eagle Eye have been delivering books to customer’s front doors. And noted artist R. Land has turned his iconic “Pray for ATL” artwork into the social media sensation “Wash for ATL” as a fundraiser for the Greater Atlanta COVID-19 Response & Recovery Fund.

Let me close by thanking all of the folks who have worked tirelessly and risked their own health to help others. Not just the amazing healthcare workers, but police and fire personnel, supermarket staffs, sanitation workers, restaurant employees, and the countless others who have “essential” jobs that have taken them out of their homes every day. You have my respect and gratitude.

Keep well.

A Note from Jim

On April 23rd, The Piedmont Park Conservancy hosted a virtual program of 2020’s Landmark’s Luncheon. As co-chair of this year’s Landmark Luncheon, it led me to think about Piedmont Park’s importance in Atlanta and the community now more than ever. We’re honored to be a part of the beautification and programming of this historic Atlanta landmark. We’re all in this together, be safe and well.