Matt
Burkhalter and Jordan McAuley met in the sixth grade while attending a
conservative Christian prep school in Atlanta.
After writing the first book on gay Atlanta, ATLANTAboy: An Insider's Guide to Gay Atlanta in 2005, both thought they knew a lot about their hometown’s gay history. But now they've delved even deeper, writing about gay Atlanta from the late 1800s to the present day in their new book, The Out Traveler: Atlanta (Alyson Books; February 1, 2009; Softcover: $15.95; ISBN 1593501021).
“When we were asked to write The Out Traveler: Atlanta, we thought we knew a lot about Atlanta's gay history from our first book,” says McAuley. “But we were so wrong!”
Along with a detailed history, there are also listings for bars, dance clubs, lounges, restaurants, boutiques, tours, attractions, museums, theatres, sports teams, and even places of worship.
“We thought it was important to include churches and synagogues that welcome gays and lesbians in Atlanta,” says Burkhalter, who sings in the Atlanta Gay Men’s Chorus and who has sung in church choirs.
“Especially with everything going on today, we wanted to show that there are places of worship here that welcome us.” The Out Traveler: Atlanta also features a detailed history of Atlanta’s gay-friendly neighborhoods, with interesting tidbits like where to find Driving Miss Daisy’s house in Druid Hills.
A chapter on gay and non-gay celebrities who live in or are from Atlanta is also inside. We were surprised to learn that the two lead stars of Showtime’s Queer As Folk--Gale Harold and Randy Harrison (who play Brian Kinney and Justin Taylor)--are both from Atlanta and went to high school down the street from each other in Buckhead. Information on other celebrities who live in Atlanta, like Tyler Perry, is also included (he paid for the AIDS Memorial Quilt to move from the building it was housed to a new location so he could open his studios there).
Quotes from celebrities on Atlanta are scattered throughout: Project Runway's Tim Gunn, celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, CNN Headline News' Nancy Grace, Broadway diva Patti LuPone, and Atlanta resident Elton John are just some of the celebs who comment on Atlanta in the book. Unlike many travel and regional books, this one has a sense of humor as well--most of the descriptions are snappy and fun. If you are visiting Atlanta anytime soon, do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of The Out Traveler: Atlanta today. It is also required reading for anyone who calls Atlanta home.
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