November 2017
Features
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Tex and Diane McIver had it all. Now she’s dead, and he’s going on trial for his life.
Tex McIver has become a symbol. What kind of symbol says more about who we are than who he is. To those close to him, convinced that he loved his wife Diane without question and could no more shoot her intentionally than sprout wings and fly out of his jail cell, Tex is a victim of reverse prejudice, a convenient scapegoat for a society riven by class and racial resentments. Or is he, surrounded by his half-dozen defense attorneys, nothing more than a rich white man who believes the rules do not apply to him, who has spent decades with his thumb on the scales of power, who’s cynically exploiting race-based fears to cover up the opportunistic murder of his wife?
Where does the Atlanta BeltLine go from here?
The BeltLine celebrates another milestone with the opening of the Westside Trail, promising to revitalize more of the city’s urban core. But the linear park can’t solve all of Atlanta’s problems. Here’s why it—and the city—should try harder.
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The Connector
Don’t Miss List: Our top 5 Atlanta event picks for November
Award-winning ballerinas in Atlanta, Flying Lotus’s new movie soundtrack in 3D visual, and a Kennesaw State University professor who teaches a class on OutKast reads from her new book.
Jack Barsky was a KGB spy with a double life. Today, he’s a dad living in Covington, Georgia.
Anyone who’s watched an episode of The Americans, the FX series about Russian spies living undercover during the Cold War, has gotten a taste of the life Jack Barsky lived for more than 10 years as what U.S. intelligence called an “illegal.”
“Redneck opera zinger” Jay Hunter Morris stars in Atlanta Opera’s The Flying Dutchman
Jay Hunter Morris’s Texas twang makes him sound more like a country and western singer than a trusted former understudy to Luciano Pavarotti. The tenor stars in The Flying Dutchman, opening November 4 at the Atlanta Opera, in the role of Erik, who loves a woman enamored with the captain of a ghost ship.
Pratt-Pullman Yard, one of Atlanta’s largest and most historic sites, now belongs to Hollywood
Located between two MARTA stations, Pratt-Pullman Yard includes 11 buildings, totaling 153,000 square feet, and is flanked by a small forest, stream, and grassy field. Plenty of big-thinking developers have craved turning it into an adaptive reuse success story, including one nonprofit that envisioned soccer fields and urban farms. It’s also been used in movie and television productions including Baby Driver and the Fast and the Furious and Hunger Games series. But its potential has never been tapped.
Atlanta’s 9 most interesting firehouse mottos
Atlanta fire stations might officially be known by their government-given numbers, but for decades the men and women who sleep, eat, and wait for emergency calls inside those buildings have been adopting mottos inspired by their crews’ attitudes, personalities, and specialties. Here’s a look at some of the city’s most interesting firehouse mottos.
The Bite
Fresh on the Scene: Kaiser’s Chophouse, Kula Revolving Sushi Bar, Cuba Mia
Conveyor-belt sushi in Doraville, prime cuts of steak at Kaiser’s Chophouse, and grab a Cuban sandwich at Buford Highway’s Cuba Mia.
You should eat more turkey
There are health benefits to varying your poultry routine throughout the year. Turkey could almost be considered a superfood: It’s packed with protein, low in fat, and contains iron, vitamins B6 and B12, niacin, and zinc. But the market for turkey that’s not ground is slim after the holidays.
Home for Dinner: Steve Osunsami, ABC News correspondent
The son of Nigerian immigrants, Steve Osunsami grew up in Peoria, Illinois housing projects eating government cheese. His mother would cook on Sundays, but otherwise it was Shake ’N Bake chicken. Now, Osunsami calls Diane Sawyer, Robin Roberts, and David Muir colleagues—and friends—and he’s afforded himself the ability to celebrate and “pull out all our best liquor!”
Ace of vase: The right way to create seasonal flower arrangements
Ayla Gurganus’s floral arrangements are Instagram catnip. In May she launched the Flower Shop at Young Blood Boutique, offering one style of hand-tied bouquet every other week. Here, Gurganus shares tips for creating seasonal arrangements.
Dishwasher Eden Vazquez is one of Atlanta’s unsung (and vital) kitchen workers
Without dishwashers, restaurants simply couldn’t operate. Bacchanalia pastry chef Carla Tomasko thinks it might even be the most vital position in the professional kitchen.
The Christiane Chronicles: Cheese later, not now
I cannot contain my disdain for the appetizer cheese course. Cheese is rich and, depending on the kind, funky. It satiates your appetite. It induces sleepiness, even. Why would anyone eat it at the beginning of the meal?
The Goods
My Style: Vanessa Toro, founder of Rabble & Rouse
Vanessa Toro launched her clothing brand, Rabble & Rouse, in 2015 with the tagline “Give all the damns.” Her T-shirts make bold statements with phrases like “Be vigilant, not afraid” and “All we have is each other.” Toro herself is regularly stopped on the street for her jet-black pixie cut, signature red lip, and flair for pairing colors and prints.
Joli Residential will do all the house chores you don’t have time to do
Former interior designer Rachel Eisaman founded Joli Residential in 2012 after noticing that clients were making requests beyond her usual decorating repertoire: recommending contractors, comparing costs, scheduling visits, even tablescaping.
Party hosting? Keep comfy with these cushy, chic shoes.
When you’re the party host, you’re on your feet all night long. We asked Shaye Strager, in-house fashion stylist for Phipps Plaza and Lenox Square, to share her picks for shoes that are both comfy and glam.
Holiday etiquette: How to be a perfect guest
Even in our increasingly digital world, there’s still something to be said for manners. As the invitations to holiday festivities roll in, we turned to Erika Preval of Charm Etiquette for some modern advice.
Room Envy: An open, airy home office in Buckhead
With three teenage boys and a husband, Dr. Laura Garvey was determined to carve out a feminine room somewhere in the family’s new Buckhead home. Interior designer Hope Arbery and architecture firm Harrison Design helped create this multipurpose space—part home office, part sitting room.
Miscellaneous
Editor’s Note: Buildings are changing Atlanta and the way Atlantans live
Humans shape buildings, but they also shape us. This year’s edition of our annual Groundbreakers Awards is dedicated to visionary architecture. Of course, the soon-to-be-iconic Mercedes-Benz Stadium immediately comes to mind. But more subtle revolutions—New Urbanist communities, historic renovations, sustainable construction—are also changing the way we live.
UGA-Tech’s “clean, old-fashioned hate” at Grant Field, 1941
Every Thanksgiving weekend Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia clash on the gridiron to resolve yet another battle in the 124-year-old rivalry described by author Bill Cromartie as “clean, old-fashioned hate.”
