Paige Watts: “What’s With Atlanta?” Book Signing

From the venue:

Atlanta author and travel writer Paige Watts — “Paige Minds The Gap” — will make a presentation and be signing her new book, What’s With Atlanta? Published late last year, the book offers a fun and whimsical overview of what makes Atlanta such a great city. With large print and lots of photos, the book is not an in-depth history of the city, but more a primer on what makes it tick, a glossary, if you will, of the who, what, what, when, where, and in some cases, why of the city’s landmarks, historical significance, sports, festivals, and traditions. In a city of over six million people, with transplants probably outnumbering the natives at this point, What’s With Atlanta? serves a useful purpose — educating those new to the ATL on some of the “secrets” that natives have known forever and sometimes take for granted — like what it means when you’re given directions, and told to “turn right at The Big Chicken.” Or, whether you want those “scattered, smothered, or covered?” And, there’s always the ubiquitous “What’ll ya have?” when you enter The Varsity. Watts explains these Atlanta colloquialisms and more, filling in the blanks for newcomers and setting the record straight for those who think they don’t need such a book. And, Watts gets extra credit for acknowledging that no one who lives here actually calls the city “Hot’lanta.” — Tony Paris