Kathy writes in…

We just got an Emory-wide email saying that N. Decatur Rd. was shut down in both directions at the Lullwater traffic circle due to a traffic accident. The email came in around noon, but traffic was even more backed up than usual around 10am. A work colleague said that she had seen numerous emergency vehicles there way earlier than when the email was sent. So, I’m just wondering if anyone has more first-hand information about what is going on at that intersection. Of course, I couldn’t find any information on any other online source.

• First Decatur Farm to School Symposium Aug 25th! [Decatur Minute]
• DeKalb hosting rain barrel workshop on Aug 21st [AJC]
• Construction set to begin on new park in Virginia Highland [Patch]
• NaanStop now open on Broad Street in downtown Atlanta [TNT]
• Map: The 19 million Americans without broadband access [Consumerist]
• Sweetwater expanding further into Florida [ABC]
• Another map!: The Geography of Craft Beer [Atlantic Cities]

Map courtesy of Atlantic Cities

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the AJC Decatur Book Festival presented by DeKalb Medical But Didn’t Know Who or How to Ask

The seventh annual Decatur Book Festival starts in just nine days! Started as a relatively modest venture, it quickly grew to become not only the largest independent book festival in the nation, but one of the four or five most prestigious. More than 75,000 people will be coming into Decatur over Labor Day weekend, attending readings conducted by over 300 authors and other related activities. While the festival is spread out over sixteen different venues, nearly all are within a ten-minute walk from each other and contributes to the great vibe that the DBF creates.

Daren Wang, Executive Director of the Decatur Book Festival, and Terra Elan McVoy, Program Director, will answer all your questions about the festival and, perhaps, about life itself.

Ask your questions by submitting a comment in the “Leave a Reply” box. Daren and Terra will answer them. Terra has meetings for much of the day and won’t get to be able to get to questions until about 2 p.m.

This Week

Bruce DeSilva, author of Cliff Walk, Thursday, August 23rd, 6:30pm, Peerless Bookstore, free.

The Decatur Book Festival is auctioning off all kinds of cool stuff this year. For example, we’re partnering with the Decatur Education Foundation on Book the Brick.

Winning bidders get an hour at one of the barrel tables outside the Brick Store with your favorite author. Yep, hang out in one of the best beer bars in the world, jaw with Michael Connelly or Austin Kleon or Richard Kadrey, and support the DBF and education. Nope, not sure what the downside is.

Here’s the lineup:
Amanda Kyle Williams
Leonard Marcus
Shannon Hale
Michael Connelly
Michael Morris
Kerry & Kathy Reichs
John T. Edge
Adam Reed
Tess Gerritsen
Gail Tsukiyama
Austin Kleon
Richard Kadrey