Jack points to this AP interview with U.S. Poet Laureate and Decatur resident Natasha Trethewey featured on the AJC’s Access Atlanta site.  Here’s a blurb to get you started…

Natasha Trethewey smashes stereotypes about poets. She’s not stuffy. Or shy. Or aloof.

As U.S. poet laureate, the 46-year-old describes herself as a “cheerleader” for the written word. She chooses the label deliberately, not only because she was head cheerleader at the University of Georgia in the late 1980s (Big hair! Big smile!), but also because, as a younger laureate, she wants to bring a sense of energy to the position.

“I want to ask ordinary people if poetry can mean something to them,” Trethewey told The Associated Press during an interview at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss.

So I’m sure you’ve all heard about Clayton County losing its accreditation yesterday?  Third time in the past 40 years, ring a bell?

Well, apparently the article written by the Associated Press originally had the story based in Decatur, GA.  See here.  Since then, many of the original postings have changed the lead of “Decatur, GA – ” to “Jonesboro, GA -”, but not before the popular blog “Hit & Run” used Decatur as an example for allowing parents to choose where their kids go to school.  (You know, since apparently we’re located in Clayton County!)

Now, we really can’t be that judgemental.  Even among Atlantans, it seems that everything from the city of Decatur to the southern DeKalb County line gets dumped into the “Decatur” bucket these days.  Soon alligator attacks in the Okefenokee Swamps will be attributed to “Decatur, GA”.

But I guess we just have to grin and bear it.