Novel Tuesday
Oct. 7 — This week’s edition of Silver Streak features a one-on-one with author John Grisham, who will be the opening speaker for the Book Festival of the MJCCA on Oct. 22. We also have updates on how hurricanes and severe weather are impacting Georgia pecan farmers. And, scroll down for details on the memorial service and vigil scheduled for former Dunwoody High School Football Coach Mike Nash, who died unexpectedly on Oct. 3.
And now for a few headlines:
🗳️ Early voting begins one week from today. You can check where to vote in your county at Georgia’s My Voter Page or learn more about the municipal elections here.
🙌 This week is Hands On Atlanta Week, which will see thousands of volunteers fanning out across the city to support 50+ nonprofits and schools.
📍 The Brookhaven Chamber of Commerce appointed Jeffrey Woolverton as its new executive director.
🏳️🌈 The Atlanta Pride festival is this weekend, and we have a lineup of events to check out here. Looking for ways to support LGBTIQ+ organizations? Katie Burkholder has more in this story.
🕓 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter.
• John Grisham to open MJCCA
• Pecan farmers’ plight
• Mike Nash memorial
AND
• Stories of Atlanta | Lance Russell
Enjoy!
John Grisham discusses new mystery novel ahead of MJCCA Book Fest appearance
📖 John Grisham, author of 50 consecutive best sellers, mostly in the genre of legal thrillers, has changed the game with his soon-to-be-released novel, “The Widow.”
Grisham, who will be the opening speaker at the Book Festival of the MJCCA on Oct. 22, said while “The Widow” is his first effort in the mystery novel genre, all of his books “have an element of mystery.”
“The Widow” is inspired by the 1987 book “Presumed Innocent” by Scott Turow, coincidentally the same book that inspired Grisham to finish his first novel, “A Time to Kill,” which was published in 1989.
📚 Read Cathy Cobbs’ interview with Grisham here.
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After back-to-back hurricanes, Georgia’s pecan farmers brace for the future
🌀 Severe weather is seldom kind to agriculture. A hard freeze too late in March or April shrinks a peach crop, while excessive temperatures and moisture yield lackluster, fungus-ridden tomatoes. But, unfortunately for pecan farmers, hurricane season coincides with pecan season.
Between mid-August and mid-October, the Atlantic faces peak hurricane season, leaving Georgia’s pecan crop particularly vulnerable. Georgia is the nation’s top producer of pecans, providing about one-third of domestic nuts. The majority of Georgia’s pecans are grown in the state’s southern half, a frequent path for Gulf Coast hurricanes.
In 2023, Hurricane Idalia carved a path through the Southeast, causing $1.2 billion in losses for Georgia pecan farmers. Then, in 2024, Hurricane Helene created a once-in-a-generation double-whammy of storms.
🧑🌾 Reporter Sarra Sedghi talked to Georgia pecan farmers about the brutal toll of the hurricanes and how they’re preparing for the future. Check out that piece here.
Memorial services scheduled, GoFundMe set up for former Dunwoody football coach Mike Nash
🏈 Funeral services for former Dunwoody High School Football Coach Mike Nash will be held on Oct. 12 at Dunwoody Baptist Church, and Chattahoochee County High School will host a candlelight vigil for Nash on Oct. 8 at the school’s stadium. In addition, a GoFundMe has been established. It has surpassed $30,000, with a goal of $50,000.
Nash, according to multiple social media posts, including one from Dunwoody High School, died on Oct. 3 following emergency surgery after battling a sudden onset of liver failure.
“Coach Nash dedicated over 10 years as the head football coach, building not only a program, but a family,” the DHS post said. “His legacy as a mentor, leader, and friend will continue to live on in the lives of countless players and the family he impacted.”
🎗️ Read more about Coach Nash here.
‘Where Atlanta Grew Up’: Stories of Atlanta by Lance Russell
VIA SAPORTAREPORT
🏗️ In the years after the Civil War, Atlanta rebuilt itself from the ashes, its heart beating along the rail lines of what is now South Downtown. But as Atlanta grew in wealth, ambition, and confidence, the city’s center began to shift north toward what would become the Fairlie-Poplar District.
By the 1890s, wood-frame storefronts gave way to fireproof towers of stone and steel, and architects and investors raced to create a skyline worthy of the “Capital of the New South.” As decades passed, mid-century modern design added a sense of emotion and power to Fairlie-Poplar. Atlanta could see its own reflection: a city still changing, but always believing in what it could become.
🏢 Learn more about the history of the Fairlie-Popular District on this week’s Stories of Atlanta.
Explore more of our newsletters
💡 Did you know Silver Streak has other newsletters that go deeper into what’s happening across metro Atlanta?
➡ Stacks: Our newest newsletter covering Atlanta’s literary scene, author profiles, book reviews, and more comes out the second Sunday of each month.
➡ Sketchbook: All about Atlanta’s art scene. Artist profiles, art openings, museum events. Wednesdays.
➡ Side Dish: News about the food scene. Beyond just openings and closings, Side Dish includes recipes and a regular feature on pop-ups. Thursdays.
➡ Scene: The only newsletter focused on the movie world. Reviews, interviews, podcasts. Fridays.
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🖋️ Today’s Silver Streak was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.