Georgia Podcast Network

Our introduction bumper that we put in front of all of our podcasts says we're "focused on all things Atlanta and sometimes elsewhere." This is another of our "sometimes elsewhere" episodes, and I think it's one of our better interviews.

The subject is Peter Hughes, PhD, who is from Augusta, Ga. One of his great passions is to document the life and times of Henry Shultz.

Shultz is an interesting historic figure for a variety of reasons, including:

• Building the first successful bridge across the Savannah River, which connected Augusta to South Carolina, against formidable odds when others had failed
• Founding the town of Hamburg, South Carolina (which no longer exists) out of spite for Augusta
• A reputation of being both a shrewd entrepreneur and a violent megalomaniac.

Hughes has a section of his web site dedicated to the life and time of Shultz, which is one of only a few Internet sources that mentions Hamburg or Shultz at all (aside from a few sources about the Hamburg Massacre, which was after Shultz's time). We discuss what led him to create it, and Hughes shares several stories about this colorful historic figure.

Have you ever heard of Peachtree Creek? If you live in Atlanta - especially if you didn't grow up here - your knowledge of Peachtree Creek might be limited to seeing a sign where it crosses under certain Atlanta roads.

David Kaufman wanted to find out more about the creek, so he explored the whole thing via canoe and wrote a book about it. In this interview, we talk about the book, what his "field research" was like, the buried Atlanta history he found along the way, and also the current issues with water management and conservation in Georgia.

Peachtree Creek: A Natural and Unnatural History of Atlanta's Watershed

Length: 23:01 minutes
File size: 15.8 MB

In this episode Rusty and I interview Lain Shakespeare, executive director of The Wren's Nest, which is the Joel Chandler Harris museum here in Atlanta. The folks at The Wren's Nest have been blogging for over a year and recently started podcasting. Lain gives a little history of The Wren's Nest and then talks about what the results of their new media endeavors have been thus far.

Length: 19:44 minutes
File size: 13.6 MB

In this episode, I interview Boyd Lewis, formerly "the white boy with the black press" who also happens to be a hell of a photographer. His work is featured in That Atlanta 70s Show, an exhibit at Mason Murer Fine Art which is running through Oct. 20. It's described on the show's web page as "history, art, theatre and an homage to Atlanta as Atlantis, the glorious place and time sunk below the explosions and tides of time."

We talk about what Atlanta was like in the 70s; slag on Creative Loafing, Saxby Chambliss and George Bush; and try to figure out the best way to punch The Establishment in the nuts.

Length: 22:01 minutes
File size: 15.1 MB

Podcasting once again from OTP, Rusty and I interview Erick Montgomery, executive director of Historic Augusta, and Julia Jackson, programs and marketing director of the same. This is one of our longer podcasts, and it could've kept on going, because it's all so interesting to me. I grew up in Augusta and have always been fascinated with the bizarre dynamics there surrounding historic preservation, urban development, and the omnipresent elephant in the living room: race.

After the interview, Erick gave us a tour of the Woodrow Wilson Boyhood Home. For those who don't know, I'm a relative of Woodrow Wilson; now, let's see if I can get this right. My great-great-great-grandfather was a brother of Woodrow Wilson's mother. So that makes him... some kind of cousin? Ah, I was never good with this terminology.

Anyway, Historic Augusta is doing some really great things. Check them out, and if you ever go to Augusta, try to visit some of the interesting, unique places they've helped save.

Length: 56:18 minutes
File size: 38.7 MB

Thanks to some pretty cool synchronicity involving Viviane and Thomas, I was able to snag an awesome interview at the last minute. Karen Abbott, Atlanta-based author of Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul, did a reading Thursday night at the Decatur library, and I was there with recorder in tow. We recorded this interview after the reading and book-signing. Sin in the Second City is chock full of interesting history; and as it turns out, America's past is a whole lot like its present where sex - especially sex for money - is concerned.

Length: 13:18 minutes
File size: 9.2 MB

In which our heroes, once again dragged from the comfort of their couch and the sweetness of laziness, record another podcast for you, the demanding listener's edification. We discuss this day in history, quite a lot about sandwiches, and some randomness that Hillary happened upon.

Music by Murder Beach.

Links here.

Length: 31:17 minutes
File size: 28.6 MB

In this episode, Cheryl Muré takes me on a guided tour through Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, which is currently on display at the Atlanta Civic Center through May. Cheryl is director of education for the exibit. More information about the exhibit is available at RMSTitanic.net. Thanks to Russ and Jonathan for arranging the tour.

Length: 27:35 minutes
File size: 25.2 MB

In this Oct. 12 interview, Rusty and I talk with Greg Germani, proprietor of the Atlanta Time Machine web site. The Atlanta Time Machine tracks Atlanta's history through photographs, postcards, and old advertisements. We discuss the challenges of undertaking such a massive project, and the importance of preserving a city's anecdotal history.

Also included in this podcast are two awesome Atlanta-themed songs, graciously provided to us by Greg.

Length: 27:05 minutes
File size: 24.8 MB

In this episode, Rusty and I share artifacts from 1970s Augusta, Georgia, interspersed with stories about my parents' involvement therein. Black lights, go-go dancers, and mini-skirt contests galore! We also present another installment of "We Weep For The Future," this time with music.

Update: Scans of some of the ads we read are now available on Flickr.

Update #2: I'm a moron... of course Margaret Sanger didn't invent the birth control pill. Sorry for the brain fart, folks.

Length: 31:05 minutes
File size: 28.46 MB