Award-winning author and Oglethorpe writing and professor Jessica Handler聽took exception to the “condescending tone” of a New York Times article about the Atlanta restaurant scene. She responded in Atlanta magazine with “6 reasons The New York Times story on Atlanta restaurants gave me cultural indigestion”:
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6 Reasons the New York Time story on Atlanta restaurants gave me cultural indigestion
Stop mentioning Scarlett O’Hara. Please.
February 24, 2016 | Jessica Handler
Last week, the New York Times indulged in its , declaring that a 鈥渃ity that often looked over its shoulder for culinary validation and inspiration is coming into its own.鈥� On one hand, you could say it was nice that our hometown got such space and (measured) praise in America鈥檚 paper of record. The headline of the piece was 鈥�,鈥� but after reading it, perhaps a more accurate one would have been 鈥淏less Their Hearts.鈥� I didn鈥檛 take issue with the writer鈥檚 dining choices; Kim Severson is an accomplished food writer, an Atlanta resident, and a former bureau chief for the Gray Lady. What bothered me, frankly, was the condescending tone.
What do I mean? Let me unpack my objections and arrange them neatly on my veranda.
1. It seems that every New York Times writer filing dispatches from Atlanta is duty-bound to mention two things: Traffic and Scarlett O鈥橦ara. In this story, the evidence given for our traffic problem is that the drive to Decatur 鈥渃an seem too long.鈥� Well, from where? After all, Decatur actually has a MARTA station. But then again, the author never tells us where she鈥檚 driving from.
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