The [Unexpected] Cost of a Perfect Smile
+ a brief hiatus
Happy Friday, friends. We’re keeping things pretty brief today.
A family member of mine entered hospice roughly a month ago, which means I’ve been juggling that and work deadlines recently. I’ll likely put this newsletter on a hiatus at least for the next month for that reason.
I do want to share an article of mine that finally came out this week, though. I was so interested in the story of the so-called veneer tech who was arrested in Atlanta last fall, that I decided to write a story about the money prosecutors allege he earned performing dental services illegally. It’s a wild story – not just about an alleged scam, but also about how pop culture inspires cosmetic trends – that you can read via the AJC.
[Read Here] No smiling matter: The lucrative business of unlicensed ATL ‘veneer techs’
I also want to share this really touching tribute that Lawrence O’Donnell did for the co-founder of K&K Soul Food this week. Since high school, Karlton Smith, who is a producer on Lawrence’s show, has been one of my dearest friends. We’ve always leaned on each other as we navigate working in media. This past month, we’ve done the same as we’ve both watched family members enter hospice after battling cancer. I’m so proud of him and the work he does, but more proud of the genuine friend he’s always been.
Last week, Karlton and I sat and looked through photos of his great-aunt Martha Mahone and others at K&K through the years. It was an honor to get a peak into the history of a family that has made an indelible impression on Atlanta. Lawrence’s tribute is a heartfelt look at Mahone and proof that her legacy lives on through Karlton.