Creator Debra Cole  is a small town raised Atlanta resident with an interesting resume, a knack for telling stories.  She’s a stand-up comic, musician, former schoolteacher, writer, activist, wannabe beach bum, library loiterer, disgruntled GenXer,  lipstick feminist,  and keen observer of cultural and political forces in American life.  Most importantly,  she is Julia’s mama, her most treasured role.

“So Debra, Why Book Learnin’?”

I went to bed early election night, November 9, 2016. I had a terrible feeling in the late afternoon that Americans had done something truly awful at the polls. I could not sit and watch it unfold as ballots were counted and decided Xanax and an early night would be better.   When I awoke the next morning and found out that Secretary Hillary Clinton had lost the presidential election,  I decided to get more involved in politics. I’ve read a few history books and I believed that President Spray Tan’s tenure was going to be terrible given the fact that he is a bloviating gold-plated sociopath that is wholly possessed by the spirit of stupidity and yet unfortunately crafty in the dark arts of sowing division and chaos.

I’m not a psychic and so I obviously could not predict how bad it was going to get. I just knew that a candidate that based a campaign on the racist notions surrounding President Obama’s birth certificate, and in doing was able to convince people that multiple bankruptcies does not actually mean failure at business, would be catastrophically bad for this nation.

My Schoolin’
I have undergraduate degrees in music and history and a master’s degree in educational leadership from Valdosta State and Georgia State Universities.

Performance Life
Yes you have seen me because I’ve lived in Atlanta for over 20 years and occupied many stages. I started comedy in 2006 at Eddie’s Attic monthly Tuesday night comedy show. You may have seen me through the years at The Star Bar, The Laughing Skull, Eddie’s Attic, Aurora Theatre, The Punchline, Katz Café, Hotlanta Roundup Charity, Katz Comedy on Tuesday, Decatur Arts Festival, Decatur April Fool’s Show, Ansley Park Playhouse, The Relapse Theatre, Buford Variety Playhouse, GA Tech, A Womens’ Festival 2018 at the Relapse Theatre, The Highland Ballroom, Le Chat Noir in Augusta, the Twisted Taco back in the day, and more. I performed regularly with the female group Mixed Nuts, circa 2009-2011. I hosted and produced local shows at the Kavarna Coffee Shop for a spell and then the Ansley Park Playhouse. And I performed at the Laugh Your Asheville Off comedy festival in 2009. You may have also seen me play flute. I’ve played in many concerts,  Christmas cantatas, weddings, and with the trio I founded in 2014 called Mary Flannery’s Ghost. We recently played family concerts at Spivey Hall and the Aurora Theatre. And we have played at so many preschools, that I’ve lost count. And so your little one has also seen me.

“How can I help?”
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Other links

https://bittersoutherner.com/folklore-project/her-holiness/

Here is a link shared with Everytown for Gun Safety.  https://everytown.org/tribute/debra-cole/

Book Learnin’ is an Atlanta based publication covering Politics & Culture.