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HENRY SCOTT
When Creative Loafing was looking for someone to guide them through a massive relaunch and beyond, they chose one man: Henry Scott. The openly gay publisher is now six months into his stay and is settling in nicely in his new town.
When he’s not running the Loaf, you’ll catch Scott with his head buried in a book, writing a new one, or getting a sweat going at the LA Fitness at Ansley.
How would you define your role in Atlanta’s LGBT community?
I am publisher of Creative Loafing, whose audience of some 500,000 print and online readers includes, according to research, a majority of Atlanta’s LGBT community.
What do you forecast for Atlanta’s LGBT community in the next 5 to 10 years?
As Atlanta grows and prospers, so will its LGBT community. Our people are attracted to cities that are progressive—both socially and economically—and Atlanta is growing by both measures.
We learn from all our experiences, both good and bad. Tell us about a negative life experience you’ve had that you learned a valuable lesson from.
In November 1994 I seroconverted. That experience was a powerful reminder that life is finite and that one must make the most of every day. I left a successful career at one of America’s largest and best newspaper companies (The New York Times Company) to embark on a series of professional and personal adventures that have given me a richer life than I ever could have imagined.
How has being LGBT shaped your outlook on life?
Being a gay man means I am much less likely to accept orthodoxy in any field—indeed I’m known for challenging it. And being gay means I’m much more accepting of the innate differences that make humanity so fascinating.
Tell us a little more about yourself. What are your hobbies? What are your goals?
My hobbies, boring as they may sound, are reading and writing. I’ve published one book and am working on another. I must admit I love the gym, stereotypical as that sounds.
If you were stranded on a desert island, what’s the one book you would want with you?
I read quickly, so one wouldn’t suffice unless I were rescued quickly. I’d happily spend a few weeks rereading the collected works of Jerzy Kosinski and James Ellroy, and I can’t wait to open Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom.
