McCalla was hired as Southern Living's original Mid-South editor and became editor in 1969 a position he held until his retirement in 1991.
John Logue lives in downtown Birmingham and has published seven mystery novels, one political novel, and collaborated with former Auburn University head football coach Pat Dye on his autobiography, In the Arena. Logue joined Southern Living in its second year of publication and stood by it for the next quarter century as McCalla's right-hand man, and eventually working as editor-in-chief of the magazine's book division, Oxmoor House.