“Finding my birth parents seemed as insurmountable as knowing where humanity came from,” says author Valerie Naiman. After multiple DNA tests, she continues, “I turned to psychics and detectives. Wading through a muck of secrets, lies and falsified documents, I finally found my mother when she was 94 years old.”
Local comedian Cayla Clark has developed a big following on Instagram through her videos that poke fun at all things Asheville. But her backstory and how she wound up in Western North Carolina is far from slapstick comedy.
“My goal is to create a work of art, first and foremost, and then second is to render an accurate delineation of geography,” says artist Michael Francis Reagan.
A songwriting retreat with the nonprofit Freedom Sings USA helped U.S. Air Force veteran Michelle Dolan process memories about an injured Afghan child named Zahara.
Sure, Charlotte the stringray of Hendersonville fame may not be pregnant after all, but that isn’t stopping local comedians from dreaming up other unusual animal scenarios to rival Charlotte’s popularity.
Despite many theatergoers’ familiarity with the Oscar-nominated film — and possibly Stephen King’s source novella — the story proves surprisingly captivating on stage.
Juneteenth Gala returns with a free public event. Plus: The Moth hosts a story slam, comedy contest determines stand-up champion, Story Parlor presents mInd reader and more!