For this year’s Xpress Poetry Contest, writers were tasked with creating an ode (or a haiku or a ballad or a quatrain, etc.) to the Western North Carolina environment.
Connect Beyond Festival returns for a second year
Nick Lowe, Victor Wooten, Bob Boilen and Fantastic Negrito are among the performers and presenters for the festival’s second edition.
Kids Issues 2019: Super intelligence
“If I could have any superpower, it would be Super Intelligence. This is the ability to know everything, even the secrets of the universe that the average human mind couldn’t even comprehend.”
Kids Issues 2019: 24-hour superpowers!
In Part II of Xpress’ annual Kids Issues, we present even more superpowered art and writing from area students — plus extensive listings for area summer camps, along with a plethora of other kid-focused content.
WCU’s Spring Literary Festival offers inspiration across genres
Now in its 17th iteration, the three-day event also brings poets A Van Jordan and Ricardo Nazario y Colón, novelists Marilynne Robinson and Silas House, nonfiction authors Cristina Henriquez and Laurie Jean Cannady, creative nonfiction writer Jason Howard and others to Cullowhee, Thursday, March 21-Thursday, March 28.
Kids Issues 2019: A golden chance
“Life chose me by a golden chance to have superpowers for just 24 hours, and I used them to revive our planet.”
Poet Jodie Hollander leads a workshop and gives a reading in Asheville
The Colorado-based writer will present her Ekphrastic Poetry Workshop at the Refinery Creator Space on Sunday, March 17.
Kids Issues 2019: Super kids!
For this year’s Kids Issues, we asked local K-12 students to submit art and writing around the question: “What would you do if you had superpowers for a day?”
Smart Bets: Allan Wolf
The Asheville-based poet presents his latest collection on March 16 at Malaprop’s.
UNCA hosts this year’s Appalachian Studies Association conference
The 2019 Appalachian Studies Association conference returns to Asheville after 27 years. The annual gathering brings together an eclectic mix of scholars, educators, activists, students, groups and institutions to discuss and present on a wide range of topics related to life in the region.
Storyteller Connie Regan-Blake releases an album
The tracks on the CD comes from the recording of a live show Regan-Blake gave at Black Mountain Center for the Arts in 2017. The stories are a mix of traditional folk tales and personal stories, and they’re suitable for all ages.
Celebrate Zelda! remembers the legacy of an artist
The commemoration, now in its fourth year, remembers the Jazz Age luminary with a weeklong roster of events.
Smart Bets: Will Johnson
The Austin, Tex.-based singer-songwriter will perform new material and discuss his artistic process with Wiley Cash at UNC Asheville on March 5.
The Center for Art & Inspiration opens in Hendersonville
Along with theatrical productions, the event space offers murder mystery dinners, programming for children, a Malaprop’s book store pop-up, the Artful Cup Coffee Bar and more.
Local musician digitizes the music of poetry
“I don’t want to become Odysseus stuck on an island and say, ‘That was my music — the music of my high school years.’ There’s so much great music in every era. Why not be open to it? As a musician, I think you continually have to grow.”
Crystal Hana Kim discusses her debut novel at UNCA
On Tuesday, Feb. 19, author Crystal Hana Kim will read from and discuss her debut novel If You Leave Me as part of UNC Asheville’s Visiting Writers Series.
Final judge announced for Xpress’ 2019 Poetry Contest
Local poet, performer and event curator Justin Blackburn Blackburn is the co-creator of the Humansandpoetry collective and its event arm, the Asheville Biscuit Head Slam Poetry Series.
Nickole Brown, Jessica Jacobs and Melissa Crowe launch poetry collections
“If I can write something that creates that kind of connection, it’s not just me navel-gazing,” says Brown.
Smart Bets: Laura Esther Wolfson
The Russian translator presents her literary debut in conversation with Elizabeth Kostova at Malaprop’s on Feb. 12.
Submit student art, writing this week for 2019 Kids Issues
What would you do if you had superpowers for a day? Xpress wants to know! Submit student art, essays and poems by this Friday, Feb. 8, to be considered for the 2019 Kids Issues.
The legacy of a celebrated UNCA writing and literature professor
“My greater goal was to give people access. To help people communicate,” says Dee James. Listening to other people’s stories promotes empathy and connection, she explains, helping us to understand parts of ourselves.