Welcome to the online version of part I of Xpress’ 2017 Kids Issue, our annual feature celebrating the creativity of this area’s K-12 students. This year, we asked kids and teens to focus on the theme of “What Matters to Me?”
Allan Wolf’s latest YA novel draws on the death of a childhood friend
Decades after the death of Allan Wolf’s boyhood friend Ed Disney, Wolf and his brother set out along a back road near their hometown of Blacksburg, Va., to find the exact spot where two young assailants shot Disney and left him to die.
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding initiatives
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a new release by Orison Books, Pierce Edens’ forthcoming album and an invention by local pin enthusiast Chris Evans.
The Last Dragon Charmer series brings sorcery to Asheville
What makes this particular book launch — held Friday, March 10, at Spellbound Children’s Bookshop — unique is that McKay will be doing it in the city where most of her book’s action takes place.
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding initiatives
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a garment maker’s vibrant pants project plus a collection of short stories by minority and LGBTQ authors.
Local businesses serve Asheville’s geekier side
These days, geeking out is hot. Asheville is home to a vibrant community of people looking to express their nerdier side, and abundant businesses to serve them: From comic books to games to movies and more, this town has it all. Across the country, the cultural partitions surrounding geekdom are being torn down: What was […]
Troy & Sons owner releases memoir, Pure Heart
Asheville Distilling Co. will celebrate the launch of owner Troy Ball’s new book with a whiskey-tasting event on Saturday, Feb. 11.
Sylva native Natalie Anderson adapts the lives of African refugees into a YA novel
A break from the field, followed by a return to Africa, set Anderson to work on the story that eventually became City of Saints and Thieves. Working out of Kenya, she thought about writing a novel set in Nairobi that dramatized the experiences that drove refugees there from the Congo.
NPR journalist hosts Asheville discussion on city’s popularity
At a sold-out event in downtown Asheville, NPR journalist Michel Martin and local panelists reflect on what happens when your hometown gets hot.
Smart bets: Lydia Peelle
Peelle’s husband, Ketch Secor of Old Crow Medicine Show, will provide musical accompaniment for the reading, which takes place on Sunday, Feb. 12.
Smart bets: Devin Jones and DeWayne Barton
The show takes place at Firestorm Books & Coffee on Friday, Feb. 3.
Refugees, hurricanes and murders: 2017 in WNC kidlit
Last year, two Asheville writers — Megan Shepherd and Robert Beatty — found themselves on the New York Times Children’s Chapter Books bestseller lists. This year’s crop of YA and middle-grade books of local interest promises to be just as exciting.
‘What Matters to Me?’: Xpress seeks art, writing for 2017 Kids Issue
Each year, Xpress highlights the thoughtful and engaging creative work of area K-12 students in a special issue, which also includes listings of local and regional summer camps. The deadline to submit student work is Friday, Feb. 17.
Asheville kids film festival seeks entries
The 90-Second Newbery Film Festival, a multisite national event showcasing short films based on children’s books, will be accepting films submitted from Asheville until Wednesday, Feb. 8.
HomeWord hosts a youth poetry writing workshop on Sunday, Jan. 15
The free workshop is led by nationally touring poets Angel Nafis and Shira Erlichman.
Smart bets: An Evening of Fantastical Insanity
John Hartness and Jake Bible will read at Malaprops on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
Local teens produce a bilingual online arts magazine
Word in the Street is volunteer-run. A $500 grant from All Souls Cathedral Outreach Committee helped with the purchase of simultaneous interpretation technology — headsets so that everyone can understand what’s being said.
Weekend Picks: Friday, Jan. 6 – Sunday, Jan 8
Check out this list of weekend highlights and visit the Mountain Xpress Community Calendar for a complete list of weekend events! EXHIBITIONS ‘Running From Madness’ at PUSH Skate Shop 25 Patton Ave., 225-5509, facebook.com/PushSkateShop/ Through MO (1/23) – Running From Madness, a group show curated by Maxx Feist. Lisa Klakulak Jewelry Exhibition at Mora Contemporary Jewelry 9 Walnut […]
Holiday happenings around Asheville
The holiday season is in full swing, and there’s so many celebratory possibilities that it would be easy to miss out on something big — lights shows, a trolley tour, a naughty elf and good music are all on the list.
Faces in the crowd: WNC crowdfunding initiatives
Each week, Xpress highlights notable WNC crowdsourcing initiatives that may inspire readers to become new faces in the crowd. This week features a new book by travel writer Gary Sizer, local volunteers’ efforts to help winterize Standing Rock’s camps, and an initiative to distribute care packages among homeless individuals.
Weekend Picks: Friday, Dec. 2 through Sunday, Dec. 4
December is underway, and there are plenty of holiday events to choose from. Whether you are interested in local holiday art and craft sales, Christmas theater shows or a jingle-bell themed 5K — this weekend has you covered. Check out this list of weekend highlights and visit the Mountain Xpress Community Calendar for a complete list of weekend […]