In this month’s poetry feature, Chess — a professor emeritus of English at UNC Asheville, where he served as the director of the Center for Jewish Studies for 30 years — discusses the influence Judaism has had on his writing and the role poetry plays in the present day. Along with the conversation is Chess’ poem “Tashlikh 5773.”
Local author Craig Gralley has written a comprehensive history of Transylvania County’s Pisgah Astronomical Research Institute, a 200-acre site originally found by NASA 60 years ago.
Xpress’ new “Look Homeward” feature begins with Thomas Wolfe, but aims to eventually shift focus to other celebrated writers with ties to WNC, including, but not limited to Wilma Dykeman, John Ehle and O. Henry.
Xpress recently caught up with Charles Frazier about his new novel, The Trackers. Set in 1937, the book’s narrator and protagonist Val Welch is an artists turned amateur private eye.
Mildred Kiconco Barya, a local poet and assistant professor of English at UNC Asheville, is celebrating the April 10 release of her latest collection, ‘The Animals of My Earth School.’
For most people, Dr. Charles S. Norburn‘s name may have been a footnote in history, if it was known at all. Yet his contributions to the region’s health care industry are considerable thanks to his 1946 purchase of 32 acres of property at 509 Biltmore Ave., which became the site of the Norburn Hospital & Clinic. […]
Kate Spratt, Buncombe County Public Libraries youth services specialist for the Preschool Outreach Program, discusses trends in children’s literature and ways parents can make reading fun.
Jacquelyn Hall, co-executive director of Read to Succeed Asheville/Buncombe discusses the importance of reading to children from a young age and the how everyone in the community can play a role in promoting literacy.
Known as a humorist by many, the local author pivots in her latest novel, The Beautiful Misfits, tackling the issue of addiction. Despite the heavy topic, Susan Reinhardt promises that there is also plenty of hope and potential laughter within the story’s pages.
Alyson Sinclair and Alysia Li Ying Sawchyn discuss the literary magazine’s rich history and their plans for collaborations with Asheville’s writing community.
Ellen Bowditch, a retired elementary school teacher and volunteer tutor with Literacy Together, discusses her work with the local nonprofit, the importance of community involvement and the need to show care and respect to our area’s youth.
Buskers, bullies, a menacing pet pig and various homages to the characters and colorful businesses that populate the Asheville downtown area show up in local author Jennie Liu’s latest young adult novel.
In this month’s poetry feature, we speak with Michael Hettich about the way poetry connects readers to the living and the dead, the art forms ability to capture the unsayable and the influential and metaphorical power nature plays in his work.