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.
Author discusses the meeting of Native American and Southern literature
“I came back to the Southeast and suddenly my eyes were open to the native people around me, because I’d lived on a reservation and lived out west where there were so many different nations around us,” Kirstin Squint says.
Smart Bets: Nathan Alling Long
The Philadelphia-based author reads from his newest collection on Jan. 24 at Malaprop’s.
Why There Are Words literary series launches in Asheville
Six poets and prose writers — Christine Hale, Luke Hankins, Mackenzie Kozak, Thoreau Lovell, Mark MacNamara and former North Carolina Poet Laureate Shelby Stephenson — will kick off the first event of what will continue as a quarterly series.
Submit student art, writing 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 Feb. 8 to be considered for the 2019 Kids Issues.
Flatiron Writers Room launches a co-working space
Set to launch in March, the organization’s three-room West Asheville co-working space will accommodate up to 12 writers at a time. Along with desk space, free Wi-Fi and limitless coffee, membership will also include discounts on future workshops.
Local author shares mindfulness strategies in new book
Bryan Robinson, a licensed psychotherapist and professor emeritus at UNC Charlotte, wrote #Chill to leverage his expertise on work addiction for a broader audience. “[The book is] not just for workaholics by any means; it’s [about] how all of us can chill, take the time to take care of ourselves and pay attention to the knee-jerk reactions that we make,” he says.
(SATIRE) Crowd-source campaigns worth the ante
Inspired by “Emily Dickinson’s Patreon” by Riane Konc in The New Yorker, Xpress dreamed up for arts-related Kickstarter projects (led by local and international personalities) that would surely be worth funding — if only for the choice perks.
Carl Sandburg legacy is honored in a storytelling slam
UPDATE: According to the Carl Sandburg Home website, “Due to the government shutdown, Perspectives: The Sandburg Story Slam has been cancelled and will not be held on January 13. There is no date to reschedule at this time.”
Six occasions when geeks ruled WNC
Costumes and comic books Batman: 2018 was a big year for geek culture in Asheville.
Poet Erin Fornoff releases video for “Home”
The work, filmed between Harold’s Cross and airports in Dublin, New York, Charlotte, and finally at Fornoff’s child hood home in Asheville, North Carolina, contrasts the excitement of going home with the mixed melancholy of returning.
A new group reignites competitive poetry in Asheville
“People are saying their deepest fears, people are challenging the system … but at the same time they’re also getting scored,” says Justin Blackburn. “Not only is it this empowering performance, [but it’s also] a game.”
UPDATED: Xpress seeks art, writing for 2019 Kids Issues
Each year, Xpress publishes the thoughtful, vibrant and engaging creative work of Western North Carolina K-12 students, along with listings of local and regional summer camps. The 2019 theme is “24-hour Superpowers” and the submission deadline is Friday, Feb. 8.
Roy Harris finds the universal in personal tales
The Thursday, Dec. 15 performance, featuring Roy Harris and Kathy Gordon, will center on holiday-themed tales.
Smart Bets: Elly Lonon
The North Carolina native shares her political satire graphic novel Dec. 1 at Firestorm Books & Coffee.
Oxford American celebrates North Carolina music with two local events
Isis Music Hall will be the setting for the Asheville circle, featuring Amanda Anne Platt, Tyler Ramsey, Shannon Whitworth and several others including Pat “Mother Blues” Cohen.
Barbara Kingsolver keynotes annual Authors for Literacy Dinner
The author discusses her new novel “Unsheltered,” adapting her work for the screen and her enduring love of Asheville.