The poet talks new projects and the area’s literary scene.
Around town: Making things happen at Rare Bird Farm
Rare Bird Farm receives green light to hold events in Madison County. Plus, Blue Ridge Pride; a graffiti tour in the RAD; and more.
Ron Rash on his latest (and possibly last) novel
On Tuesday, Sept. 26, author Ron Rash will celebrate the release of his 20th publication. His latest novel, The Caretaker, is set in Blowing Rock in 1951. “To me, this is a book about love,” Rash says. “Not in a sentimental way. It’s about the destructiveness of it. How we misuse the word — exploit it.”
Around town: Celebrating Dirty Dead’s long strange trip
A Grateful Dead cover band celebrates a milestone. Plus, a new book from Asheville native; a celebration for the Hominy Creek Greenway; and more.
Around town: A weeklong celebration of women musicians
The second annual Women to the Front Festival expands to a weeklong celebration. Plus, “The Village Witch” releases her new book; A-B Tech’s student and faculty literature and arts publication “The Rhapsodist”; and more.
Look Homeward: Wiley Cash on popular misconceptions of the hillbilly stereotype
New York Times bestselling author, Wiley Cash, joins Xpress for our recurring feature on the life and literary works of Thomas Wolfe.
Asheville’s unique ties to ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’
The Asheville area is home to two authors who’ve written books on the film, 30 years apart.
William Forstchen’s ‘Five Years After’ concludes post-apocalyptic saga
The Black Mountain-based author discusses the conclusion of his acclaimed post-apocalyptic saga.
Poet Chelsea Lynn LaBate on mental health and the creative process
Chelsea LaBate wrote her latest poetry collection, ‘Free Roses,’ while experiencing several psychotic episodes, which resulted in multiple hospitalizations. Her hope is readers walk away from the works “poetically informed by the mania and the bliss.”
Young adult novel-in-verse revisits Hurricane Florence
Emily Paige Wilson discusses her new novel-in-verse, “Four Months Past Florence.”
Around Town: Nerd Nite comes to town
Asheville gets its very own Nerd Nite. Plus, Bettye LaVette headlines Cold Mountain Music Festival; a new local literary podcast; and more.
Sci-fi novel focuses on female solidarity
Local author Donna Glee Williams celebrates the release of her latest sci-fi book, The Night Field, on Friday, July 29, at 3 p.m. at City Lights Bookstore in Sylva.
Maia Toll’s memoir recaps spiritual journey
Letting Magic In is a coming-of-age story about her connection to the Earth, her intuition and the unseen realm that may surround us all. “I wanted to show the slow ebb and flow of moving from one place to the other, questioning and doubting, stepping forward and back and forward and back.”
Around Town: DIYabled stages second annual Disability Pride Art Show
Disability Pride Month is celebrated with an art show in West Asheville. Plus, Terpsicorps Theatre of Dance turns 20; a parade of lake monsters in Black Mountain; and more.
Book explores lives and legacies of Eleanor Vance and Charlotte Yale
Author Bruce E. Johnson’s new book tells the story of two women who make a lasting impact on the lives of young people in Western North Carolina.
Poet Andrew K. Clark on wild horses, violence and splintered attention spans
“Contemporary poetry addresses every topic under the sun — some dark, some light, some sensual — from many unique and interesting voices,” says poet Andrew K. Clark. “It is also a great package for a world with such a splintered attention span.”
Nathan Ballingrud’s coming-of-age novel takes readers to Mars
Prior to the novel’s release, Ballingrud was known within the literary community as a short story writer. His previous works, 2013’s award-winning North American Lake Monsters: Stories and 2019’s Wounds: Six Stories from the Border of Hell, explore dark and supernatural themes.
Look Homeward: Discovering Asheville’s past through Thomas Wolfe’s fiction
“Wolfe’s writings shed a brighter light on how prolific health tourism was specifically, and how that significantly escalated with the arrival of the railroad in the 1880s,” says historian Kayla Seay, assistant site director at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial.
Local nonprofit hosts inaugural Jewish poetry conference
On Sept. 1, local poet Jessica Jacobs launched the nonprofit Yetzirah, the first literary organization in the U.S. for Jewish poets. Now, she is preparing to bring poets from around the country and world to Asheville for a five-day conference.
Asheville woman writes a guide for terminally ill and their loved ones
“Dying is a big thing, and I want the details of it to be as easy as possible on my family as it can be,” Kae Mance, who has stage 4 breast cancer, says.
New series spotlights Wilma Dykeman’s novels
Led by expert speakers, the monthly talks at the West Asheville Library will examine the novels “The Tall Woman” (1962), “The Far Family” (1966) and “Return the Innocent Earth” (1973).