On her Web site, North Carolina-born writer Gail Godwin doles out her expertise to aspiring authors – but her meticulous explanations might prove more intimidating than encouraging. When a fan e-mail-queried about “inscrutable characters” vs. “see-through characters,” the author responded, “Your choice depends on what experience you hope to give your reader,” and capped her […]
Author: Alli Marshall
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Spring break when it’s still snowing • Who she is: Lisa Watters • What she’s wearing: a flowered J.Crew halter dress (picked up at a clothing swap) over a black turtleneck cast-off from her mother; an Irish wool cardigan (also from the clothing swap); tall black boots from T.J. Maxx; necklace from Ten Thousand Villages. […]
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Finders keepers • Who they are: Kathy MacCrate (left) and Emily Barrows • What they’re wearing: On Kathy, a handmade, hot-pink skirt; boots from a thrift shop; yellow ’80s jacket from Honeypot; belt from Goodwill. Emily’s retro ski jacket, black jeans and shoes are from Goodwill. Both wear vintage glasses frames found in thrift shops. […]
Their mandolins, their way
“Oh, I played with them when they were very young and not famous,” says mandolinist Mike Marshall, referring to his résumé-gilding gigs with David Grisman, Darol Anger and Béla Fleck. “I’ve known Béla since he was 17,” the musician adds during a recent interview with Xpress. “These people have done the hard work of becoming […]
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Saturday Night Fever (on a Wednesday) • Who he is: Robert Tate • What he’s wearing: Brown jacket (made in Belgium), butterfly-collar button-down shirt and narrow gold tie, all from Ragtime. “I was at a benefit show [there],” Robert explains. “Someone had put this outfit together and I walked in and said, ‘That’s nice.’” • […]
Curtain call
Bridget Bartlett doesn’t sling tapas – she sews cravats. And yet, “I look at [my job] as a serving position,” says the costume designer, who splits her time between Flat Rock Playhouse and the Ocala Civic Theatre in Florida. “I love the relationship I have with actors,” she says. “I love the hard work and […]
Hippie meets Happi
photos by Alli Marshall Piece of the sky: Little Eagle designer Kaorico Ago. “I don’t want a big business,” says Japanese designer Kaorico Ago when we meet for coffee at a local café. “I just want to keep to important things.” For the former kimono planner (who lives – when she’s not globetrotting – in […]
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The new Honey Ryder • Who she is: Tonia Gassmann • What she’s wearing: vintage-inspired patch-pocket jeans, biker boots, a thick purple scarf, an embossed leather belt she purchased in a thrift shop five years ago, and a leather holster housing the knife she uses for work. • Why we love it: Like Ursula Andress […]
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Purls of wisdom • Who she is: Molly McGovern • What she’s wearing: Hat crocheted by local artist Jean Strickland, sweater made by her mother, knit striped skirt, cuffed jeans. • Why we love it: Though the word “cute” is wildly overused, it’s an apt summation — in the very best sense of the word […]
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On the prowl • Who she is: Jane, a visitor from Charlotte, N.C. • What she’s wearing: Animal-print coat purchased on a trip to Charleston, S.C.; Nordic-motif gloves with faux-fur trim, bought in Charlotte; and pink corduroy pants. • Why we love it: Jane has all the elements of cold-weather wear (cozy coat, fuzzy gloves), […]
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A model of eclectica • Who she is: Joanna Walsh, photographed at Sky People Gallery’s Altars of Alternative Religions exhibit. • What she’s wearing: Long coat purchased in Annapolis, Md., more than a decade ago; a dress from a former shop on Lexington Avenue (located in the space now occupied by Natural Home); bag from […]
The rich, the weak and the overbrewed
Even though coffee-table books were around long before Cosmo Kramer introduced his compendium (a coffee-table book about coffee tables) on Seinfeld, it was Kramer’s venture into the world of oversized gift volumes that pointed out the eccentricity — and occasional lunacy — of these special-interest treatises. So even though current fashion dictates the leatherette ottoman […]
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Winter-beater • Who she is: Meg Gordon • What she’s wearing: A vintage faux-fur trimmed coat purchased, years ago, at Time Warp in Atlanta. • Why we love it: One of the best things about vintage wear is that it never goes out of style — unlike the season’s latest coat designs which, though likely […]
Eccentric like me
OK, here’s my brilliant idea for the next big thing: novelty festivals. A summertime event where accordion players, toy-instrument bands, zoot-suited swingers, Mexican-wrestling-mask-adorned rockers and sideshow acts of all shapes and sizes can have their day. You know, in the sun and all. And all the porkpie-hat-wearing, crinoline-skirt-twirling, hula-hooping, combat-boot- and striped-knee-sock-sporting fans can jive, […]
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How to accessorize a wine glass Spotted at the Asheville Downtown Association’s Nouveau Night celebration (Thursday, Nov. 17), these revelers both played dress-up in patchwork. • Who she is: Katie Hild • What she’s wearing: Pieced top purchased in a boutique in Winston-Salem • Why we love it: Redhead Katie takes a cue from Pretty […]
The air up there: An old-time-music classic turns 40
Feeling just a little too happy these days? Want to temper that blitheness of spirit with the bitter taste of your own mortality? You’d do well to pick up a copy of the CD High Atmosphere (Rounder Records), a musical survey of the Virginia and North Carolina high country made in 1965 by musician-filmmaker John […]
Takes one to know one
“I’m on a downhill slide to a tight perm and a ‘I heart my cat’ sweatshirt,” announces Honey Raye, a bottle-blond 50-going-on-20-year-old poured into a gold lame cocktail dress. One of a large bouquet of steel-magnolia-like personalities in Asheville Community Theatre’s latest offering, Dearly Beloved, Honey is reunited with her two middle-aged sisters when the […]
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So Boho • Who he is: Paul Bearer of the Circus Street Orchestra • What he’s wearing: A red bandana from his friend “Miss” Jonathan, a vest from his friend Sparrow over a lapis button-down, black pants and made-for-walking boots borrowed from “Big Al.” • Why we love it: Paul proves that every man would […]
Art for art’s sake: Bright Eyes vs. The Bobs
It’s likely no one has ever called Richard Greene, the baby boomer bass in a cappella quartet The Bobs, an “indie love muffin.” It’s also likely that the Bobs’ audience doesn’t shower the group with stuffed animals, flowers or panties — items hipster singer/songwriter Conor Oberst, aka Bright Eyes, refers to as “all the normal […]
Dances with oboes
Cue Julie Andrews: According to playwright Delilah Elsen and composer Rudy Davenport, these hills are alive with the sound of music. Or are about to be, anyway. “The work has regional cultural themes, but the music will attract a broad range of [listeners],” Elsen says of the piece, a song cycle she’s titled Byna: Life […]
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Nothing to wear? Sometimes we all need a little inspiration when standing in front of the closet. That’s why Xpress is serving up local style with tips on what to wear, where to shop, and where to find fashion events. Check back each week for the latest looks. It’s a wrap • Who she is: […]