If you scan the headlines of our local papers, you’ll probably see stories about how rapid population growth and development, transportation issues, and air-quality concerns are hurting Western North Carolina. Just reading these things can be discouraging. Believe it or not, however, many of the gravest problems facing our region can be addressed simply by […]
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Grit and grin
For good or ill, it’s all the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s fault. Newgrass. Jamgrass. Slamgrass. Any other throw-in-the-kitchen-sink-grass. Countrified folk. Folkified country. For that matter, alt-country. The O Brother phenomenon. Johnny Cash singing “Personal Jesus.” The Grits predicated it all. It would be tough to overstate their influence on contemporary music. Though the band’s recent […]
Vision statement
During most periods of pre-Renaissance recorded history, religion was a major — and sometimes the only — topic of art. Now, apparently out of nowhere, comes a profusion of religious art in Asheville. And while it’s true that a few Asheville artists, like Carol Bomer, have made paintings about their faith for many years, the […]
Portrait of the poet as myth-maker
“At the Feeder,” from Broken Pearls Hummingbirds hover to sip. …Leaves, low in the thicket, shine.How long is long,suspended in feeding time?Ruby Throats dart and are gone.Coins will cover my eyesuntil you return. — Ann Dunn As I sit down at my desk to write about Ann Dunn’s new book, I can’t help but wonder […]
A potager potluck
Happiness is strolling out to the garden for a handful of blueberries to decorate my breakfast cereal, a colander of crisp lettuce leaves and radishes for a luncheon salad, or a pocketful of juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes and fresh basil for a pasta sauce. One of my prime quality-of-life priorities is easy, frequent access to the […]
Praising Kane
Success: Some of us get a big fat slice, others an empty plate. And right now, Christine Kane’s fork is full. “It’s not like the Fairy Godmother came down and tapped me with a wand,” the Asheville-based singer/songwriter countered by phone recently, during a tour stop in Madison, Wis. “People [keep] coming up to me […]
New kid in town
This won’t be the first time Hannah Curtis’ voice will be compared to that of Rickie Lee Jones; Curtis has heard that one before. The thing is, she’s never actually heard Jones. It’s not that Curtis is uninformed, really. And it’s certainly not that she’s arrogant. The reason she’s oblivious to the beret-topped old-school songstress […]
Against the current
Though he credits the Buena Vista Social Club’s tremendous popularity as part of the reason he went to Cuba three years ago, Habana Sax manager Stephen Bailey says his goal was to find a group or performer that exemplified the island’s current music. According to Bailey, Habana Sax reflects modern Cuban sounds and culture — […]
The spirit and the flesh
There are any number of indigenous North American stories telling How Corn Came to The People. Sometimes it came as a gift. Sometimes it came in the form of a woman. Sometimes it was stolen. But in every case, Corn became intimately entwined with The People — economically, culturally and spiritually. Archaeological evidence suggests that […]
The Wild Gardener
Almost everyone has grown an avocado in his or her day, but have you ever thought of starting a mango tree? With today’s supersonic delivery systems, fresh mangoes often turn up in local supermarkets, in between the pomegranates and the kumquats — and you can always ask someone in Florida to ship a pit north. […]
Asheville City Council
The Asheville City Council’s April 8 formal meeting was surprisingly brief, clocking in at just under two hours. The evening’s brevity was a marked departure from Council’s more typical endurance-testing legislative marathons. Indeed, based on length alone, one might conclude that the April 8 gathering was a walk in the park. But the evening’s light […]
Notepad
Dinosaurs that move Sure, dinosaur bones are interesting, but how about a life-size steel dinosaur skeleton that actually moves and that you control (through a combination of levers, pulleys, hinges and springs)? Natural History Machines, on display through Sunday, May 4 at the Colburn Gem & Mineral Museum in downtown Asheville, serves up three such […]
Editorial
On March 26, the Asheville Police Department took a firm stand for homeland security by closing the Vance Monument to the public. A press release issued by the city said the decision to declare Asheville’s premier public space off-limits was made in the interest of public safety. Apparently, the recent spate of anti-war protests and […]
For Pagans, every day is Earth Day
Let me be clear from the outset: I like Earth Day. The flags, the picnics, the good intentions. It makes me smile to be lectured about recycling by children with earnest faces. I like it when Peter Jennings and the other talking heads show us scenes from Earth Day festivities taking place around the nation. […]
Buncombe County Commission
“It’s really critical for them to understand what this community looks like, feels like.” — Laura Copeland, Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce As the latest session of the N.C. General Assembly cranks up, there’s been no shortage of efforts to bend legislators’ ears about local concerns. But the strategies employed vary widely — and so […]
Strategic air command
“Word is spreading like wildfire; people are really rallying around this.” — Wally Bowen, Mountain Area Information Network Like many cities nationwide, Asheville has had its airwaves dominated by broadcast giant Clear Channel Communications, leaving little room for locally produced, alternative programming. That could change this summer, when two new low-power FM stations come online. […]
Pirate station keeps flag flying
Although “pirate” radio activists and broadcasters — who defy FCC licensing procedures under the flag of civil disobedience and a desire to get on the air — were the primary movers in advancing the cause of low-power radio, they generally haven’t benefited from the law. The FCC prohibited pirate stations from applying for low-power licenses […]
Serving the African-American community
While many of the nonprofit groups receiving low-power FM licenses will enter the radio business boasting little or no experience, John R. Hayes, president and CEO of the Empowerment Resource Center (see main story), has a pretty good idea of what he’s getting into. Hayes was religious director and announcer for WBMU, an Asheville gospel […]
Notepad
Scientist/activist Jane Goodall to swing through Asheville Everyone wants a piece of the Chimp Lady. The Environmental Leadership Center at Warren Wilson College has been bombarded with calls lately begging for a little one-on-one with visiting dignitary Jane Goodall. People have volunteered to help stage Reasons to Keep On: Drawing Hope From Within and Without, […]
Every dog has its day
Asheville is going to the dogs … and that’s not a bad thing. Dogs hereabouts have access to a range of services and perks that would make most canines choke on their dog biscuits. Sure, other towns have pet shops and even pet warehouse outlets. But how many boast an entire store devoted to canine […]
Moo you!
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the chopper to strafe the coppers who were tracking the cow that was packing the Uzi. At least that’s how that old joke goes in Dana Lyons’ world. Except that the Washington state singer/songwriter/activist’s version is barnyards beyond your usual chicken yarn — it’s actually […]