Alive and well The care and support of terminally ill patients and their families is a delicate and trying business: Besides high stress and limited funding, overworked caregivers must also struggle with their own emotions. Still, the nonprofit, Asheville-based Mountain Area Hospice (now celebrating its 20th year of serving the people of Buncombe County) has […]
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Letters to the editor
Freedom of religion One of the things this great nation of ours was founded upon is the freedom of religion. This freedom, however, seems to be only for those who follow the most common or most popular belief systems, such as Christianity. Following any type of pagan religion is almost guaranteed to bring about unwanted […]
Behind closed doors
Sheila walked into my office; she was a bundle of nerves. She looked down at her hands, which were twisting a handkerchief round and round between her fingers. She had come in to talk about her problem (she was having trouble sleeping and remembering things). The first thing she said was, “I’m not one of […]
Wake up to skateboarders and graffiti culture
In response to Grady Smith’s letter in the Feb. 23 issue, I should like to offer a defense on behalf of Asheville’s skater and graffiti-artist population — plus a few words of advice to Smith and other downtown merchants who take a dim view of the arrival of the new skatepark. First of all, Smith […]
Who’s abusing whom?
I met Alan and Faith nearly 25 years ago, when I was interviewing men and women on a then-taboo topic — violence in the family. I was one of the first researchers in the U.S. to study the extent, patterns and causes of domestic violence. There was precious little research or information to guide my […]
The golden rule
Nnenna Freelon tells me that the best way for beginners to experience jazz is to listen to great vocalists like Billie Holiday and Ella Fitzgerald. “The vocalist,” she says, “is a wonderful way to come to this music, because everyone can identify with a voice. It’s a little harder to identify with a saxophone, or […]
Heard and not seen
There’s just something about a good bluegrass band. If the chemistry is right, a group may keep the music hot for years — through lineup changes, and maybe even death. Take The Seldom Scene (and you’ll be glad you did). After two decades holding court as one of the most influential bluegrass bands on the […]
Layin’ on the green
St. Patrick’s Day gives us all a good reason to revel in the spirit of Ireland — not just the kind that comes in a cup, but also the essence of the country, as embodied in its music. One place where you’ll find both is Jack of the Wood (95 Patton Ave.). Live Celtic strains […]
Guts and glory
Don’t let the dried-blood-colored letters in the vestibule scare you off. Though the sign advertising From the Gut — a feminist fine-art show now on view at Urthona Gallery — is painted in precisely that shade of red (aptly named by show curator Gavra Lynn), the show is not about being angry, or anti-male, or […]
Something blue
Saturdays are for listening to old bluegrass on the radio. Because old music sounds better on the radio. Hearing those broadcasts in the mountains adds an even deeper patina to the antique sound of old-time recordings: The hisses and pops seem to keep time with the driving banjo runs and tinny mandolin licks. The early […]
Sounding off
Spiritual teachers often point out that to reach the top of the mountain, you have to experience the bottom, too — and local songwriters Ami Worthen and Valorie eloquently capture that notion in their music. Valorie’s inspirations are decidedly diverse: “[I’m] influenced by psych wards and psychedelics; Mustangs and Dusters; long periods living in the […]
On the prowl
Aaaahhh … just as the long, hot days of summer start to slide into view, how about making a few seasonal home improvements? Maybe a cool mountain stream winding its way over rocks and pebbles in the living room? Or how ’bout a deep blue watering hole, perfect for skinnydipping and daydreaming, tucked just behind […]
Asheville preserved
No doubt about it: Life changes in the blink of an eye. And Asheville — with its unique mix of people, its remarkable store of creativity, and its marvelous architectural heritage — is no exception. Our city is constantly evolving, shaping and reshaping itself with each passing moment. But thanks to Gloria Gaffney’s exquisite pen-and-ink […]
State of grace
When you meet him, David Brendan Hopes doesn’t seem like the type who’d be outdoors a lot — but after reading his new book, A Sense of the Morning (Milkweed Editions, 1999), one learns not to be fooled by his somewhat bookish facade. In fact, Hopes has spent a great deal of his life in […]
Hope springs eternal
Of all times of the year, spring offers the most promise. It is a time of renewal and rebirth, literally a season of light, since the official beginning of spring — the vernal equinox — indicates the precise moment when the earth is tilted so that the sun hovers directly over the equator. In fact, […]
Asheville City Council
Citing health risks as their top concern, Asheville City Council has formed a crisis committee to weigh the pros and cons of dissolving the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency. “Asheville’s in an inversion 78 percent of the time, second only to Los Angeles,” Mayor Leni Sitnick pointed out during Council’s March 7 work session. “For […]
Stories in stone and brick
In this age of sprawling five-lanes lined with fast-food chains and megastores, we are fortunate to live in a city whose rich history is abundantly in evidence. From the gargoyles of the Jackson Building — whose necks jut out boldly over the adjacent streets — to the trim brick storefronts of bustling Biltmore Avenue, much […]
Notepad
Women on the move North Carolina Gov. Jim Hunt recently proclaimed March as Women’s History Month. And, at a March 14 banquet in Cary, nearly 70 prominent North Carolinians — including nine women from WNC — received this year’s Distinguished Women of North Carolina awards. Individuals and organizations across the state nominated women who’ve made […]
Mother to daughters
It could have been a figment of my 10-year-old [twin] daughters’ imaginations — but it wasn’t — when they burst through the door one afternoon fresh off the school bus, exclaiming, “Mommy, we just saw a black man holding a Confederate flag on the corner!” In my best maternal tone I replied, “No, girls that […]
Haywood County quits APCA
Just when it seemed that the Regional Air Pollution Control Agency was becoming a more active and effective force for local pollution control, the Haywood County commissioners abruptly pulled the rug out from under the APCA on Friday, Feb. 25, voting unanimously to withdraw from the agency. The unexpected action ended a 30-year partnership involving […]
Making cooperation pay
What’s a true food cooperative — a place to buy natural foods and organically grown produce at reasonable prices? An empowering, humane place to work and find community? Or, maybe, a little bit of both? The management, staff and member/owners of Asheville’s French Broad Food Co-op are locked in a thorny philosophical debate as they […]