On March 3, the first book from new publishing house, Orison Books — “a nonprofit literary press that focuses on work that engages the life of the spirit — goes on sale. The first work is I Scrape the Window of Nothingness from poet Stella Vinitchi Radulescu.
When Fiona Ritchie (the presenter of NPR’s long-running program, “The Thistle and the Shamrock”) first came to North Carolina, “people heard my accent and they’d say, ‘Oh, I’m Scots-Irish,’” she remembers. “I was confused. I thought they meant one parent was Scottish and one was Irish. It took me a wee while to realize this […]
A natural storyteller, Ron Rash has held audiences spellbound at many events across Western North Carolina — and around the country — over the past two decades. Not only do his works of poetry and prose speak to readers in the Carolinas, Hollywood has tapped two of his novels for big-screen adaptations. Serena (starring Jennifer […]
Unlike larger book festivals, the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival deliberately sets out to create a “festival of ideas.” As anyone who has attended a previous festival knows (the gathering is now in its ninth year), events are informal, and are more akin to conversations than presentations.
Bob Falls had been working on an idea for a show using poetry to explore the stages of a person’s life but didn’t initially see himself as one of the performers. After moving to Asheville in the early 1980s, he was cast in a play at the Asheville Community Theatre, and as he gained experience, […]
Blue Ridge Bookfest, now in its sixth year, takes place at Blue Ridge Community College over the weekend of April 25 and 26. More than 35 authors from around the country will participate; Bill Ramsey, who became an author since helping to start the festival, will be among them.
Spoken word events around Asheville The Asheville spoken word scene, vibrant since its ’90s-era heyday, has continued to grow steadily over the years. Between several ongoing reading series, there’s now a network of vibrant, recurring events where a large rotating cast of local poets (from polished veterans to earnest students) strut their stuff and […]
Novelist Amy Greene grew up in the Smokies, just over the state line in East Tennessee, and her new novel, “Long Man,” is a classic Appalachian tale. She will read from and discuss the novel at Malaprop’s on Sunday, March 9. Photo by Adam Green.
Psychotherapist Bryan E. Robinson is a veteran author, having written 35 self-help and scholarly books on stress and workaholism over the years. His most recent such work is “The Smart Guide to Managing Stress.” Only now, however, is he unveiling his first work of fiction, 12 years in the making. “Limestone Gumption” launches with great fanfare on Friday, March 7, at Malaprop’s Bookstore. Photo by Jon Michael Riley
Growing up in Ireland, I was well aware of the Artane Boys Band. Famous throughout the country, the group was called upon to play at every important event: St. Patrick’s Day parades, football finals, state occasions. But the Artane Industrial School, the infamous orphanage that spawned the group, had been shut down in 1969, and […]
