“I think there’s a sense from those newer to the form that poetry is something to be ‘solved’— that there’s a hidden meaning to a poem that requires the reader to find a clue or key and it unlocks,” says local poet Brandon Amico. “It’s hard to say where that sense comes from, but almost every young person seems to be taught that.
Painter Melanie Norris shares her top picks for upcoming local arts events and releases.
Christie Calaycay discusses her latest creative projects as well as upcoming arts shows that she’s excited to attend.
Eric Brown and Cayla Clark discuss the local comedy scene, revealing why stand-ups and improv artists don’t always get along.
Topics featured in Billy Borne’s 1924 collection include concerns about tourism, that year’s presidential campaign and election (which involved the emergence of Robert M. La Follette as a third-party candidate), lack of funding for local education and police, anxieties over real estate and the pressures on everyday citizens due to the high cost of living.
To celebrate WNC’s 2023 literary accomplishments, Xpress reached out to writers Mildred Barya, Clint Bowman, Michael Hettich, Meagen Lucas and Brit Washburn. All five participants had new publications come out this year.
Katie Button, J Chong, Steven Goff and Suzy Phillips share their takes on top dishes and favorite restaurants.
We return with the latest iteration of “Look Homeward,” a recurring feature exploring the life, work and impact of Asheville author Thomas Wolfe on our area’s local writers, educators, historians and creatives.
“I think some folks definitely have assumptions about what makes a book or a poem ‘Appalachian.’ I find most Appalachian writing buying into some of the marketable stereotypes from the region instead of saying or doing anything interesting,” says poet Evan Gray. “I’m not interested in that.”
“Except as impelled by the rising temperature of a political campaign, how small is the minority that gives regular and serious study to the public business!” lamented The Asheville Citizen in a Jan. 22, 1923 editorial.
“I love poetry that requires the engagement of the reader’s imagination,” says poet Tina Barr. “I like opaque language, rather than transparent language.”
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.”
New York Times bestselling author, Wiley Cash, joins Xpress for our recurring feature on the life and literary works of Thomas Wolfe.
Mountain Xpress journalists won three North Carolina Press Association awards.
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.”
“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.”
“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.
In this month’s poetry feature, Chess — a professor emeritus of English at UNC Asheville, where he served as the director of the Center for Jewish Studies for 30 years — discusses the influence Judaism has had on his writing and the role poetry plays in the present day. Along with the conversation is Chess’ poem “Tashlikh 5773.”
Xpress’ new “Look Homeward” feature begins with Thomas Wolfe, but aims to eventually shift focus to other celebrated writers with ties to WNC, including, but not limited to Wilma Dykeman, John Ehle and O. Henry.
This year’s competition asked writers to draft an original, previously unpublished piece on the theme of hope.
Xpress recently caught up with Charles Frazier about his new novel, The Trackers. Set in 1937, the book’s narrator and protagonist Val Welch is an artists turned amateur private eye.
