Zelda Fitzgerald Week is back, after last year’s annual event was canceled due to COVID-19. Also: North Carolina Stage Company debuts its latest production; Beer Sister Cities of Perpetual Indulgence release its latest online series; and more!
Author: Thomas Calder
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Video premiere: Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats team up with The Get Right Band
Two local bands — Andrew Scotchie & the River Rats and The Get Right Band — cover each other’s songs for a pair of new music videos shot in Asheville.
Mary Othella Burnette writes of growing up Black in WNC
Born in Black Mountain in 1931, Mary Othella Burnette recounts her youth in her debut memoir, Lige of the Black Walnut Tree: Growing Up Black in Southern Appalachia.
Around town: Black History Month celebrations, live theater, virtual concerts and more
Rise Up: A Celebration of African American History and Culture returns for a second consecutive year with a virtual twist. Also: Asheville Wisdom Exchange launches; The Magnetic Theatre celebrates its first live performance of 2021; and plenty more.
Wayne Caldwell celebrates his debut poetry collection and imaginary muse
Over the last two years, writer Wayne Caldwell has written poems based on imaginary conversations with his fictional character Posey Green. His forthcoming poetry collection, Woodsmoke, comes out Tuesday, Feb. 23.
Around town: Actors and poets needed, plus new art exhibits and online events
Want to dance? The Wortham Center for the Performing Arts is hosting a virtual ballet workshop. Want to act? Montford Park Players is currently seeking actors for the 2021 season. Want a free stay at a local bed and breakfast? Submit your poetry to The Writers’ Workshop’s annual contest and see if you win.
New digital archive examines Nina Simone’s relationship with Langston Hughes
In 1949, poet Langston Hughes spoke at the Allen High School in Asheville. One of the students in attendance was Eunice Waymon, later known professionally as Nina Simone. In time, the poet and the singer developed a unique relationship, which author and N.C. State University professor W. Jason Miller is currently documenting in an online archive, Backlash Blues: Nina Simone and Langston Hughes.
Battle of the Badges Blood Drive returns
Press release from American Red Cross: The countdown to the 11th Annual Battle of the Badges Blood Drive is on. Buncombe County and Asheville first responders face off every year for a lifesaving cause. Local heroes are rolling up their sleeves and encouraging the community to do the same. Just one donation can save up to three […]
Around town: The latest history talks, art exhibits and poetry contests
There are plenty of free virtual and in-person exhibits and educational opportunities in and around Asheville. Poets and visual artists are also being called to submit works for a pair of contests.
Black music and art takes center stage at the Buncombe County Special Collections
A recent collaboration between the Buncombe County Special Collections and local nonprofit Engaging Collections creates greater awareness and visibility of Asheville’s African American music and art.
New and upcoming arts exhibits
See some of the latest art exhibits now on view in and around town.
Artist Lara Nguyen continues to create amid her battle with cancer
Warren Wilson College art professor Lara Nguyen reflects on her family and art as she confronts her ongoing battle with cancer.
MLK Day events shift to online platforms due to COVID-19
Since 1981, Oralene Simmons, founder and chair of The Martin Luther King Jr. Association of Asheville and Buncombe County, has watched the organization’s annual prayer breakfast grow from 50 or so attendees to several thousand. Now in its 40th year, the association is preparing for its latest gathering. But unlike in the past, the 2021 […]
Asheville Archives: Billy Borne’s 1921 cartoons
In this year’s Humor Issue, we return to Billy Borne’s cartoons. Though his work was published in The Asheville Citizen for over 20 years, our focus is on 1921. As his illustrations exhibit, the Roaring 20s did not actually kick off with a bang but rather an economic recession-turned-depression. By the end of 1921, however, […]
(HUMOR) Five virtual food-related classes for and after COVID-19
Editor’s note: The following story, unlike the rest of Mountain Xpress’s award-winning coverage of local news and events throughout the rest of the year, is 100% fake. Feeling a little sluggish after 2020? Curious how you’ll readjust once things eventually return to normal? These five fictitious classes might be your answer. Please and Thank You: […]
Asheville Archives: The 1918 influenza series
Amid the onset of COVID-19, Xpress took a deep dive into the city’s past response to the 1918 influenza. The series, which ran in our weekly history feature, Asheville Archives, examined the ways residents complied with, and later raged against, health restrictions, as well as the lasting toll the pandemic had on families who lost […]
Welcoming a new life in 2020
In June, Ruth Pike-Elliot gave birth to her son, Ollie. She and her wife, Bren, have worked hard to stay safe while celebrating the life of their newborn son with family and friends.
COVID Conversations: Year in review
This year, in response to the pandemic, Xpress launched COVID Conversations. We hope the series provides insights and glimpses into how our community has coped with the health crisis.
Topping my list: Thomas Calder’s favorite stories from 2020
Reporter Thomas Calder reflects on his favorite stories of 2020.
Gloria Pincu still coping with her loss
In the spring, Gloria Pincu and her husband, Daniel, tested positive for COVID-19. Both were hospitalized; tragically, only Gloria survived.
Roy Parvin revisits readers’ reactions to his summer reflection
Roy Parvin and his wife, Janet, relocated to Asheville in May. Roy’s reflection on the move sparked some controversy with Xpress readers.