“I am a modestly successful author of 17 books, only one of which ever generated a steady income. (Hence the modesty.)”
High times in the ’70s: A Jew in Asheville
“For the next 24 hours, we had armed agents guarding the gate and the driveway, and lookouts toting automatic weapons were posted on the roof.”
Why I can’t support the Woodfin de-annexation request
“The decision to begin collecting a stormwater fee was made because, prior to 2019 and 2020, Woodfin had essentially just gotten away with not satisfying the mandatory obligations of its MS4 permit.”
Pulling pandemic weeds as time stretched wide
“Each March since 2020, the ivyleaf speedwell has returned and reminded me of a time of simplicity, anxiety, joy and boredom.”
HCA critics may not realize they’re also shareholders
“Recently, there has been a local movement to buy individual shares of HCA stock and submit a shareholder resolution to address the company’s profit-first business strategy at Mission.”
In defense of challenge: How tackling hard things benefits us all
“So here’s my challenge: Let’s find ways to regularly challenge ourselves in good ways and let’s encourage others around us to do the same.”
The turbulent ’60s: A Jew in Asheville
“Meanwhile, despite the new respect that worldwide Jewry received after the war, antisemitism continued to rear its ugly head in Asheville, as demonstrated by two stories that community members shared with me.”
An Asheville ‘leaver’ checks in
“In fact, much of the ire now being aimed at the TDA — and tourism in general — merely echoes concerns about the tourism of a century ago, and the mismanagement and negligence of city government back then.”
Artist Connie Bostic made her mark on Asheville
“Asheville lost one of its greatest when Connie Bostic died last month. Connie was a creator, and Asheville was her beneficiary.”
Fighting back: A Jew in Asheville
“Non-Jewish friends and even people I hardly knew were saying things like ‘I didn’t know Jews would fight’ and ‘You guys really kicked those guys’ ass.’”
Year in Review: Readers offered views on downtown, infrastructure, plastic bans and more
Xpress readers engaged with a wide range of local issues in 2023 — from concerns about downtown Asheville to infrastructure priorities, a possible single-use plastic bag ban, education issues and more.
My Story: Of all our WNC seasons, fall is my favorite
“Remembering the joy of seeing autumn’s falling leaves helped me feel better about the season ending.”
Opinion: Musician’s Workshop owners to embark on a well-deserved retirement
Frank Dosier and his wife, Becky, are ready to sell Musician’s Workshop, where Frank started working when he was 16. The couple bought the business in 1977.
The more things (don’t) change: A Jew in Asheville
“Many of those who were interested in joining were community leaders, prominent in both business and philanthropy. These folks met all the qualifications for membership but were denied acceptance solely because they were Jewish — an obvious attempt to keep Jews in their place.”
My Story: I learned far more than I taught
“I would encourage anyone who’s interested in language and cultural exchange to put aside any fears or doubts they may have about becoming an ESOL tutor and give Literacy Together a try!”
Smart housing lies at the core of local crises
“It’s going to take a historic effort to close the gaps in housing supply that are close to the places where people work, shop and entertain themselves and where there may also be options for walking, biking or taking mass transit.”
No admittance: A Jew in Asheville
“In addition to emotional pain and suffering, selective membership based on race, color or religion can result in egregious restraint of trade.”
My Story: Random acts of kindness
“So, it looks like I’m now committed to acts of kindness toward strangers. I encourage everyone to give it a try.”
The Moshe Cohen laws: A Jew in Asheville
“There were also what I call the ‘Moshe Cohen laws,’ which were designed to marginalize members of the Jewish community and similarly minimize social interaction.”
Buncombe County must protect our communities from plastic pollution
“On balance, our ordinance would significantly reduce the amount of pollution, waste and greenhouse gases created to help county residents carry their groceries out of the store.”
The many faces of prejudice: A Jew in Asheville
“Both Jews and Blacks suffered due to white Christian bigotry, and this led to a certain amount of bonding.”