Few people would credit Bob Dylan with pioneering Celtic rock. However, when he shocked the world by going electric at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, Dylan opened the flood gates through which new forms of traditional folk music could be expressed. Lief Sorbye, founder, singer and double-necked mandolin player from Celtic rockers Tempest, is … Read more
Lost Nation by Jeffrey Lent (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2002) The dramatic success of Cold Mountain was still rippling through the literary world when its publisher purchased and published Jeffrey Lent’s debut novel, In the Fall. Fall went on to become a national bestseller and launched the former Asheville resident to the top of his game. … Read more
Asked to do a piece on the Asheville Art Museum’s current exhibit, John Cage Visual Art: To Sober and Quiet the Mind, a writer with a broader streak of smart-ass might have felt compelled to submit a blank document to her editor. Or perhaps a single page with letters and characters scattered seemingly at random … Read more
When Dorothy heads down a certain lemon-hued pathway at Warren Wilson Theatre this May, she’ll be wearing silver slippers, and she’ll be in the company of women — an all-female cast, to be exact. The silver slippers hearken back to L. Frank Baum’s book, The Wizard of Oz; the shoes were changed to ruby-red in … Read more
Of note The Nikki Talley Band has recently announced it’s working on a new, as yet unnamed CD. There has been no news of a release date for the effort. The group recently re-entered the local music scene after a brief hiatus. For more information, visit www.nikkitalley.com. Local indie/punk label Celibate Records has a new … Read more
My dad never grew corn in the garden he tended outside Denver, where I grew up. He was from Nebraska and Mom was from Iowa, so they certainly knew what corn is supposed to taste like. I know Dad tried growing it a couple of times, but the conditions in Colorado made it hard to … Read more
If you’re looking for the ideal setting for connecting with nature, Dave Guerin thinks you won’t do much better than Lake Logan. That’s why the self-described philosopher chose the Haywood County spot for an event he’s dubbed the Lake Logan Earth/Spirit Gathering, a weekend filled with speakers, song, dance and, of course, philosophical discussions. The … Read more
Can you land a nollie 180 with a crooked grind? All you have to do is mount a skateboard, swoop down a steep concrete wall, hop up on a rail (feet still planted on your board, naturally), “grind” along the rail with your board nose-down, then land smoothly back on the ground and coast away. … Read more
Celebrating the crafts of Scotland The mountainous terrain of the Southern Appalachians bears a strong resemblance to the rocky Scottish Highlands, making this area a natural choice for the many Scots who settled here in the 18th and 19th centuries. No surprise, then, that Appalachian crafts and culture, language and lore also closely reflect their … Read more
Some might consider a bit of meandering dialogue “healthy.” Others might call it “wasted verbiage.” But after three-and-a-half hours, almost anyone might call it butt-numbing. “I’ve been to a lot of City Council meetings, and I’ve never heard so much wasted verbiage,” local financial planner Walter Plaue told Council members at the end of their … Read more
