Inspired by a farmer's pleading letter to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, When the Parkway Came by Anne and David Whisnant puts a human face on the creation of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the most visited unit in our national park system. Through the tale of one Appalachian family during the Great Depression, the book shows … Read more
The Eastern White Pine, Pinus strobus, is a fast-growing native used for plantation plantings, screens (where there isn’t too much wind), specimen trees and hedges. Its needles are long, slender and soft, and they eventually cover the ground, making a downy woodland carpet. The trunks are stately and the branches whorl around it. A mature … Read more
Slow food fundraiser In its history as an international movement, Slow Food has focused on the pleasure, as much as the politics, of food. Slow Food, founded in Italy by Carlo Petrini, is about preserving traditional ways of eating, preparing and cultivating what ends up on the table. The movement has since spread across the … Read more
So you just bought a draft beer at a bar or restaurant. If you’re in Asheville, you’re typically paying anywhere from $3.75 to $6 for a pint. But wait. Did you get a full pint for your cash? A standard American pint equals 16 fluid ounces. But not all “pint” glasses are equal. Some may … Read more
It was a year ago when local folk rock-noir artist Angela Faye Martin went to see Vic Chesnutt at what would be Chesnutt's last Grey Eagle show. After Chesnutt's set, Martin gave him an advanced copy of her just-completed Pictures From Home. Martin had met the late Athens, Ga.-based singer/songwriter once before. "Back in summer … Read more
Now, we're usually not ones to gossip, but we're starting to think there's a definite love connection going on between Philly and our little city. (See: the Admiral, Floating Action, Brian McGee, Telepath, uhmmm … Lenny's Sub Shop). Go ahead and add Adam Granduciel to the list. "I try to make it down to Asheville … Read more
Kurt Vonnegut once wrote about how perplexed he was that anyone would choose movie-making over writing. He pointed out that where writing is a completely self-contained venture inside the head of the author, filmmaking is a time consuming act that's not only horribly complex and involved, but really, really expensive. But maybe the idea that … Read more
In my last column I reviewed the History Channel’s show about junking, American Pickers. My reaction to the program and its hosts veered from indifference to hostile irritation. However, I acknowledged that maybe I just didn’t like spending TV-watching time looking at people do my job, and suggested curious viewers take my review with a … Read more
The Suspect: NeedtoBreathe If anyone on Grey’s Anatomy ever finds religion, chances are they’ll be playing NeedtoBreathe in the background. Bear and Bo Rinehart, sons of an Assembly of God pastor and a piano teacher in Possum Kingdom, S.C., grew up playing football and music. The band’s third album, The Outsiders, has drawn comparisons to … Read more
