Two of 2010’s hottest news stories were written by frequent Mountain Xpress contributors Anne Fitten Glenn and Nelda Holder. Both women are longtime journalists: Glenn now writes our Edgy Mama and Brews News columns; before retiring late last year, Holder was our associate editor, in charge of the letters and commentary sections. Here are their … Read more
It seems I do little writing these days, but as an editor I get to be part of our ongoing good-faith efforts to track down and deliver the news. One project I’d like to toot the horn about: our 2010 election coverage. Reporters David Forbes, Jake Frankel and Michael Muller (with a little help from … Read more
We continued another year of the heavily trafficked Sightlines theatre-review project (mountainx.com/theatre). A collaboration between Xpress and contributors John Crutchfield, Lucia Del Vecchio Gray, Steven Samuels and guests, the online-only reviews attempt to provide honest and thoughtful criticism of almost every local theatre production. Watch for changes this year, as Samuels opens the Magnetic Field … Read more
With so many talented artists in Asheville to write about, it is difficult to choose a single favorite column of 2010. I always enjoy getting to know artists through the interview process, and for this reason I especially enjoyed writing profiles about people like Tim Barnwell, Luca Dipierro, Peter Parpan and Anna Jensen. Then there … Read more
By far, the coolest story in the Mountain Xpress for 2010 was the interesting article I wrote about myself. In it I discussed me, my business and how I run my business. How I don't have money to run the business that I don't run very well and about how I need your money to … Read more
Classical music had an active year in Asheville in 2010. The Asheville Symphony began its 50th season; the Classical Guitar Society began hosting concerts; the Chamber Music Society continued performances in its 58th season; and the Asheville Area Piano Forum hosted its 10th annual Fall Benefit Concert. My first story for the Xpress, “Eighty-Eight Keys, … Read more
The Sirens cartoon (published June 16), which used the popular myth as a metaphor for the duplicitous allure of Asheville, is my favorite from 2010. I enjoyed creating it because: I was able to use a simple pen-and-ink style (with the benefit of not having to color) as well as an over-flowery narrative; I got … Read more
Dunkin’ Booth Baptism (published Sept. 28), featuring Buncombe County Republican Party chairman Chad Nesbitt, was my favorite cartoon for 2010. I especially enjoyed drawing the characters. In fact, the characters, the concept and the writing were quite easy for me to develop. In earlier years, I loved lampooning Carl Mumpower, because he seemed a little … Read more
For weeks, all my trustworthy friends had been raving about Sky Lake. My curiosity was piqued, but still I remained skeptical. In my experience, it's nearly impossible to live up to that sort of hype. Nevertheless, I was dying to see for myself, so I kept an eye on Sky Lake's schedule and patiently waited … Read more
