This must be the place: ‘The universe begins immediately to your left’
It was an otherwise quiet Tuesday evening when my girlfriend started in on me once again that it was high…
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This must be the place: Ode to Anna Marie, ode to the kids of Smith Street (and beyond)
Stepping outside the small log cabin, I took a moment to collect my thoughts. Vast farm fields and ancient dirt…
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This must be the place: ‘It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work’
Somewhere around Schroon Lake, New York, just following a quick hike in the Adirondack Mountains, it was decided to head…
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Jim Avett rolls into Andrews
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Jim Avett will hit the stage at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at The Blue Stage in Andrews.
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This must be the place: ‘The questions of a thousand dreams, what you do and what you see’
It’s never easy to go home. And I think it only seems to get harder, perhaps more abstract and blurry,…
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Bryson City community jam
A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
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This must be the place: ‘A sunbeam’s shining through his hair, fear not to have a care’
It’s 9:54 a.m. Tuesday. I’m sitting at the old wooden kitchen table at my parents’ farmhouse in rural Upstate New…
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Mountain Heritage Day
A beloved long-time Western North Carolina tradition, the 49th annual Mountain Heritage Day will be held from 10 a.m. to…
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Franklin welcomes bluegrass legend
Americana/bluegrass artist Darren Nicholson will hit the stage at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the gazebo in downtown Franklin.
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HART presents ‘Good Ol’ Girls’
There will be a stage production of “Good Ol’ Girls” at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 22-23, 29-30, Oct. 5-7 and 2…
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Highlander ‘Salon Series’
An intimate performance by renowned Americana/indie act Hurray For The Riff Raff will be part of the “Salon Series” at…
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Edwards returns to Meadowlark
Americana/indie singer-songwriter A. Lee Edwards will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 30, in the Speakeasy Bar at the Meadowlark…
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Haywood art studio tour
The Haywood County Arts Council’s annual “Haywood County Studio Tour” will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday,…
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This must be the place: ‘I don’t know, don’t really care, let there be songs to fill the air’
It’s 11 a.m. Monday. Currently sitting in the rec room of my aunt’s high-end apartment complex on the outskirts of…
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Can you escape the corn maze?
The annual corn maze and pumpkin patch will return through Oct. 31 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City.
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This must be the place: ‘A horse is a horse, of course, of course’
The alarm on my smart phone echoed throughout the small cabin. It was 7:30 a.m. Saturday and I had to…
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Down home radio: WPTL celebrates 60 years on the air
In the winter of 1978, Terryll Evans was a ninth grader in Orlando, Florida. But, by March, she and her…
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A love story from a more innocent time
Every once in a while, a novel hits me with a punch I never saw coming, perhaps even one unintended…
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This must be the place: Ode to STS9, ode to intent and intuition
Emerging from the rental car, a slight drizzle from an early evening storm rolled across the high-desert landscape of Morrison,…
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In search of natural beauty: Beloved Designs Woodworking
Woodworking newcomers Matt and Jessa Brantley have already made numerous statements with their eye-catching pieces.
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This must be the place: Sweating out my worries, just another day
Covered in sweat, I was about three miles into a Friday afternoon run around Lake Johnson on the outskirts of…
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Bryson City community jam
A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 7, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.
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This must be the place: ‘Scarecrow and a yellow moon and pretty soon a carnival on the edge of town’
Mailbox 278 (pictured) along Route 581 in the unincorporated community of Nahunta, North Carolina. In the rural depths of Wayne…
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Gratitude is the attitude: Doug Gray of Marshall Tucker Band
Last Tuesday morning, Doug Gray was standing outside his hotel room in Jackson, Wyoming.
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Barn Quilts: Deborah Freedman mixes traditional with contemporary
Deborah Freedman has been painting barn quilts for five years, but she conveys a sense that she has been creating…
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This must be the place: ‘Make another dime just to lose it in time, what's the meaning’
Exiting the elevator of the Cambria Hotel in downtown Asheville on Monday morning, I noticed the “Sunset Time” scribbled on…
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This must be the place: ‘No, I’d rather go and journey where the diamond crescent’s glowing’
Parking the truck at the intersection of the Appalachian Trail and the Nolichucky River on the outskirts of the small…
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HART presents ‘Every Brilliant Thing’
A one-hour, one-person show, a production of “Every Brilliant Thing” by Duncan MacMillan will be held at 7:30 p.m. Aug.…
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Believe in me for who I am: Lynyrd Skynyrd drummer to play AVLfest
On Oct. 20, 1977, a plane carrying southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd crashed into the woods near Gillsburg, Mississippi.
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This must be the place: ‘I’m wondering where you are tonight and I’m wondering if you are all right’
Hello from Room 209 at the Super 8 on the outskirts of Rawlins, Wyoming. Late morning and taking my time…
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An indigenous road map for all mankind
Sometimes a great book just falls into my lap, which is what happened recently with Sherri Mitchell’s “Sacred Instructions” (North…
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Bill Douglas: Passing down a bit of history
Heritage crafter Bill Douglas is continually gathering knowledge about the processes he uses to produce his work and takes great…
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This must be the place: ‘I spent a little time on the mountain, I spent a little time on the hill’
Hello from Room 312 at the Apres hotel in Whitefish, Montana. Late Sunday morning. High of 91 degrees with low…
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Local rock, country act wins national award
With a hot sun slowly fading behind the Great Balsam Mountains cradling Waynesville, Outlaw Whiskey hopped onto the stage for…
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In search of the muse: Cashiers artisan finds purpose in painting
From fine-detailed still-lifes that resemble photographs to wispy mountain landscapes, artist David Berger’s approach to painting is one reaching every…
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How can the citizenry take back America?
Suppose you believe that climate change is a threat to humanity, but you oppose abortion or that you consider owning…
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Peeling back the layers: Couple shares Cherokee history, culture
With over 50 years of experience in each of their disciplines, award-winning artisan couple Butch and Louise Goings continuously garner…
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‘Voices from the Past’
The series “Where We Live: History, Nature and Culture” will host the Women’s History Trail program “Voices from the Past”…
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Front Street Arts & Crafts
The 8th annual Front Street Arts & Crafts Show will showcase some of the finest regional artisans from 10 a.m.…
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War history cites brotherhood, and bloodshed
Sometimes we read certain histories — Scott’s expedition to Antarctica, for example, or Washington’s troops at Valley Forge, or the…
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This must be the place: Ode to 10 years of ‘This…place,’ ode to all you kind readers
Hello from 36,000 feet above the Midwest on this otherwise quiet Monday afternoon.
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Love is enough: Andrew Scotchie shines on latest release
On his latest album, “Love is Enough,” Asheville indie-rocker Andrew Scotchie comes full circle with a bevy of things in…
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This must be the place: Stuck in Columbia with the North Country blues again
At 6 p.m. this past Friday, I was supposed to be walking into my 20th high school reunion at the…
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Fourth of July in the Smokies
Nothing says summer more than the Fourth of July, and in Western North Carolina, we celebrate Independence Day with gusto.…
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This must be the place: ‘Am I doing it right? It doesn’t matter, just keep telling the story’
Whether it’s Sunday evening, Monday afternoon or Tuesday morning, I’m usually trying to sit down and write this here column.…
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Grow together: Paul Hoffman of Greensky Bluegrass
Since its inception in 2000, Greensky Bluegrass has grown from a scrappy string ensemble to one of the premier live…
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All in the family: Riverwood Pottery
Artist family Brant, Karen and Zan Barnes make pottery a philosophical journey that encompasses every portion of their lives.
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This must be the place: Ode to the Grateful Dead, ode to those carrying on the tradition
Pulling off Interstate 240 in downtown Asheville last Friday evening, I stopped my truck at the intersection of Hill Street…
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Woodland Muse: Reclaiming nature’s bounty
Artists Bill and Patricia Weinert channel their appreciation for the environment into collaborative works under the banner of Woodland Muse.
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This must be the place: Ode to the girl from the North Country, ode to a year of grief later
Pulling up to the entrance of an old logging road in the depths of Balsam Gap between Sylva and Waynesville,…
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