Arts + Entertainment

 

Pigeon Community ‘Storytellers Series’

The Pigeon Community Multicultural Development Center in Waynesville has recently announced its 2025 “Pigeon Community Conversations with Storytellers Series.” 

Read More

Comment

 

Full circle: Astro Record Store opens in Waynesville

One recent afternoon, while wandering the Historic Frog Level District in Waynesville, the sounds of hard rock act AC/DC drifted out the front door of 24 Commerce St. The retro sign on the window states Astro Record Store. The friendly face behind the counter is Kevin “Lippy” Mawby. 

Read More

Comment

 

The brief history of the Sylva Collegiate Institute

Back in the 1940s, while World War II was still raging in Europe and the Philippines,  Charlie Kilpatrick and I used to entertain ourselves by prowling through the kudzu thickets near his house. 

Read More

Comment

 

Vincent van Gogh from a female perspective

I was gifted the book “The Secret Life of Sunflowers” (by Marta Molnar, 2022, 399 pages) and told I would like it. Usually, this kind of gift ends up not being what it was purported to be by the gift-giver.

Read More

Comment

 

What remains: Following Helene flooding, MANNA FoodBank releases benefit album

In the seven months since Hurricane Helene ravaged the mountains and valleys of Western North Carolina, there’s been one constant thought rolling through the mind of Guy Smith. 

“In memorializing Helene’s savagery, the agony it caused, the grief and loss, but also the resilience and charity,” Smith said. “I’d like people to internalize that when things are the worst, people are the best.”

Read More

Comment

 

Asheville poet focuses on the ‘Now’

As a practitioner and student of poetry all my life, I’ve noticed that while there is a lot of poetry written well and with talented reach, at the same time, there is little current poetry that I’ve experienced that one would classify as being “wise” or “transcendent.”  

Read More

Comment

 

Saddle up and take a ride West

It’s the spring of 1873 in the Wyoming Territory, and U.S. Marshal Tim Colter and his grizzled mentor and best friend, mountain man Jed Reno, are hunting down some train robbers when they come across a man dying of gunshot wounds. The victim turns out to be a Secret Service agent who as he breathes his last says, “President Grant … assassination … Dugan … trust nobody.” 

Read More

Comment

 

Taking the wheel: Following Helene flooding, Canton art collective to reopen

Last Thursday afternoon, dark storm clouds overtook downtown Canton. Sitting on a couch in the Cold Mountain Art Collective on Adams Street, Hannah Burnisky gazes out at the raindrops sliding down the large front windows of the business. 

Read More

Comment

 

Rain on the scarecrows (concluded)

Several weeks ago, I published an article that dealt with a trip to Tellico Plains with the Principal Chief of the Cherokees, John Crowe. This was back in 1976 and the Tennessee Valley Authority had announced their plans to flood the Tellico Plains.

Read More

Comment

Smokey Mountain News Logo
SUPPORT THE SMOKY MOUNTAIN NEWS AND
INDEPENDENT, AWARD-WINNING JOURNALISM
Go to top
JSN Time 2 is designed by JoomlaShine.com | powered by JSN Sun Framework
Payment Information

/

At our inception 20 years ago, we chose to be different. Unlike other news organizations, we made the decision to provide in-depth, regional reporting free to anyone who wanted access to it. We don’t plan to change that model. Support from our readers will help us maintain and strengthen the editorial independence that is crucial to our mission to help make Western North Carolina a better place to call home. If you are able, please support The Smoky Mountain News.

The Smoky Mountain News is a wholly private corporation. Reader contributions support the journalistic mission of SMN to remain independent. Your support of SMN does not constitute a charitable donation. If you have a question about contributing to SMN, please contact us.