A proclamation about women as artists

As I peruse the shelves in the Jackson County Library’s “new releases” section, it is evident to me that there…
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Planting the seeds of tomorrow: A community comes together post-Helene

On Friday evening, downtown Waynesville was in kind of a festive spirit — a far cry from what all of…
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Mountain Heritage Day celebrates 50 years

A beloved long-time Western North Carolina tradition, Mountain Heritage Day will spotlight its 50th anniversary from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.…
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A thoughtful farewell to summer

The change of season, especially to autumn, is always a welcome and refreshing time for me. Traveling diminishes, darkness encroaches…
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Cherokee Indian Fair

The 112th annual Cherokee Indian Fair will be held Oct. 1-5 at the Acquoni Expo Center site, located at 1501…
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HART presents ‘The Mousetrap’

A special stage production of Agatha Christie’s legendary whodunit “The Mousetrap” will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 27-28, Oct.…
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HCAC's 'Fashion for the Arts'

Presented by the Haywood County Arts Council (HCAC), the “Fashion for the Arts” fundraiser will be held from 2-4 p.m.…
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Americana, folk at Mountain Layers

Jackson County Americana/folk duo Bird in Hand will perform at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at Mountain Layers Brewing Company…
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ColorFest returns to Dillsboro

The 16th annual ColorFest will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, in downtown Dillsboro. 
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Rock rolls into Scotsman

Regional rock/jam group Arnold Hill will perform at 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at The Scotsman Public House in Waynesville. 
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Want to learn contra dancing?

There will be a contra dance class offered from 6:30-9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at the Macon County Public Library…
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Waynesville art walk, live music

A cherished gathering of locals and visitors alike, “Art After Dark” will continue its 2024 season from 6-9 p.m. Friday,…
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Debut novel deals with opioid crisis

Rick Childers will share his debut novel, “Turkeyfoot,” in conversation with Meagan Lucas at 3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at…
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A blank canvas: The world of paint and sip

On a sunny morning, I met Robin Arramae at Panacea Coffee House in the Frog Level District of Waynesville. We…
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Teaching manners and other life skills

Recently I had the opportunity to speak by phone with writer and podcaster Jennifer L. Scott. The author of the…
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Old Crow Medicine Show to headline Mountain Heritage Day

A beloved long-time Western North Carolina tradition, the 50th annual Mountain Heritage Day will be held from 10 a.m. to…
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Folkmoot welcomes renowned cellist

Folkmoot USA will present world-renowned American cellist and composer Michael Fitzpatrick at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 27, at the Folkmoot…
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Bryson City community jam

A community jam will be held from 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 19, at the Marianna Black Library in Bryson City.…
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It's Only Fear That Makes You Run: A conversation with Melissa Etheridge

If there’s one word to describe singer-songwriter Melissa Etheridge, it would be persistent. From humble and hardscrabble beginnings as a…
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A new take on an old issue

Glass half-full or glass half-empty? For the past 20 years, we’ve heard from academics, some politicians and various commentators that…
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Smokies Life publishes George Masa biography

Smokies Life has announced the publication of “George Masa: A Life Reimagined,” the first comprehensively researched biography of the visionary…
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Fall into Darnell Farms

The annual corn maze and pumpkin patch will return through Oct. 31 at Darnell Farms in Bryson City. 
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Shine your light: Patton Magee of The Nude Party

It’s a hot, early evening at FloydFest, the storied independently-run music festival held each July in the backwoods of rural…
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Living off the grid for 40 years

In a book written in a first-person, vulnerable and intimately entertaining narrative oral storytelling voice, Ken Smith takes us through…
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Melodies of love: Asheville Mountain Boys to play Sylva

The sheer beauty and fundamental foundation of bluegrass music resides in one simple truth about the tones, textures and talents…
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In this book, old-time means good time

Over 30 years ago, I read Helen Hooven Santmyer’s “And Ladies of the Club,” a doorstopper of a book chronicling…
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Spread it heavy: WNC rockers Porch 40 return

It was a special time and place when rock-n-funk act Porch 40 emerged onto the vast, vibrant Western North Carolina…
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A scary, page-turner of a story

Sometimes life seems too short to read every novel and author on your list. Oftentimes, I tend towards classics and…
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Mission in the Rain: Sam Grisman Project to play Earl Scruggs Fest

When stand-up bassist Sam Grisman wanted to start his band, aptly titled the Sam Grisman Project (SGP), he had one…
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‘An Imaginative Proclivity’: Gary Carden and “Stories I Lived to Tell”

In “Stories I Lived to Tell: An Appalachian Memoir” (The University of North Carolina Press, 2024, 152 pages), 89-year-old storyteller…
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Porch 40 returns to the stage

After an extended hiatus, one of Western North Carolina’s most popular rock acts, Porch 40, will host a special performance…
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Jokes, laughter, happiness and good health

As part of my gifts for Father’s Day this year, my daughter bought me a book. She apologized before handing…
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Love you madly: A retrospective on rock rebels Cake

In the vast annals of American rock music, alternative rock act Cake remains a beacon of eccentricity — this sonic…
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‘The Anxious Generation’ — Part 2

Editor’s note: This first part of this review was published in the July 24 edition of The Smoky Mountain News…
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The ‘Anxious Generation’ – Part 1

A month ago I called my brother-in-law, known to all the family as Uncle Jim, to ask a favor. He readily…
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Carry this together: Zoe and Cloyd

With their latest album, “Songs of Our Grandfathers,” rising Asheville Americana/folk duo Zoe & Cloyd decided to take a different…
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A bird’s eye view of feathered friends

In a remarkable book that combines eco-poetry, poetic prose and personal and scientific information by award-winning African-American ornithologist and professor…
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Blurring the Lines: A conversation with Liam Purcell

Straddling the line between neo-traditional and progressive bluegrass, Liam Purcell & Cane Mill Road are a fiercely ambitious and purposely…
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Dealing with loss, grief, and the balm of love

On the first Saturday of June, my friend John and I were just leaving McKay Used Books in Manassas, Virginia,…
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Mural celebrates past, present and future of Pigeon Center

A visually stunning amalgamation of images — both historic and aspirational — now adorns Waynesville’s Pigeon Community Multicultural Development center, breathing new…
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Southern stories for summer reading

Perhaps like many people, summer is a time for me to finally read those books I’ve been wanting to get…
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Time to stop the bashing, says Nina Power

When I heard British writer and philosopher Nina Power interviewed recently, I ordered her book. I was interested in her…
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Reflections on lessons learned at Bonnaroo

Wednesday morning, June 12, I left my sister’s house in Sapphire for my very first music festival.  I’d been to…
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Scarred but smarter: A conversation with Drivin N Cryin

In the annals of American rock music, few storied bands have withstood the test of time and endured with such…
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Sebastian Junger on death, visits and physics

Every once in a while, I find myself engrossed in a book that suddenly delivers my ignorance to me on…
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Coming together: Bryson City Brewing to join WNC craft beer scene

It’s a sunny afternoon in downtown Bryson City. The Great Smoky Mountains Railroad is pulling into town with numerous locals…
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Books, parrots, love and regrets

If Monica Wood’s “How to Read a Book” were a painting rather than a novel, it would be a triptych,…
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Country coffee: Blue Ridge Roastery opens in Sylva

Situated in the heart of downtown Sylva, Blue Ridge Bootleg Roastery is the newest home for coffee drinkers, country music…
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A remedy for the spring-time blues

There are always seasons in life when you feel the need to get away from your day-to-day, and I have…
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‘Darwin and the Art of Botany’

Local author Jim Costa will present his new book, “Darwin and the Art of Botany: Observations on the Curious World…
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