Mountain Xpress 01.17.24 by Mountain Xpress

OUR 30TH YEAR OF WEEKLY INDEPENDENT NEWS, ARTS & EVENTS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA VOL. 30 NO. 25 JAN. 17-23, 2024

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JAN. 17-23, 2024

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NEWS

CITY BEAT Council approves Starbucks drive-thru on Brevard Road

EDUCATION BEAT School board seeks more public input on new voting maps

FEATURE

Sunday, Feb. 4 • 2-5pm

10 ZEROING IN Read2Succeed strives to close Asheville’s racial opportunity gap

WELLNESS

OF MIDCENTURY MODERN, VINTAGE, ANTIQUES & REPURPOSED RARITIES!

16 ‘COMMUNITY IS WHAT REHABILITATES’ Buncombe’s first homeless program manager discusses goals, misconceptions

20 SELF-INTERROGATION Local poet’s new essay collection taps into the personal and existential

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COVER DESIGN Scott Southwick 4

LETTERS

CARTOON: MOLTON

CARTOON: BRENT BROWN

NEWS

12 COMMUNITY CALENDAR 16 WELLNESS 18 ARTS & CULTURE

30 FREEWILL ASTROLOGY 30 CLASSIFIEDS 31 NY TIMES CROSSWORD

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STAFF PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes ASSISTANT PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder EDITORS: Lisa Allen, Jessica Wakeman ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Thomas Calder OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose STAFF REPORTERS: Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Chase Davis, Andy Hall, Justin McGuire, Greg Parlier, Brooke Randle, Jessica Wakeman COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Andy Hall, Braulio Pescador-Martinez CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Mindi Friedwald, Peter Gregutt, Rob Mikulak REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Mark Barrett, Eric Brown, Carmela Caruso, Cayla Clark, Storms Reback, Kay West PHOTOGRAPHERS: Cindy Kunst ADVERTISING, ART & DESIGN MANAGER: Susan Hutchinson LEAD DESIGNER: Scott Southwick GRAPHIC DESIGNERS: Tina Gaafary, Olivia Urban MARKETING ASSOCIATES: Sara Brecht, Vicki Catalano, Jamie Knox, Scott Mermel INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES: Hinton Edgerton, Jeff Fobes, Mark Murphy, Scott Southwick WEB: Brandon Tilley

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In 2021, the world of college athletics changed forever when the NCAA began allowing players to benefit off their name, image and likeness. Today, some UNC Asheville and Western Carolina University athletes are exploring the world of paid endorsements by promoting products and services on social media, making personal appearances and more.

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FEATURES

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OPINION

Send your letters to the editor to letters@mountainx.com.

PEAK Academy’s leadership misplaces its wisdom button Those concerned by our community’s failure to douse the eternal flame of dramatic racial performance gaps in city schools should take note of the Asheville PEAK Academy. The leadership and supporters of this public charter school are making a worthy attempt to find a better way. Unfortunately, somewhere on that good path, someone got the “ends justify the means” idea that because their agenda is OK, ignoring the law of the land is also OK. There are some — including 60 or so unfunded fans of the 1964 Civil Rights Act — who regret our need to differ. Applying racism to defeat racism is not a gifted and talented form of leadership. PEAK’s leadership has repeatedly and publicly stated that they are (1) actively pursuing racial quotas with students and faculty members and (2) following their state charter in doing so. The first — as it applies to a school using public funds — is against the law. The second is untrue. In fact, PEAK’s state charter disavows racism. WNC Citizens for Equality is a volunteer group attempting to do just what our name suggests. We think the idea of equity is a dangerous and unconstitutional special-interest diversion from what should be a “keep clawing until we get it right” search for the “we’re-all-in-this-together” mission of equality. That’s why we undertook a federal lawsuit against the city last year (they surrendered); have filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education against PEAK’s stated dedication to quotas based on color; and are preparing to similarly knock

The ultimate authority in a child’s life is his or her parents. Our schools need to reflect the wishes of those parents. Those parents also have an obligation to be involved with their children and their education. Today, government overreach in this and many areas in many parts of the country is harmful and contrary to the future of the USA. — Barry Shoor Asheville

City Council should pass Gaza cease-fire resolution

C A RT O O N B Y R AN DY M O L T O N on several more community doors in coming months. In the meantime, you can count on area media outlets and liberal leaders to call us “racists” for challenging racism; mock us for being “unfair” in confronting their unfairness; and being “irresponsible” for daring to pick up the responsibilities that local and state oversight bodies are ignoring. We can take it. What we can’t take is being passive while people knowingly or otherwise undo the hard-won progress of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and pretend they are virtuous for doing so. If you’re a PEAK fan — and we suggest you should be — check out this video link [avl.mx/d9o] for a one-minute reveal on why we are daring to suggest, as regards racism, PEAK’s leadership has misplaced their wisdom button.

As a final aside, settling our complaint and realigning PEAK’s good mission is an easy fix. When our predictable media outlets and PEAK’s leadership stop stomping their feet and lazily applying the word “racist” to everybody with a different view than theirs, perhaps we can have a chat, make it happen and get on with the most worthy mission of taking color out of our American equation. — Carl Mumpower Asheville Editor’s note: Xpress reached out to PEAK Academy’s leaders with the writer’s points, but they declined to offer a response.

Schools need to reflect parents’ wishes [Regarding “Buncombe Schools Passes New Parents’ Bill of Rights Policies,” Dec. 13, Xpress:]

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At the Jan. 9 meeting of Asheville City Council, again mostly young, passionate people appealed to straight faces looking back at them who did not comment. Before public comments started, commenters were ordered not to yell. It traumatized some of them. Do they wonder how traumatized the people in Gaza are every day, as well as Palestinians living in the West Bank? Death is their trauma. We need to know what position City Council is taking on the plea for a cease-fire in Palestine. Do they care? Do they even listen? When they go home, do they think of what citizens actually said? Do they not have the guts to even say we agree or we don’t? Will taking a position, as Carrboro and many other major cities in the U.S. have, make them look emotional? We need our elected leaders in this election year to speak up no matter what the consequences. Or is AIPAC (The American Israel Public Affairs Committee) also lobbying them? I am tired of passivity up there behind the city’s official desks. Children are being killed in Gaza every day. Many of our elected leaders are mothers. Think of your children being bombed, killed, critically injured or even traumatized. Then stand up against the slaughter going on in Palestine. We need to send a message to our national leaders through a city cease-fire resolution by the next meeting. The longer the violence continues on either side, the more hundreds of innocents will die. — Rachael Bliss Asheville

Keep Wells working for Buncombe County It’s not just a new year — it’s an election year. I give strong support to returning Terri Wells to the Buncombe County Board of Commissioners in the new

CARTOON BY BRENT BROWN District 2. This district runs from Candler through Leicester, over to Swannanoa and includes all of North Buncombe, including Weaverville and parts of Woodfin. I have known and respected Terri for over 15 years. We have worked together on county farmland and open-land conservation projects. She is a ninth-generation farmer. Farmers, business owners and college students who have gotten to know her trust her. She is smart, organized and hardworking. Her first-term work on the Board of Commissioners has built her knowledge of finance, budgets and public policy. Just as important: Terri listens. She has traveled the county hosting town meetings. She has met so many people and heard so many stories: economic challenges, out-of-control development, confusion about public services, the crisis in public education and the lack of internet throughout the county. She has heard it all. In a time when our county faces these challenges — challenges that require serious, informed thought and visionary solutions — we need to keep Terri Wells on the Board of Commissioners. Learn more about Terri and her campaign at [avl.mx/d98]. Better yet, meet her and see for yourself. — Nancy Nehls Nelson Weaverville

Thumbs-down on raise for elections director [Regarding “Buncombe Considers a Pay Raise for Elections Director,” Jan.10, Xpress:] This is total bullsh*t and hope everyone in Asheville reads this. People can’t make their own bills monthly, but these people could and do care less about it. City Council can’t find a way to take care of the homeless people, and then other councils want a raise for their accomplishments. Wow. Where in their far-reaching dreams do they deserve it at all? These people need replacing come voting time, and I don’t know by whom, but more honest people need to be voted in, period! — James Wykle Asheville

Educator turnover rate is higher than in other professions. According to research, the top reason North Carolina educators list for leaving a teaching position was changing career fields, followed by taking an educator position in another state. The primary reason listed for these transitions is inadequate income. Clearly, the writing is on the wall. If you want to keep quality professional educators in the Asheville and Buncombe County public schools, compensation levels for starting teachers need to be $60,000 per annum. Currently, first-year nurses at our local hospital are paid $25,000 a year more than our first-year edu-

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Boost salaries to retain quality educators The average starting salary in 2023 for college graduates was just over $55,000, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers survey. The average starting salary for a college graduate trained to be a professional educator in Asheville and Buncombe County Schools is approximately $42,000 a year.

cators in starting salary. It seems to me that a first-year professional educator who is tasked to take care of our children’s intellectual and emotional development should be compensated at a rate similar to a first-year pediatric nurse who is tasked to take care of children’s physical health. Finally, if Asheville City Schools and Buncombe County Schools were to combine and reduce the duplication of high-dollar administrative services, the achievement of competitive salaries for educators becomes more likely. — Richard Boyum Candler

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NEWS

Financial fitness

Western North Carolina college athletes navigate new world of endorsements

BY JUSTIN McGUIRE jmcguire@mountainx.com As a soccer player at UNC Asheville, Ashley Macfarlane has played in 26 games, logged 935 minutes and earned about $3,000 in cash and products. The sophomore from Raleigh landed an endorsement deal with Adidas, made personal appearances at country music concerts and created social media posts promoting various national brands. “It’s changed my life for the better,” she says. “I’ve made some really amazing connections, and I get to grow online.” Until 2021, it would have been inconceivable for an NCAA player like Macfarlane to get paid for endorsements and personal appearances. The organization’s long-standing rules on amateurism forbade athletes from profiting off their names, images or likenesses — commonly known as NIL. But that changed when the NCAA, responding to new laws in several states, modified its rules to allow athletes to sign so-called NIL deals. The result has been a seismic shift in the college sports landscape, with some top athletes signing seven-figure contracts and companies paying out more than $900 million for endorsements in 2021-22, according to some estimates. Many of the big NIL deals have gone to football and basketball players in the Southeast Conference, Atlantic Coast Conference and other power conferences, but smaller Division 1 programs have felt the effects as well. Officials at UNCA and Western Carolina University estimate that more than 150 athletes at the two schools have participated

MAKING THEIR PITCH: Soccer players Ashley Macfarlane, left, and Anna Doane are among about 20-30 UNC Asheville athletes who have participated in NIL activities. Photos courtesy of UNCA Athletics in NIL activities, which earn them money or merchandise. “I would say 90% of that is [promoting brands] through social media posts, whether it be X, Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat,” says Travis Chandler, WCU’s assistant athletics director for compliance. Proponents of NIL say the emphasis on social media is particularly beneficial to female athletes, who

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often have large follower counts but receive significantly less traditional media coverage than male athletes. Outside of social media, UNCA and WCU athletes have appeared in commercials and brochures promoting local businesses. About 100 WCU athletes sell branded T-shirts and hoodies through a company called Influxer. UNCA basketball star Drew Pember has hosted a camp at A.C. Reynolds High School and partnered with Bear’s Smokehouse Barbecue, which offers the Drew Pember Combo (choice of meat, tots, mac and cheese, and bacon crumbles, in case you are wondering). Chandler and Erin Punter Spence, UNCA’s assistant athletics director for compliance, say helping athletes navigate the uncharted, sometimes confusing, NIL waters is a priority. “We want [athletes] to take advantage of NIL,” Chandler says. “It’s not just for the starting running back and quarterback; it’s for everyone. But we also want to make sure they understand the implications associated with engaging in these activities and what could be the fallout.”

MAKING SENSE OF NIL North Carolina has not adopted a law regulating NIL, but Gov. Roy Cooper issued an executive order in 2021 spelling out some rules. Among other things, the order prohibits universities themselves from entering NIL contracts with students and forbids “direct inducement” deals. “It can’t be, ‘If you come to our school, we’ll give you an NIL deal for this much money’ or ‘If you stay at our school and don’t transfer, we’ll find you an NIL deal for this amount of money,’” says UNCA’s Spence. The order also allows universities to ban NIL deals for products — such as tobacco, alcohol or gambling apps — that “may negatively impact the image of the institution.” And they can regulate the use of team logos and other intellectual property in NIL endorsements. Beyond such guidelines, though, school officials are limited in how much they can get involved with athletes’ NIL activities. Mostly, they try to provide guidance about the vari-

ous rules and give athletes tools for connecting with potential partners. WCU reviews companies that athletes are considering signing with to identify potential problems. For instance, Chandler says, the school might want to find out more about a nutritional product to make sure using it will not result in a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs. “If I do have questions about the product, we do some homework on our end to protect the student-athlete,” he explains. “We’re not going to tell them no unless it violates a policy because we don’t have the ability to do that. But if it does violate a policy, we will have that discussion with the student-athlete.” Not every athlete has found NIL easy to figure out. One WCU baseball player told Xpress he avoids NIL activities because of the complexity of the rules and regulations. And even some who have landed NIL deals, like WCU tennis player Isabella Sambola, admit the whole thing can be confusing. “It’s hard to navigate alone when we have so much on our plate,” says Sambola, a sophomore from New Orleans. “We [athletes] have no problem taking on the responsibility, we can commit to it. It’s more of a question of how to get to that commitment.” To help athletes in that regard, WCU and UNCA have deals with digital marketplace companies that connect them with brands. WCU works with Icon Source, while UNCA partners with Opendorse. In both cases, participating athletes create a profile that allows interested companies or individuals to reach out to them. But athletes do not have to go through those companies. “There are hundreds of marketplaces out there,” Chandler says. “And it doesn’t have to go through a marketplace. It could be a student-athlete reaching out to our local Bojangles and saying, ‘Hey, I want to work with you, let’s talk about it.’ So it’s really up to the student how they want to work on those things.” Many deals, especially on the social media end, are for national products or brands. But UNCA’s Spence thinks NIL presents opportunities in Asheville and Cullowee as well. The Drew Pember Combo is just one example. “If you wanted to have three people from the basketball team at your store to sign an autograph to try to bring people in, that’s something that could happen,” she says. “This is a way for local businesses to support

MATCH MAKER: Western Carolina University tennis player Isabella Sambola says she has had fun using her social media platforms to promote products. Photo courtesy of Sambola the athletes and get the advantage of being associated with them.” FINDING DEALS Athletes interviewed by Xpress say they have found deals in a variety of ways. WCU tennis player Sambola initially got involved with NIL through Icon Source but found it difficult to use and didn’t find many opportunities. She now uses a marketplace called 98strong, which connected her with Bad Birdie, a sports apparel company. For $200, she created a TikTok video, an Instagram Reel, an Instagram main post and other social media content promoting the brand.

“I do my own videos, so I do have experience when it comes to being an influencer,” she says. “It is nice to make money while doing something that I find fun. Making content and social media is really a side thing I like that is relaxing for me after having a long day of practice.” UNCA soccer player Anna Doane says she just recently started pursuing NIL deals because she doesn’t have much time left at UNCA. “It’s just something extra you get to do as a student-athlete,” says Doane, a junior from Jackson, Mich. “You get to put yourself out there and you get to represent your school, represent yourself. I think it does show businesses how much

hard work you’ve already put in, and you get something extra for that hard work.” She landed one deal through Opendorse, but her biggest endorsement to date, for a post-workout recovery drink mix called Liquid I.V., came through another marketplace. UNCA’s Macfarlane connected with Fluid Sports Nutrition, a different post-workout recovery drink mix brand, through Opendorse. But she has landed more than 20 other deals through different means. Among other things, she has made personal appearances at concerts by country music acts like Lainey Wilson and Old Dominion. Promoting herself and the products she endorses has helped raise her social media profile and allowed her to connect with new people, she says. “Most of my [followers] between Instagram and other various social media platforms [are] young girls looking to play at the collegiate level,” she says. “The best part of it is for me when I get the texts and DMs from young athletes looking up to you or coming to the games. It’s honestly amazing and makes all of it worthwhile.” X

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N EWS

CITY BEAT

Council approves Starbucks drive-thru on Brevard Road Asheville City Council approved a zoning amendment to allow a drive-thru Starbucks on the corner of Brevard Road and South Bear Creek Road at its Jan. 9 meeting. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved the amendment at its Dec. 6 meeting. The property, at 141 and 147 S. Bear Creek Road, was rezoned in 2018 for a TownePlace Suites Asheville West by Marriott, but the zoning specifically prohibited a drive-thru because of the primarily pedestrian environment. Bear Creek Holdings LLC sought to remove the restriction in 2021, but the commission denied the request over concerns for pedestrian safety and accessibility. The new proposal includes several revisions designed to increase pedestrian safety, such as installing a high-visibility crosswalk on South Bear Creek Road, a sidewalk connecting the existing hotel and the

In other news

VEHICLE CORRIDOR: Derek Allen, an attorney representing Bear Creek Holdings LLC, said that the proposed project’s location is tucked into the cloverleaf of the exit system for Interstate 40. Photo courtesy of the City of Asheville

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travel using active transportation through this area.” Derek Allen, an attorney representing the applicant, noted after public comment that the proposed project’s location is “very much a vehicle corridor.” “The project is between I-40 and I-240 and is kind of tucked into the cloverleaf of the exit system for [I-40],” Allen said. “People want to be able to go through a drive-thru and pick up a cup of coffee. They don’t want to have to get out and they don’t want human interaction, especially when they are on an interstate like I-40.” Following a brief discussion, Council passed the rezoning request in a 4-2 vote, with Council members Maggie Ullman and Roney opposed. Council member Sage Turner was absent.

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Starbucks, and a commitment to make a “best effort” to minimize potential conflicts between pedestrians and vehicles using the drive-thru lane. Council member Kim Roney, who voted against the rezoning request, said she had similar concerns now as she did in 2018 regarding “the future of how we move as a city.” “Are drive-thrus really the best for our tax base, for safety, for traffic concerns, for the ways that everyone moves, including people who drive cars?” Roney asked. “I am not sure that this type of land use is in the best interest of the city.” A similar concern was expressed during public comment by Claudia Nix, chair of the city’s Active Transportation Committee. Nix said she believes the project is not in the best interest of pedestrians and bicyclists, particularly with the city’s plans to tie the corridor into nearby recreational areas. “Typically, drive-thrus have long trails of cars waiting and spewing their emissions, which is not appropriate for people who are walking and biking,” Nix said. “This area is planned to be a major corridor and connect our recreational areas in Bent Creek, the WNC Farmers Market and the Asheville greenway system. … I think it’s very important that we think about the future and the conditions we are going to put people in as they

City Manager Debra Campbell introduced newly hired Asheville Fire Chief Michael Cayse, who began the post Jan. 2. Cayse has worked in fire service for 34 years, most recently as district chief of special operations for the Cincinnati Fire Department. He held several other positions within the Cincinnati Fire Department, including roles in fire suppression and human resources. Cayse has a bachelor’s in fire safety engineering and an associate degree in fire science technology from the University of Cincinnati, as well as a Master of Public Administration from Northern Kentucky University. Cayse has received several fire-related certifications and awards and published several articles in professional and academic journals.

— Chase Davis X

NEW FIRE CHIEF: Michael Cayse, who previously served at the Cincinnati Fire Department, began his tenure as Asheville’s fire chief on Jan. 2. Photo courtesy of the City of Asheville

EDUCATION BEAT

School board seeks more public input on new voting maps The Buncombe County Board of Education doesn’t particularly like any of its options for new voting maps, which are required by a law the N.C. General Assembly passed last fall. In a special work session Jan. 11, the board reviewed three finalized options for redrawn maps of the district’s six voting districts, along with public comments from an online survey and additional data about the maps. As summarized by board member Rob Elliot, many of the public comments submitted to the district reflect the board’s own exasperation with the entire process. “There’s a lot of people who are saying, ‘This is ridiculous, this is a waste of time and money. We don’t need to do this, this is not broken,’” Elliot said. Currently, Buncombe elects one school board member to represent each of the county’s six attendance zones — Enka, Erwin, Owen, North Buncombe, Reynolds and Roberson — and one at-large member. Candidates must live in the district they represent and run on a nonpartisan basis. Meanwhile, residents can vote for all school board representatives, regardless of their address. Based on the new law, voters who live in the newly drawn districts will vote only for the representative running in the district in which they live. The law doesn’t change where students will go to school, only school board representation. Unlike the attendance zone-based lines, which are drawn around the district’s high schools based on geography, the district has to create six districts approximately equal in population. Adam Mitchell of Tharrington Smith LLC and Blake Esselstyn of Mapfigure Consulting designed three maps that prioritize the board’s wishes as closely as possible while still following the new law. As a result, several attendance zones might see up to 30% of its population reassigned to other districts, according to the data provided in the proposals. The Reynolds district would see the most significant change, with each option moving at least 27% of its population into other districts.

CLEAN AUDIT: In addition to receiving a clean audit of fiscal year 2022-23’s financial statements, Buncombe County Schools’ finance department was recognized Jan. 11 for awards from the Government Finance Officers Association and the Association of School Business Officials. Photo by Greg Parlier The Roberson and Erwin districts also see significant change in their populations in all three options. While option “A” received the most votes from the 112 parents, employees and community members in the online survey, Elliot and board member Amy Churchill, who represent Reynolds and Roberson, respectively, said they don’t like how Glen Arden Elementary gets split between the two districts in that option. Elliot prefers option “C” because it keeps the entire populations of Glen Arden, Charles C. Bell and Haw Creek elementary schools in one district or another, even though other elementary school populations get split. There is no option where an elementary school population would not be split between two voting districts. Options “B” and “C” also create noncontiguous sections around UNC Asheville and Elk Mountain Scenic Highway, where certain neighborhoods are separated from the rest of their districts. “If you’re looking to make people happy, that train left the station,” said board Chair Ann Franklin. “I know you’re trying to make a very hard decision, to make the best decision you can, but it’s very important to continue to reiterate that you did not ask for this. We didn’t consider it to be broken at all,” said board

attorney Dean Shatley. “Whatever you do here does not change those attendance lines for students. This is just about the election.” The board decided to show all three maps at a special public hearing Feb. 15. After collecting more feedback at that meeting, it will vote on a new map in March or April ahead of the June candidate filing period for November’s general election. Four of the board’s seven seats will be on the ballot this year.

Buncombe Schools receives clean 2022-23 audit Buncombe County Schools’ finance department received a clean audit for fiscal year 2022-23. “This is a clean opinion, this is the best opinion that you can receive on a financial statement audit. So

congratulations. That is an excellent achievement,” said Shannon Dennison, who presented the audit findings on behalf of accounting firm Anderson Smith and Wike at the Jan. 11 Buncombe County Board of Education meeting. The auditor found no misstatements in the district’s financial statements and had no disagreements with management, Dennison said. BCS has received a clean audit for at least the last 10 years, according to financial statements posted on the district’s website. In its general fund, BCS spent about $82.4 million of its $82.8 million in revenue, leaving the fund balance at about $10.6 million at the end of the last fiscal year. About a third of that balance was allocated to be spent in the current fiscal year, partially to cover the loss of federal COVID-era funds. In the enterprise fund, the auditor took a close look at the district’s child nutrition and child care cash flows. In both departments, whose services are paid in part by parents and aren’t completely government funded, the district finished the year with more cash on hand than when it started. Dennison was particularly impressed with the child nutrition department, which had about $26,000 left over of its about $10.5 million budget. “[You did an] excellent job in managing revenue versus expenditures, especially coming out of COVID. We’re seeing across a lot of districts a lot of fluctuation, because it’s really hard to predict [the amount of] students that are going to be eating meals and with the increased cost of food,” she said. Overall, BCS is likely to face budgetary challenges in the coming years as the last of COVID-era funding from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief fund sunsets in 2024, Dennison said. Fortunately for BCS, its fund balance in the last two fiscal years has been as high as it has been since 2017, according to Dennison’s presentation, allowing for some wiggle room while the district adjusts to the loss of additional federal funds.

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— Greg Parlier X

JAN. 17-23, 2024

FEA T U RE S

Zeroing in

Read To Succeed strives to close Asheville’s racial opportunity gap

BY GREG PARLIER gparlier@mountainx.com It’s no secret that reading is a vital part of any educational foundation. In Asheville, Black students have lagged behind their white counterparts in literacy for decades, according to test scores over time. In 2009, inspired in part by the election of President Barack Obama, community activist Isaac Coleman and others established Read To Succeed Asheville/Buncombe to help close the literacy opportunity gap. The organization saw immense growth over the next 10 years, says its co-executive director Jess McLean. But its focus also shifted. Instead of addressing the opportunity gap, Read To Succeed worked to inspire all children to read. More recently, the organization has returned to its original mission. Xpress sat down with McLean and the nonprofit’s new co-executive director Ashely Allen to discuss these changes

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SEEING SUCCESS: The co-executive directors of local literary nonprofit Read To Succeed Asheville/Buncombe, Jess McLean, left, and Ashley Allen, say the organization’s recent growth is good news for young Black students who have often been left behind in traditional public schools. Photo courtesy of McLean and what it means for Asheville’s racial opportunity gap. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. How has Read To Succeed changed and grown since the pandemic upended education? McLean: The big things that changed were we got away from what had really become a reading buddy system [rather] than a tutoring thing. [It became] show up and read this nice book with this kid. We revised that training. So now, let’s look at the science of how children learn to read. We’re going to base our tutoring program in science, and our tutors are going to be equipped with evidence-based methods for supporting readers. It’s not about showing up with a book; we’re actually teaching reading. We also expanded our scope into the early childhood space. So before it was really just focused on K-3, but then we brought that to K-5, and children [from infants] to age 5. Ashley, you started at Read To Succeed in July after 10 years at ACS. What excites you about this organization? Allen: I’ve just been really invigorated by [the fact that this is a] local nonprofit. That means that we don’t have a national curriculum saying we have to do things a particular way without seeing our community, without seeing our kids, without knowing our school district. So I love that part of being able to shape programming to shape how

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we’re bringing opportunity and access to the families around here. Talk about your emphasis on early education. Allen: We know that lots of neural pathways are built [between the ages of] 0-5. That’s when vocabulary, background knowledge, lots of schema, even fine motor skills like how you grip the pencil and how you can form and write sentences is built. So if you can develop those skills early on, then they’re going to be more set up for success and kindergarten readiness. I did six years in kindergarten when I was with Asheville City Schools. So that kindergarten readiness piece is really close to my heart. Talk a little bit about your training program and how community outreach impacts your program. Allen: The volunteers and the tutors who come to us are often white with disposable income and older. [We teach them] how to actually reach the children who have different lived experiences and how to honor that. So that’s a big piece of that tutoring program. We also have our community engagement piece, which is just community access. So instead of saying, “Hey, we’re having this program, come to us,” we say, “Maybe you don’t have the transportation because of systemic barriers, maybe you don’t have the time because you’re working two jobs, but we can come to you. So here’s some games. Here’s some free books that feature diverse ranges of stories. Pick kids who look like your kids, who have families

like your families. You get to see yourself centered in a story. Grab this book, take it home, it’s all free and brand new. Here’s this literacy game. Here’s food, here’s community.” So that’s that community engagement piece. This isn’t shallow where we are just giving you something every so often. We are coming in and training for free. And at that training, you’re going to eat the food. You’re going to be paid for your time and you’re going to leave with kits for your classroom. We are coming in and we’re giving your students book bundles for you to give away. McLean: We have participated in at least 30 community and family reading events this year. And that participation, like Ashley said, is showing up when people invite us. So for example, we distributed about 500 book bundles over the past couple of weeks. And those book bundles feature these amazing Black books. How are our public schools getting it wrong when trying to reach some parts of our community, and how are you attempting to bridge that gap with your tutors? Allen: I don’t know about you, but I don’t show up to work if I don’t get paid. I love what I do. I love this work. It’s important, but I’m not going without a paycheck, right? And yet, we say, “Students, sit here for eight hours a day.” And we don’t reward them. We don’t provide them anything in the face of a narrative that says you won’t succeed at it anyway. So, then we expect them to sit down with us after school after they’ve done it for eight hours and have a great attitude about it. And we get frustrated as adults when they don’t. How important is representation, and how is Read To Succeed improving Black representation in leadership? Allen: Oftentimes in Asheville City Schools at the majority of the schools where I taught, I was the only Black teacher. I was surrounded by Black custodians who were wonderful Black instructional assistants, but I was the only Black lead teacher, and that’s lonely. And a lot of these students are surrounded by peers who don’t look like them, who are judging them or have preconceived notions. All of these are barriers that we have to overcome, and we do every day. I think representation always matters. I think it’s always a key detail. And somebody who has a similar lived experience as you, someone who moves in the world like you is going to instruct in a way that you understand. So when I train the tutors, I talk about how oftentimes we put the burden of translation on the student. ... Your job as an instructor should always be to act as the translator and remove that burden from the students. McLean: We are centering Black voices, Black voices are in the deci-

sion-making space. Our board of directors is majority Black. And that’s also been a big change over the past couple of years. When we think about volunteerism, much comes out of a system of white supremacy. I’m this white person who has enough time and money to do something for free. And I’m going to go out and help these communities that I’ve played a part in [hurting], and I’m speaking as a white person. So Read To Succeed thought, “What if we shift that model?” Yes, if people want to volunteer, please bring it on. But also how are we seeking out Black community members and paying them for their time and saying, “Oh, you want to be involved with kids, you have done this work before, you have an interest, you want to train, let’s pay you to do that and pay you to be a part of this work as well.” How have you grown? McLean: Our budget has grown because everyone in our community really fosters a culture of generosity and abundance. Everybody who works with us gets paid a living wage. All of our full-time employees have health benefits, all of our full-time and parttime employees also get tech stipends. It is absolutely foolish not to. And they want to be in our organization because

we’re independent, because we get to make decisions. And because we are transparent about everything we do and funders want to support that. So that’s a big part of why our budget has grown. It’s because we actually pay people for their time and honor what they do. What else do we need to change as a community of educators to close the opportunity gap? Allen: I think one, we have to stop acting like it’s a pie. Like if somebody gets more, we’re going to have less. There’s abundance here, there’s enough for everyone, nobody’s giving up something. So I think that’s the first thing and also what Jess said about centering Black voices. Too often, we have white people in leadership who [are] like “I get it, I can do this, let me come from this place of altruism.” Nobody white can ever set me free. But they can come alongside me and support me and undergird me as I do this work. McLean: We’d love to say that we’re working with the community to raise a city of readers. Children don’t just learn to read at home. They don’t just learn to read in the classroom, although that is the most important place. They don’t just learn to read after school or with a tutor. This has to be a community-powered effort. X

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR JAN. 17 - JAN. 25, 2024 For a full list of community calendar guidelines, please visit mountainx.com/calendar. For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333, opt. 4. For questions about paid calendar listings, please call 828-251-1333, opt. 1.

 Online-only events  More info, page 22  More info, page 25 WELLNESS Therapeutic Recreation Adult Morning Movement Active games, physical activities, and sports for individuals with disabilities ages 17 and over. Advanced registration at avlrec.com required. WE (1/17, 24), 10am, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave Tai Chi for Balance A gentle Tai Chi exercise class to help improve balance, mobility, and quality of life. All ages are welcome. WE (1/17, 24), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Tai Chi Fan This class helps build balance and whole body awareness. All ages and ability levels welcome. Fans will be provided. WE (1/17, 24), 1pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 10 Free Zumba Gold Fitness program that involves cardio and Latin-inspired dance. Free, but donations for the instructor are appreciated. For more information please call (828) 350-2058. WE (1/17, 24), noon, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Tai Chi for Beginners A class for anyone interested in Tai Chi and building balance, whole body awareness and other health benefits. TH (1/18, 25), MO (1/22) 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Nia Dance Fitness A sensory-based movement practice that draws from martial arts, dance arts and healing arts. TH (1/18, 25), 9:30am, TU (1/123), 10:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Bhakti Bliss: Sacred Sound flow & Breathwork Immerse yourself in the deep practices of breathwork, Bhakti yoga, meditation and sound healing, as we create a sacred space for healing and rejuvenation. FR (1/19), 6pm, The Well, 3 Louisiana Ave

Creative Flow: Yoga in the Galleries A creative flow experience that combines the beauty of art with the power of mindful movement. All-levels are welcome. Please bring your own mat. SA (1/20), 9:30am, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Yoga for Everyone A free-in person yoga class for all ages and abilities that is led by registered yoga instructor Mandy. Bring your own mat, water bottle and mask. Registration required. SA (1/20), 9:30am, Black Mountain Presbyterian, 117 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Yoga Basics Learn foundations of alignment in essential yoga postures, breathing practices, and mindfulness to quiet your mind. All bodies are welcome. SA (1/20), 3pm, Black Mountain Yoga, 116 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Winter Flow w/Jamie Knox This class builds heat in the body and releases excess water, so we can be our strongest and fittest, boosting our immune system and staving off depression. No need to pre-register. Walk-ins welcome. SU (1/21), 10:30am, One World Brewing W, 520 Haywood Rd Gentle Yoga for Queer & GNC Folks This class is centered towards creating an affirming and inclusive space for queer and gender non-conforming individuals. SU (1/21), 1:30pm, W Asheville Yoga, 602 Haywood Rd Barre Fusion A high energy low impact practice that shapes, sculpts, and tones the body like a dancer. No experience necessary, open to all levels. MO (1/22), 10am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Metta Meditation In-person guided meditation focused on benevolence & loving-kindness. Beginners and experienced practitioners are welcome.

JAN. 17-23, 2024

MO (1/22), 7pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

COMMUNITY MUSIC Dark City Songwriter Round: Beth Lee, Anya Hinkle & John Cloyd Miller A new series focusing on talented local, regional, and national songwriters who both write and sing their original compositions. WE (1/17), 7pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Qigong for Health A part of traditional Chinese medicine that involves using exercises to optimize energy within the body, mind and spirit. FR (1/19), TU (1/23), 9am, SA (1/120), 11am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Community Yoga & Mindfulness Free monthly event with Inspired Change Yoga that will lead you into a morning of breathwork, meditation and yoga. Bring your own mat. WE (1/24), 11:30am, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave

Thursday Night Live: Em & the Innocent Mischief Enjoy an evening of live music featuring Emily Martin and the Innocent Mischief, a blend of intrepid lyrics and modern folk-mountain sound. TH (1/18), 6pm, Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Asheville Women's Breathwork Circle A transformative and empowering women's circle where the power of our breath meets the strength and healing of sisterhood. Space is limited to 12 and preregistration required. TH (1/25), 6pm, WellSpring Wellness Center

Larry & Joe These two virtuosic multi-instrumentalists fuse their respective Venezuelan and Appalachian folk traditions on the harp, banjo, cuatro, fiddle, upright bass, guitar, and maracas to prove that music has no borders. TH (1/18), 7pm, Queen Auditorium, 112 Virginia Ave, Waynesville

ART The Colors of Pink This exhibition features 18 of the building's 30 artists and explores the studio's unusual name as well as the role color plays in each work. Gallery open Monday through Saturday, 10am, and Sunday, noon. Exhibition through Feb. 3, 2024. Pink Dog Gallery, 348 Depot St Beyond the Lens: Photorealist Perspectives on Looking, Seeing & Painting This exhibition offers viewers an opportunity to explore a singular and still vigorous aspect of American photorealism. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed on Tuesday. Exhibition through Feb. 5, 2024. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Counter/Balance: Gifts of John & Robyn Horn A presentation of important examples of contemporary American craft, including woodworking, metalsmithing, fiber and pottery by renowned American artists. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through July. 29, 2024. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Romare Bearden: Ways of Working This exhibition highlights works on paper and explores many of Romare Bearden's most frequently used mediums including screen-printing, lithography, hand colored etching, collagraph, monotype, relief print, photomontage, and collage. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday.

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THE COMEDY ZONE: On Friday, Jan. 19, and Saturday, Jan. 20, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts hosts the latest installment in a comedy club series that features some of the most popular stand-up comedians performing today. Lace Larrabee, actor and nationally touring stand-up comedian, headlines the show, which happens at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on both dates. Photo courtesy of Wortham Center for the Performing Arts Exhibition through Jan. 22, 2024. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Spark of the Eagle Dancer: The Collecting Legacy of Lambert Wilson This exhibition celebrates the legacy of Lambert Wilson, a passionate collector of contemporary Native American art. Gallery open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. Exhibition through June 28, 2024 WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee American Art in the Atomic Age: 1940–1960 This exhibition features works created during the 1940s–1960s. Much of the art during this time expressed the uncertainty of the era, often relying on automatism and biomorphic forms. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through April 29, 2024. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Western North Carolina Glass: Selections from the Collection Western North Carolina is important in the history of American glass art. A variety of techniques and a willingness to push boundaries of the medium can be seen in this selection of works. Gallery open daily, 11am, closed Tuesday. Exhibition through April 15, 2024. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square Creating Textures: Focus Gallery Exhibition This exhibition features the work of five Guild members: Michael Hatch, Valerie Berlage, Joseph Rhodes, Barry Rhodes, and Joanna Warren. Each artist will display their own respectable arts and crafts during this exhibition. Open daily, 10 am. Exhibition through Feb., 2024. Folk Art Center, MP 382, Blue Ridge Pkwy

Artwork of Leaflin Lore Winecoff Experience Leaflin's artistic evolution showcased in this exhibition, where diverse works capture the essence of her creative journey spanning the past few years. Gallery open Monday through Friday, 8:30am. Exhibition through March 2. John M. Crawford Jr. Gallery, 360 Asheville School Rd Conversation Through Craft This event showcases the stories and works of local Southern Highland Craft Guild members, Mike Hatch, Erica Bailey, Neal Howard and Kristin Schoonover. TH (1/25), 4:30pm, Warren Wilson College, 701 Warren Wilson Rd, Swannanoa

Hendersonville Theatre Presents: Empire Strikes Brass Hometown Sound Music Series with Asheville favorite, Empire Stikes Brass. This brass, funk, and rock band has a lot to say with a big sound. SA (1/20), 7:30pm, Hendersonville Theatre, 229 S Washington St, Hendersonville Asheville Jazz Orchestra The AJO will present music and arrangements written by band members. Listen to a concert chock full of tunes you can’t hear anywhere else. SU (1/21), 7:30pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Jazz Sunday's w/Chuck Lichtenberger A weekly jazz jam hosted by Jason DeCristofaro and Connor Law in the taproom. They feature a different guest artist every week and this week welcomes Chuck Lichtenberger. SU (1/21), 2pm, Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery & Tasting Room, 829 Riverside Dr The Asheville Jazz Collective Instrumentation varies from gig to gig, and a variety of moods, styles and aesthetics is the goal of each performance. SU (1/21), 2pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200 Alt ASO w/Jiji The Asheville Symphony joins forces with mesmerizing guitarist, JIJI, for this cross-genre performance that includes everything from classical Spanish guitar to Led Zeppelin to

Prince and more. TU (1/23), 7pm, The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave

LITERARY Black Cat Tales: Story Time Families with children age 7 and under are invited to relax in the cat lounge and listen to a cat-centric book surrounded by the resident panthers. WE (1/17), 4pm, House of Black Cat Magic, Co., 841 Haywood Rd Sensory Story Time Each session features a story followed by a related sensory activity designed to activate toddlers’ senses. Each participant receives a copy of the book to take home. WE (1/17, 24), 5pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave Ginger Pinholster & Mark Hummel This is a dual author event featuring Ginger Pinholster and Mark Hummel. The live streamed virtual event is free but registration at avl.mx/d93 is required. WE (1/17), 6pm, Online So Let Them Burn: Kamilah Cole w/F.T. Lukens Kamilah Cole, author of So Let Them Burn, will be in conversation with F.T. Lukens. The event is free, but registration at avl.mx/d94 is required. TH (1/18), 6pm, Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St Asheville Storyslam: First Impressions Prepare a five-minute story about initial encounters. Blind dates, fixer-uppers, catfish, and long lost twins. When your gut instincts were proven right, or when you unfairly judged a book by its cover. TH (1/18), 7:30pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave Melanie Brooks: A Hard Silence w/Laura Carney Melanie Brooks, author of A Hard Silence will be speaking to Laura Carney about their book. A percentage of book sales will support people living with HIV/ AIDS in Western North Carolina. FR (1/19), 6pm, W Asheville Public Library, 942 Haywood Rd An Evening w/Terry Roberts Author Terry Roberts will be discussing the background and composition of the novel, The Sky Club. See p25 FR (1/19), 7pm, 60 Lakeshore Dr, Weaverville

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JAN. 17-23, 2024

C O MMU NIT Y CA L E N D AR The Language of God: Book Study The Language of God by Francis Collins provides a testament to the power of faith in the midst of suffering without faltering from its logical stride. TU (1/23), 10am, Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville The Nourishing Asian Kitchen w/Sophia Nguyen Eng Sophia Nguyen Eng discusses her book, The Nourishing Asian Kitchen. This is a hybrid event with limited in-store seating and the option to attend online. TU (1/23), 6pm, Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St You'll Do: Marcia Zug w/ Emily Suski Marcia Zug discusses her book, You'll Do: A History of Marrying for Reasons Other than Love, with Emily Suski. This is a hybrid event, with in-person and virtual options to attend. TH (1/25), 6pm, Malaprop's Bookstore and Cafe, 55 Haywood St

THEATER & FILM Go On, Be Brave: Film Screening This inspiring film follows Andrea Lytle Peet’s incredible race against time and attempt at the impossible, to be the first person with ALS to complete a marathon in all 50 states. WE (1/17), 7:30pm, Regal Biltmore Grande Stadium 15, 292 Thetford St Free Intro to Short Form Improv Class Learn some improv, make some connections, unleash your creativity, boost your confidence all while having some fun. No performance pressure, just a chance to try out improv, but space is limited so registration is required. TH (1/18), 7:30pm, Misfit Improv & Acting School, 573 Fairview Rd Unit 21A Interactive Murder Mystery Night: Murder at the Grand Gatsby Speakeasy Participants will receive character assignments and preparatory materials beforehand. Dress to impress in your chosen era attire and prepare to mingle, strategize, and uncover the truth. FR (1/19), 7pm, Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery & Tasting Room, 829 Riverside Dr Quality Service A unique theatrical experience written and performed by by Joe Carroll, a one-man comedic exploration through improv, sketch comedy, storytelling and audience participation. FR (1/19), SA (1/20), SU (1/21), 7:30pm, Asheville Masonic Temple, 80 Broadway

The Comedy Zone w/ Lace Larrabee A comedy club network featuring some of the hottest stand-up comedians. This performance features Lace Larrabee, an actor and nationally touring stand-up comedian. FR (1/19) SA (1/20), 7pm and 9pm, Wortham Center For The Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave Wizard of Oz See Dorothy and her loyal companion, Toto, as they follow the Yellow Brick Rd through the Land of Oz, determined to reach the Emerald City, where the great and powerful Wizard of Oz will help them get home. It’s the classic story with a creative bluegrass twist featuring local Bluegrass band, The Well Drinkers. SA (1/20), SU (1/21), 2pm and 6pm, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave TJ & Dave TJ Jagodowski and Dave Pasquesi bring their award winning show to Asheville. A miraculously improvised one-hour play at every performance. MO (1/22), 8pm, The Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman ᏓᏗᏬᏂᏏ (We Will Speak): Film Screening & Filmmaker Talk Featuring a screening of We Will Speak, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers. With fewer than 1,500 fluent speakers left, a small group of Cherokee activists race to save their language from disappearing. MO (1/22), 6pm, Mars Hill University, Mars Hill University, 100 Athletic St, Mars Hill Ave History Hour: Nature's Wisdom Thru Native Eyes When storytelling, native wisdom and nature’s intelligence converge, something beautiful can arise. That’s the theme of the new film Nature’s Wisdom Thru Native Eyes by award-winning documentary filmmaker David Weintraub and the Center for Cultural Preservation. TH (1/25), 6:30pm, OLLI/ Reuter Center, UNCA, 300 Campus View Rd Fantasia On Mysterium: The Epic Immersive Theatrical Recital A genre-busting reimagining of a traditional piano recital and theatrical play, blended with artistically created mind-blowing immersive visuals that accompany both the storytelling and the live performances of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin's piano works. TH (1/25), 7:30pm, WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS Treks Hiking Club for Adults 50 & Over A low-impact hiking club offering leisurely-paced hikes for active adults.

JAN. 17-23, 2024

Bring lunch, water, and good walking shoes. No hiking experience is required, but the hike covers over three miles on uneven terrain. WE (1/17), 9:30am, Asheville Recreation Park, 65 Gashes Creek Rd Peace Education Program An innovative series of video-based workshops that help people discover their own inner strength and personal peace. WE (1/17, 24), 5pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave Change Your Palate Cooking Demo This free food demonstration is open to everyone but tailored towards those with type 2 diabetes or hypertension and/ or their caretakers. Our featured host is Change Your Palate’s very own Shaniqua Simuel. WE (1/17, 24), 4pm, AmeriHealth Caritas, 216 Asheland Ave Lil’ Picasso’s Toddler Art Help little ones embrace their imagination and creativity to develop problem solving, refine motor skills, and creatively to express emotions. WE (1/17, 24), 1:30pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave Aerial Silks Foundations Learn how to properly ascend, descend, and create stunning shapes on the silks while emphasizing safety and proper form. Participants of all ages and all abilities are welcome. WE (1/17, 24), 4pm and 5:30pm, Amethyst Realm, 244 Short Coxe Ave Eightfold Path Study Group A group will gather to study the Eightfold Path Program. Kris Kramer will host the group as a fellow participant and student. WE (1/17, 24), 3pm, Black Mountain Public Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain How to Start Your Outdoor Business Matt Godfrey, Executive Director of the Outdoor Business Alliance, will discuss how to turn your idea or hobby into a viable venture. Find out what questions you need to answer, what you need to do, and who you need to connect with to be successful. WE (1/17), 11am, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler Friendship Bracelet Class This class focuses on learning chevron and candy stripe design friendship bracelets. Advance registration required. WE (1/17), 5pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave Kids & Teens Kung Fu Learn fighting skills as well as conflict resolution and mindfulness. First class is

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free to see if it’s a good fit for you. TH (1/18, 25), MO (1/22), TU (1/23), 4pm, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave, Ste 109 Southside Walking Club Gather with others and walk inside Grant Southside Center's gym or outside if it's a nice morning. TH (1/18, 25), TU (1/23), 10:30am, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St Cybersecurity & Risk Management Basics Reduce the mystery surrounding cybersecurity with a low-jargon dive into principles and techniques that can help significantly reduce the risk of being harmed by a cyber-attack. Register at avl.mx/d99. TH (1/18), 11:30am, Online Bingo-nasium Bring your friends for a night of bingo in the gym. TH (1/18), 2pm, Asheville Parks and Recreation, 70 Court Plaza Family Cooking Class These cooking classes teach fundamental skills to kids ages 7-10 alongside an adult from their family or community while focusing on fun, collaboration, and learning. All ingredients are provided. TH (1/18, 25), 5pm, Burton Street Community Center, 134 Burton St One-Pan Meals Each week we'll cook and taste delicious and inexpensive options that you can make at-home, but without all the usual prep and cleaning time in the kitchen. For more information, contact Jessica Mollet at (828) 649-2411. TH (1/18, 25), 5pm, Madison County Cooperative Ext Office, 258 Carolina Ln, Marshall January Intention Practice: Part 2 Michael Scardaville will be leading the second in a series of three events related to intention setting and living in accordance with our highest aspirations. TH (1/18), 6:30pm, Quietude Micro-retreat Center, 1130 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Senior Social Explore social activities geared toward seniors to improve mental health and exercise. This is a free event open to everyone. FR (1/19), 1pm, Hendersonville Family YMCA, 810 6th Ave W, Hendersonville Montford Story Time Kids listen to a book and participate in an activity that pertains to the story. Each participant receives a copy of the book to take home. FR (1/19), 5pm, Tempie Avery Montford Community Center, 34 Pearson Ave

Intro to Indoor Pickleball All equipment provided to learn skills needed to play the fun game of pickleball. Advance registration at avlrec.com is required. FR (1/19), 6pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave It Doesn't Happen Here: Conversations about Human Trafficking in our Community Listen to Our Voice and a team of expert panelists discuss human trafficking in WNC. Panelists include Sarah Hardman, Courtney Dunkerton and Danyelle Kara. FR (1/19), 6pm, Tina McGuire Theatre, Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave Braver Angels WNC: Parents & School Boards The WNC branch of the national Braver Angels organization is hosting a discussion focusing on how parents and school boards can work together. This is a free event, but registration with wncalliance@ braverangels.org is appreciated. SA (1/20), 10am, Skyland United Methodist Church, 1984 Hendersonville Rd Ready For Kindergarten This drop-in event is intended to provide families with an opportunity to meet representatives from local schools and ask any questions pertaining to the registration process as well as specifics about each school. SA (1/20), 10:30am, East Asheville Library, 3 Avon Rd Conserving Carolina: Help the Hemlocks Learn about North Carolina’s declining hemlock trees and find out what you can do to help restore them to their previous glory. Thom Green and Olivia Hall from the Hemlock Restoration Initiative will lead this discussion. SA (1/20), 10:30am, Anne Elizabeth Suratt Nature Center at Walnut Creek Preserve, 179 Wood Thrush Ln, Mill Spring Beach Glass Wind Chimes This workshop will be introducing you to wind chimes that will be created with real, large starfish. Each string of beach glass will swing from the arms of the starfish to create a beautiful sound and look. SA (1/20), 1pm, The River Arts District Brewing Co., 13 Mystery St Bid Whist Make bids, call trumps, and win tricks. Every Saturday for fun competition with the community. SA (1/20), 1pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St Bingo Gather with your neighbors for a night of bingo and small prizes awarded to winners of each game.

SA (1/20), 1pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Jigsaw Puzzle Competition Grab a friend for this 500 piece puzzle competition. First place wins a special prize and everyone gets to keep their brand new puzzles. SA (1/20), 1pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd Kuzu Making Workshop Learn how to use this invasive species to make food with Lauren “LB” Bacchus. LB is an experimental fiber artist whose sculptural work is made from abundant, often invasive, plant material. SA (1/20), 2pm, Dr George Washington Carver Edible Park, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Jay Brown Fingerpicking Workshop This intermediate workshop with Jay Brown is for anyone who enjoys fingerpicking guitar and would like to expand their repertoire of styles and technique. SA (1/20), 4pm, White Horse Black Mountain, 105C Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Weekly Sunday Scrabble Club Weekly scrabble play with all scrabble gear provided. SU (1/21), 1:30pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave Country Tea Dance & Line Dance Come to learn to line dance or show off your boot scooting skills with Jerri and the crew from Stepping Out. SU (1/21), 4pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd GATHER: Monthly Women's Circle A modern day women’s circle to offer you a sense of community, sacredness, and solace in a woman-only space. Prepare to sing, discuss specific topics related to Feminine Health, and take the time to listen to each woman who feels called to share whatever is in her heart. SU (1/21), 6:30pm, Black Mountain Yoga, 116 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Writing Your Legacy A seven-week class offered by Aging Gracefully based on the book, Writing Your Legacy: The Step-by-Step Guide to Crafting Your Life Story. Writing will take place inside and outside the class; bring a notebook and your favorite writing tools. MO (1/22), 10am, Grace Lutheran Church, 1245 6th Ave W, Hendersonville Cornhole Smash Learn about the game and its benefits from national champion Dillon Pressley. This course is

a five week round robin season ending with a tournament. MO (1/22), 11am, Linwood Crump Shiloh Community Center, 121 Shiloh Rd Moontime Magic Series A workshop series on the magic of menstruation led by GREYA. Get in touch with your inner seasons and connect with other magical people. You may choose to attend as many workshops in the series as you feel called. MO (1/22), 6:30pm, The Well at Mountain Magic, 3 Louisiana Ave Free Six-Week Pottery Class Learn the basics of pottery in this six-week course. Start when it's convenient for you and continue for the next six weeks. Space limited, advance registration required. TU (1/23), 2pm, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St Energetic Defense Series 1 An empowering and transformative energetic defense workshop where you will learn practical techniques to safeguard and elevate your energy. This is not a beginners workshop. TU (1/23), 6pm, Skinny Beats Drum Shop and Gallery, 4 Eagle St Launching Your Airbnb Biz: A Beginner's Masterclass A Beginner's Masterclass is a comprehensive course designed for those who are new to hosting on Airbnb or looking to improve their Airbnb hosting skills. Free and open to the public with registration at avl.mx/d9m. TU (1/23), 6pm, Online The Future is AI-rriving In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn how to leverage various AI-powered tools to streamline their workflows, automate tedious tasks, and make informed decisions. Free with registration at avl.mx/d9r. WE (1/24), 10am, Online Bridging the Gap from Employee to Entrepreneur This class will teach you how to use a retirement plan for leveraging a tax write off, the differences between SEP, Simple, 401K, and 403Bs, and what kind of business benefits from each, depending on the structure. Registration is required. WE (1/24), noon, A-B Tech Small Business Center, 1465 Sand Hill Rd, Candler The Quill & Ink Justin Souther, Senior Buyer and Bookstore Manager, will explain the criteria and steps to list a book with Malaprop’s

Bookstore/Café. TH (1/25), 1:30pm, S Asheville Library, 260 Overlook Rd Access to Capital This workshop is here to guide you through the process to secure a business loan. Learn why businesses borrow money, what lenders are looking for when reviewing your application, and the importance of having cash flow projections. Registration is required at avl.mx/d9n. TH (1/25), 2pm, Online Empowerment Collective: Conversation w/ Tara Nyanga & Marisol Colette An in-person upscale networking and speaking series that highlights the remarkable stories of women who have defied odds, shattered glass ceilings, and triumphed in their personal and professional lives. TH (1/25), 6pm, Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery & Tasting Room, 829 Riverside Dr Lifestyle Choices A group discussion for 14 to 19 year-olds that offers an opportunity for young males to engage in open discussion regarding their behaviors and community involvement. TH (1/25), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

LOCAL MARKETS RAD Farmers Market Winter Season Browse 30+ local vendors all winter long with fresh produce, pastured meats, baked goods, honey, and more. Safely accessible by bike or foot on the greenway, plus free public parking along Riverside Drive. WE (1/17, 24), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr One-Pan Meals Each week we’ll cook and taste delicious and inexpensive options that you can make at-home, but without all the usual prep and cleaning time in the kitchen. For more information, contact Jessica Mollet at (828) 649-2411. TH (1/18, 25), 5pm, Madison County Cooperative Ext Office, 258 Carolina Ln Marshall Sip N' Shop Market Local vendors will be selling their homemade goods and products directly in the taproom. There will also be a brunch feature and live music from Alex Bazemore and friends. SA (1/20), 10am, Bold Rock Asheville, 39 N Lexington Ave Plant Club Pop-Up Market Each month will feature 6-10 different growers and makers offering a wide array of products; from rare tropicals to

Responsible Automotive Service & Repair native medicinals, handmade pots and trellises to botanical watercolor paintings, cut flower bouquets to herbal salves and teas, and more. SA (1/20), 11am, Canopy Gallery in Art Garden, 191 Lyman St, Ste 316

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS Queer Prom This fun prom-themed dance party will include a dance contest, prom polaroids, snacks and drinks. Half of all door proceeds to benefit the Campaign for Southern Equality. TH (1/18), 9pm, Fleetwood's, 496 Haywood Rd Connecting to Heritage Through Tea Miles Cramer will lead a tea tasting and dialogue around identity, heritage and Japanese tea culture. See p22 FR (1/19), 10:45am, Asia House, 119 Coxe Ave Worlds of Watercolor Cabin Fever Party Immerse yourself in live art, live music and drinks. Works on Paper features art by Nadine Charlsen. See p25 FR (1/19), 5pm, Wedge at Grove Arcade, 1 Page Av

The Dolly Llama Opening Celebrate this business opening with merch giveaways, store gift cards and a real life llama. SA (1/20), 11:30am, The Dolly Llama, 2 Town Square Blvd, Ste 130 2024 Asheville Restaurant Week Celebrate Asheville's delicious culinary creations from local restaurants. This year, more than 40 participating restaurants are serving up great food with menu specials. For more information visit avl.mx/5k3. WE (1/17), TH (1/18), FR (1/19), SA (1/20), SU (1/21), MO (1/22), Multiple Locations, Citywide

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING R2S Reading Tutor Support unlocking a student's potential. Volunteer as a Read to Succeed tutor with training included. Work one-to-one or in small groups during and after school. Register at avl.mx/d9g to volunteer. WE (1/17, 24), 6pm, Online

Leo Mazzone Keynote Speaker Atlanta Braves Hall of Famer Leo Mazzone will be the 2024 Baseball Night keynote speaker. This annual fund-raising dinner benefits the Bulldogs. FR (1/19), 6pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy, Ste 200

and a celebration of of its vibrant tapestry of Asian culture found in WNC. Gala proceeds will support WNC AAPI, Soulfull Simone Farm, Soul and Soul Project and others. SU (1/21), 4pm, Eulogy, 10 Buxton Ave

Warming Shelter & Sanctuary In addition to a warm, welcoming space to share a meal with neighbors, Saturday sanctuary offers restrooms, phone charging, videos, popcorn and a safe place to rest. SA (1/20), 11am, First Presbyterian Church Asheville, 40 Church St

MANNA FoodBank Mobile Market All markets are free and open to anyone who needs support with groceries. Walk through in just minutes. WE (1/24), 11am, Fernihurst Mansion, 16 Fernihurst Dr, A-B Tech

Sterling Davis's Birthday Fundraiser Silent auction, giveaways and raffles, music performances, clicker training performances and more. SA (1/20), 5pm, Ginger's Revenge Craft Brewery & Tasting Room, 829 Riverside Dr Asheville Asian Culture Festival Gala Featuring a fashion show, performances by artists, live music from Ma Mockingbird and the Gypsy Swingers

Oakley Community Closet A cost-free opportunity to shop clothes, shoes, and toys. Donations for Oakley Community Closet happily accepted at Murphy-Oakley Community Center throughout the week. Please call (828) 232-4529 to coordinate donations. TH (1/25), 6:30pm, Oakley Community Center, 749 Fairview Rd

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JAN. 17-23, 2024

WELLNESS

‘Community is what rehabilitates’ Buncombe’s first homeless-program manager discusses goals, misconceptions

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN jwakeman@mountainx.com Lacy Hoyle was drawn to helping people even as a child. “I was the kid who used to beg my mom to stop and get food for folks asking for food at exits,” she explains. “It really does feel like a calling for me.” Providing services to this population became her life’s work. She studied psychology at UNC Asheville and has worked at nonprofits for the majority of her career: 12 years at Western North Carolina AIDS Project, where she was a medical case manager before becoming director of client services, and one year at Homeward Bound of WNC as the director of its rapid rehousing program. In August, Hoyle jumped from nonprofits to the government when Buncombe County hired her as its first homeless-program man-

ager. Her role was recommended in the National Alliance to End Homelessness’s study Within Reach: Ending Unsheltered Homelessness in the Asheville-Buncombe [Continuum of Care], released in January 2023. Her job is to unify efforts across multiple departments. “There were lots of folks at the county doing bits and pieces [addressing homelessness],” Hoyle says. “I think it’s really helpful to have dedicated staff working on this issue.” She notes that rural homelessness in particular falls under the county’s purview. Hoyle spoke with Xpress about the local priorities for addressing homelessness, how she incorporates the views of those who have different beliefs than her about its causes and misconceptions about the homeless population. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and condensed for length.

What are Buncombe County’s top priorities for addressing homelessness? The Within Reach study broke [priorities] down into short-, mediumand long-term goals. The Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee had already identified which short-term and medium-term priorities they wanted to focus on. I just stepped in to help coordinate those efforts. But it’s a priority for me — and for the folks who are telling me what my priority should be — to look at increasing shelter capacity and what role any local government might have to play in that. That’s something that the city and the county are both very interested in, so it’s a natural fit for me to be working on it. Also, there’s priorities that I am interested in, like outreach and encampment response. I’m interested in that because it’s quickly become apparent to me that we need to flesh out our encampment response, particularly for rural encampments. But there is already work being done by a [Homeless Initiative Advisory Committee] workgroup about encampment response. Some people have strong opinions on how to fix homelessness. But the avenues for fixing it are multifaceted and can be complicated. How can people better understand the many different factors that go into the problem and how to solve it? The way that I’ve approached it is just breaking down some of those nuts and bolts. [Homeless strategy specialist] Debbie Alford at the city is doing a homelessness learning series, and she’s been doing an excellent job of that. She’s starting at the beginning

MANY HURDLES: “Even for the most mentally sound, stable person who’s unhoused, the obstacles to obtaining housing and getting back on their feet are huge,” says Buncombe County’s first homeless-program manager, Lacy Hoyle. Photo by Jessica Wakeman with what’s causing homelessness, how did we get here and what is our response. … [It’s important to] provide some basic education about what is the Continuum of Care, what does that mean and what does it do. I think also connecting tangible actions to the general public is going to be important because I can talk about the CoC all day long, and eventually they’re going to tune out. But if you help connect how [the public] can get involved, and why it is important to do that, then you might catch some people.

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One thing I’ve been thinking about a lot recently is keeping my expectations realistic. Some folks are really interested in this and are going to want to learn, and some people [aren’t interested]. Everybody has different opinions. What is a common misconception about people who are unhoused, or homelessness in general, in Buncombe County? In terms of homelessness here, there’s a lot of rhetoric right now that folks are living this lawless life on the streets, that they don’t want to be part of society, that they don’t want to get help, that they don’t want their life to change. That’s probably true for some of them. But it’s not true for all of them. It’s not true for a lot of them. I also think there’s a misconception in general about homelessness, that it should be easily solvable for the individual, that they should just be able to go out and get a job and find a place. It’s just not that easy. Even for the most mentally sound, stable person who’s unhoused, the obstacles to obtaining housing and getting back on their feet are huge. What bothers me is people who say that [homeless individuals] who are using substances don’t deserve to be part of society — [such as] “We need to remove folks from society until they decide to rehabilitate.” I don’t subscribe to that philosophy, personally or professionally. I think community is what rehabilitates. … Also, there are lots of people who are housed and using drugs, so someone is not homeless because they’re a drug user. It’s not the correlation that people think that it is. Where do you think these misconceptions come from? I think it’s hard for some folks to stomach the idea that many people they know, and maybe even themselves, are really not that far from being [homeless]. It just takes a couple of bad events happening for most of us to get to that point. That’s hard

for people to deal with. Then we start “other–ing” people — we’re distancing ourselves so that we don’t have to think about how we might be close to that at any point, too. In a government role, you have to answer to everyone. How are you going to work with people who may believe that — to use your example — homeless people don’t want to be a part of society and are choosing to be drug addicts? Every perspective is important. I try to really listen to people and meet them where they’re at and try to ask a lot of questions so that I can understand what someone’s perspective really is. I listened to a webinar recently about the Housing First philosophy and rebranding it to make it more palatable for people. [Housing First is a philosophy that prioritizes placing people in stable housing as a basis from which people can access other needed services, like mental health care.] The message that kept coming through to me that I have been trying to take to people that if you want homelessness to end and you don’t want to see homeless people, let’s give them a space. That’s the answer. I never want to make anyone feel judged because they have a different perspective than I do. …. I think a common goal between me and some of the folks that don’t agree with me is that we don’t want to see people on the street, for whatever reason. How do we stop that? We give them a safe space. Do you feel optimistic that Buncombe County and Asheville can curb homelessness in a meaningful way? Absolutely, I do. I feel like we have a lot of momentum behind us right now since the Within Reach study. … It’s going to take some time. We all have to have reasonable expectations for changing some of our systems and getting some new processes in place. But I’m overall very optimistic about where we’re going. X

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JAN. 17-23, 2024

ARTS & CULTURE

Lions and tigers and youth development — oh my! Members of Asheville Junior Theater discuss its founding and latest production

BY EDWIN ARNAUDIN earnaudin@mountainx.com Bridget Roberts didn’t know she was a talented stage performer. But after the 13-year-old Asheville resident found the right people to encourage her dormant singing, dancing and acting skills, she discovered a lot more about herself. “I found out that I love acting and I love theater,” says Roberts. “It broadens my horizons to things that I didn’t know I could do. And it helps you kind of figure out who you are.” Roberts is one of many young people whose lives have been enriched by Asheville Junior Theater since the nonprofit’s formation in early 2022. And audiences can soon catch her playing the Cowardly Lion in The Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition, which runs Saturday, Jan. 20, and Sunday, Jan. 21, at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, with performances at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. both days. Featuring onstage music from local bluegrass band The Well Drinkers, the Appalachian twist on the L. Frank Baum classic follows months of hard work from a dedicated group of kids, parents and volunteers led by AJT founder Kelly Haas. But rather than returning to their proverbial Kansas when the show is done, this unified collective plans on staying in the merry old land of theater for years to come, growing as a group and providing its cast members and crew a distinct artistic experience. SETTING THE STAGE In July 2020, Haas and her family relocated from San Diego to Asheville, seeking a change of scenery. Both Haas and her daughter, Gigi, were previously involved in community theater. Sensing a chance to create a

JUST KEEP SWIMMING: Asheville Junior Theater’s most recent production, “Finding Nemo, Jr.,” showcased what co-director Kelly Haas describes as off-Broadway quality. The group’s next show, “Wizard of Oz: Youth Edition,” runs Saturday, Jan. 20, and Sunday, Jan. 21, at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts. Photo by Ariel Haas distinct, professional-grade experience for young performers, Haas met and partnered with local choreographer Erin Roberts, owner of Mighty Oaks Montessori school in Fairview, to form Asheville Junior Theater. They then added Melena Dillingham as AJT’s director of music and began seeking other like-minded families and collaborators to see their vision through. “I have an attack-dog spirit. If I set my mind to something, nothing’s going to stop me,” Haas says. “I was just pounding the pavement. I was

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JAN. 17-23, 2024

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out there pushing this, trying to get people to donate money, trying to get a website set up, trying to get a place to rent for rehearsals.” Haas eventually found a space in South Asheville for rehearsals on Fridays and Sundays, but partnering with a theater in the middle of the pandemic proved more challenging. Nearly all such area industry companies were just getting back to in-person performances in late 2021 and figuring out responsible means of welcoming back audiences that felt comfortable for attendees and cast/crew alike. “I can’t tell you how many ‘no’s’ I got for all the different things I was trying to do — just ‘no’ after ‘no’ after ‘no’ after ‘no,’” Haas says. “And I just didn’t stop until I achieved our goals.” AJT partnered with T.C. Roberson High School for its debut performance, Matilda the Musical, Jr. But plentiful

hurdles still awaited, including Haas stepping in to steer the show despite never having helmed a production. “My daughter had done Matilda three times before,” she says. “I’m like, ‘I could direct the show.’ And that’s kind of how it all started.” GOING OFF-BOOK Matilda the Musical, Jr. launched AJT in June 2022. Soon thereafter, the company found a performance home at the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, where it’s staged Peter Pan, Jr. and Finding Nemo, Jr. During this time, Haas established the company as a 501(c)3 nonprofit. All funds, she says, go into the next production, which she describes as on par with off-Broadway shows. “This really is not junior theater,” she says. “We have a costume designer. We have set designer. We go so full-out

on production to give the kids a great chance to really experience what theater can be like.” To encourage high standards, Haas holds meetings with interested children ages 8-18 and their parents to make sure families are up for what an AJT production requires. Along with children participating in a total of eight hours of rehearsals each week and eventually memorizing their parts (aka “going offbook”), families are required to provide at least 10 hours of volunteer time over the three months that their child will be in the show. Membership fees are also required but Haas stresses that funds are not an obstacle for involvement. “I have never turned down a family that says, ‘We want to get our kid involved in this, but we can’t afford it,’” she says. “I always say, ‘Come on, we’ll figure out a way.’ And I find a sponsor or [sometimes] pay the money myself.” At AJT rehearsals, children aren’t allowed to be on screens during breaks because staff wants to encourage interaction among the cast. There’s also a zero tolerance policy regarding AJT kids posting negative things about each other on social media. Haas believes these guidelines lead to a more powerful bond among the children as well as mentors such as stage manager Grayson Schuck. “If we put together a team of strong leaders, the kids are going to be that much better,” she says. “I’m not in agreement with that ‘Every kid gets a trophy, no matter what’ type of philosophy. I think that kids need to learn that they need to work hard and put forth as much effort as possible, and they can see that they can do amazing things. But it’s not going to be handed to them.” In addition to the self-empowerment that comes with the performances themselves, AJT holds a cast party after the close of each production’s run. There, Haas individually compliments each child, spotlighting the strengths that they brought to the show. She notes that the parents especially enjoy hearing someone else say nice things about their kids but considers that aspect a side benefit to what AJT has brought its participants. “We’ve had a lot of kids that came out of the COVID generation where they were on screens all the time, not leaving their house, having struggles with depression and other issues,” Haas says. “I have a parent who said, ‘You saved my kid’s life because she was going down this terrible path. She’s so different today — doing amazing things, super confident, lots of friends.’”

THREE OF A KIND: From left, Windsor Bishop, Gigi Haas and Bridget Roberts became best friends during rehearsals for AJT’s production of “Finding Nemo, Jr.” Photo by Ariel Haas Wizard of Oz, says she’s formed tight bonds with several cast members, including 14-year-old Windsor Bishop, who plays Glinda the Good Witch, and Haas’ 12-year-old daughter, Gigi, who plays the Scarecrow. Echoing Roberts’ experiences with theater, Bishop says she is grateful to AJT for the opportunity to express herself through acting, singing and dancing — sides she hadn’t explored in depth until her initial role in Finding Nemo,

Jr. Meanwhile, Gigi Haas says her dedication to theater has given her greater body control while dancing as well as out-of-body experiences onstage. “What I love about theater is that you can embody a character that you wouldn’t necessarily get to play. Theater can be so crazy but it’s fine to be crazy in theater,” Gigi Haas says. “Also, I love when you go onstage and see the lights — it’s very pretty and really fun.”

All three performers encourage other interested youth to give AJT a try even if they’re hesitant about taking the plunge. Roberts stresses that she was nervous before her first rehearsal but now says she has a “passion for theater” and looks forward to seeing her close-knit group of pals each week. “It’s a really good community,” Bishop adds. “I have made so many friends and they’re my best friends now. So that’s a really a big plus, but also being able to [take] constructive criticism is really helpful because it helps you be able to be a good actor.” Such relationships are critical for Kelly Haas as AJT moves forward and decides what shows to produce next. She notes that it’s tough to pick projects that are fun for 8-year-olds and teenagers about to graduate from high school, but that it’s even tougher to recruit young men to partake in the fun. If numbers increase, however, the possibilities likewise broaden. “The one show that every kid is dying [to do] — and they beg me every time — is Newsies,” Kelly Haas says. “We’re so excited to do Newsies but we need some more boys. And there are other shows like that, too.” To learn more, visit avl.mx/d9a. X

CURTAIN CALL Roberts, the youth performer starring as the Cowardly Lion in The MOUNTAINX.COM

JAN. 17-23, 2024

ARTS & C U L T U R E

LITERATURE

Self-interrogation

Local poet’s new essay collection taps into the personal and existential

BY ALEX MCWALTERS

and religious fervor,” she continues, “which were very real, in both yogic and psychological terms, our marriage has been replete with pathos, particularly ego and attachment, to which yoga ascribes so much suffering.”

email@mountainx.com Pleasure, guilt, goodness, regret, confusion, self-respect and motherhood are among the many topics local poet and essayist Brit Washburn explores in her recently published collection of essays, Homing In: Attempts on a Life of Poetry and Purpose. And the author does so in often stunning precision and candor. Whereas Washburn’s poetry, motivated by language and image, stands as a kind of prayer to the enduring perplexities of God and to the indefatigable passing of time, her essays are a glimpse into the complicated, hard-won convictions, practices and irreconcilable contradictions that underwrite the poignancy of her poetics. “On the whole,” Washburn writes in Homing In’s preface, “these essays weave back and forth through time and subject matter, overlapping in places and leaping in others, but all have to do with the sometimes incommensurate selves we struggle to reconcile and contain.” Quoting fellow poet Louis Glück in her author’s note, Washburn offers: “‘I wrote these essays as I would poems; I wrote them from what I know, trying to undermine the known with intelligent questions. Like poems, they have been my education’ — an education,” Washburn adds, “built upon reading, and trial and failure.” COMPANION PIECES Like her 2019 poem collection, Notwithstanding, Washburn’s latest book took more than a decade to produce. But the relatively quick succession of the two works’ publications was, as Washburn put it, just a fluke.

‘QUESTIONS TO BE LIVED’

INCOMMENSURATE SELVES: “On the whole,” poet Brit Washburn writes in Homing In’s preface, “these essays weave back and forth through time and subject matter, overlapping in places and leaping in others, but all have to do with the sometimes incommensurate selves we struggle to reconcile and contain.” Photo courtesy of Washburn “In both cases, I was approached by the publishers, thank God, or all of this work would probably still be gathering dust,” she says. “I never really had any lofty expectations or ambitions and just wanted to make my little offering on the altar of human feeling and thought. Then back to the salt mines,” she continues. Fluke or not, the two books could be read as companion pieces, each a distinct but often complementary expression of, or inquiry into, Washburn’s own existential destiny. Notwithstanding, a slim, elegant book, draws the reader’s attention to the pear on the table, the child’s tiny curled hand, a lover whom we long for despite

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our leaving, the golden child we knew inside the troubled young man, the lives we build that fail to nurture us. In the end, it is perhaps the value of attention itself, rendered with clarity and finely wrought detail, that Washburn’s verse asserts. “What is the pleasure of now?” her poems ask. “And what if now is all we have?” Similar inquiries are investigated in Homing In. The collection opens with “The Edge: Of Motherhood and Poetics.” The essay was drafted in the spring of 2010, when Washburn was 35 and about to leave her husband of 15 years. The writings then progress, by and large, in chronological order, tracking with meticulous curiosity, scholarship and self-interrogation a poet’s complex wrangling with love, motherhood, art, spirituality, authenticity and solitude. In “Living Yoga,” the collection’s second essay, Washburn writes: “My husband and I met when I was a 14-year-old student of creative writing at a boarding school where he, then forty, was teaching while married to his third wife. Five years later, he was divorced. I was dividing my time between New York and Paris, and we began a correspondence. A year after that, we were married, and now, fourteen years on, I am 35, and he is 61, we have three sons, and are coming undone.” It is this undoing, and its long aftermath, that serves as Homing In’s narrative center, the event around which all Washburn’s interrogations — consciously and not — orbit. “[F]or all its romance

But as Washburn keenly articulates, her suffering did not end with the marriage — far from it. With the aid of the many poets, writers, musicians and spiritual texts that populate the pages of Homing In, Washburn wrestles with regret over having left the life and family to which she’d once been so wholly devoted; guilt, too, for the consequences her decision wrought upon her children. And yet, as Washburn acknowledges in an email exchange with Xpress, “I can’t for the life of me imagine having survived and thrived had I stayed. I often wish I’d had a different destiny, one that involved prolonged domestic bliss, but I simply didn’t.” Washburn’s meditations on love and motherhood are unflinching; her engagement with the incommensurate selves contained within her is candid. Like many artist types, Washburn grapples with her desire for solitude and freedom — to read and write, to engage with life’s big questions. Yet at the same time, she recognizes her competing need for connection and intimacy, for the pleasures of parenthood, even as she touts the value of commitment, devotion and altruism. How does one reconcile the seeker’s want for independence, adventure and knowledge with the Buddhist’s belief that seeking, in fact all desire, is suffering? In “Authenticity vs. Faith, and the Fact of Fatigue” Washburn writes, “I believe that God will provide, that all suffering arises from departing from the present moment, from looking forward with anxiety or back with regret, wanting things to be other than they are. But depart I do, look back and forth I do, worry and pine for safety and security I do, and by suppressing or denying these impulses, this longing, I feel as though I am suppressing and denying something human and real.” As this and other passages imply, Washburn’s Homing In offers no definitive verdict — not on God, the meaning of life, relationships or vocation. Such things are, she says, “not codes to be broken, but as Rilke had it, questions to be lived.” In these pages, one encounters a woman living fully, tragically, joyously. X

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ARTS & C U L T U R E

FOOD ROUNDUP In addition to the brick-and-mortar, The Smokin’ Onion will continue to offer food truck and catering services. For more information, including hours of operation, visit avl.mx/d9j.

What’s new in food Luminosa prepares to open inside The Flat Iron Hotel The Flat Iron Hotel, which is set to open this spring, will feature Luminosa, a new restaurant headed by local chef Graham House. According to House, the 110-seat, full-service eatery includes a 14-foot bar, a live-fire grill and a pizza oven. The seasonal menu will feature modern Appalachian food with Italian flair, and many of the restaurant’s breads, pastries and pastas will be made in-house. The space will also function as a bakery and cafe. Luminosa is the centerpiece of the new hotel, which is the latest project by The Indigo Road Hospitality Group. House notes that the interiors are designed by Mey & Co. to integrate modern comfort with a Gilded Age aesthetic. The Flat Iron Hotel will also feature a rooftop restaurant and an underground speakeasy. “Asheville is not necessarily a town that loves outsiders coming in and just trying to change things,” House says. “Indigo Road has really embraced the energy in the community. ... We’re trying to make someplace where local people can feel good about coming downtown and having a good experience.” House is an Asheville native who spent a few years in San Fransisco before returning to Buncombe County in 2016. He has previously served as the executive chef for Sovereign Remedies and the culinary director for The Chop Shop Butchery. His time out West, he says, helped shape the way he thinks about community and local farmers. “I really dived into vegetarian food and the produce and bounty

available out in San Francisco and Napa Valley,” House recalls. “It really inspired me to become closer with farmers. They make my job really easy and make it easy to be creative.” House adds that he hosts an annual farmer appreciation dinner at the end of the main growing season. His latest event invited over 60 local growers to the table. This sense of community is deeply imbued in Luminosa’s mission, House says. As an example, he points to Burke County-based potter Matt Hallyburton, who will supply the restaurant with handcrafted dinnerware. “Sustainable and local dynamic kind of stuff is what we’re all about,” says House. “And we are trying to kind of boost up the local people as much as possible.” The Flat Iron Hotel is at 20 Battery Park Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/d9l.

The Smokin’ Onion adds brick-and-mortar The Smokin’ Onion will open its first brick-and-mortar later this month at 697 Haywood Road in West Asheville. The husband-and-wife team, Kiimia and Parker Schultz, introduced their plant-based comfort food concept as a food truck in September 2021. The couple see the new location, which previously housed The Trashy Vegan, as an opportunity to expand their menu and philanthropic efforts.

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New festival celebrates Asian culture

LOCAL TOUCH: Executive chef and Asheville native Graham House will lead the kitchen at Luminosa, a new restaurant set to open this spring inside The Flat Iron Hotel. Photo courtesy of The Indigo Road Hospitality Group “We are excited about this next chapter for our business,” says Kiimia. “It’s definitely a dream come true, and we feel like the stepping-off point to growing our business.” The location will include a 30-seat dining room and a new breakfast menu in addition to the food truck’s most popular items such as the Cluckin’ Good sandwich and The Town gyro. “There’s a need for good vegan breakfast, and we’re excited about that,” Parker says. “We’re going to be doing some breakfast classics like pancakes, breakfast bowls and breakfast burritos, alongside our bestselling sandwiches.” Along with serving customers, The Smokin’ Onion considers giving back a core part of its mission. Animal welfare and social justice organizations are top priorities for the restaurant’s owners. “As we grow, we’ll be doing more of that,” says Kiimia. “We’ve raised money and donated money to help rescue animals in different sanctuaries, and we hope to continue to be able to give back to our community in different ways.” The couple also look forward to hosting events. “Once we grow and get settled, we’ll be doing a lot more partnering with different nonprofit organizations to provide good food for people who are doing good things and for people who are in need.”

The inaugural Asheville Asian Cultural Festival is underway and runs through Sunday, Jan. 21. Organized by the Western North Carolina Asian American Pacific Islander Community, the festival includes several culinary-related events throughout the week, in addition to arts-related gatherings. Many of the ticketed events have sold out, but there’s still time to sign up and attend a few offerings. On Friday, Jan. 19, Asia House is hosting an afternoon of storytelling over tea. Join Miles Cramer in a discussion about identity and Japanese tea culture. Cramer will explore his experience as a white man with Japanese ancestry and the complexities of his longing for a deeper connection to Japanese culture. The event takes place at 119 Coxe Ave. and begins at 10:45 a.m. Tickets are on a sliding scale. And on Sunday, Jan. 21, 2-4 p.m., POP Bubble Tea will host an onigiri pop-up featuring home-cooked Japanese rice balls. The event aims to promote cultural exchange and to invite participants to experience the way onigiri appears across diverse cultural backgrounds. POP is at 640 Merrimon Ave. For more information on these and other events, visit avl.mx/d9k.

Eda Rhyne opens Weaverville cocktail venue Eda Rhyne Distilling Co. recently launched Eda’s Hide-a-Way in Weaverville. The venue, which opened on Dec. 20, offers a unique blend of medicinal herbal liquors as well as a full menu of cocktails and brews. Rett Murphy, co-owner of Eda Rhyne, says his commitment to Appalachian folk medicine dates back to his childhood and notes that some of the business’s ingredients include herbs grown from his farm in Burnsville. Together with co-owner Chris Bower, the award-winning Eda Rhyne has seen its distribution arm grow year after year. With its expansion into Weaverville, the own-

ers say they hope to match the company’s wholesale success and create a comfortable atmosphere for locals and visitors alike. “We are thrilled to bring Eda’s Hide-a-Way to the wonderful community of Weaverville,” Murphy says. “Our goal is to create a space where people can come together to enjoy exceptional spirits, good company and a range of entertainment options — like live music, shuffleboard, pingpong and pool. We look forward to becoming a cherished part of the Weaverville community.” Eda’s Hide-a -Way is at 1098 New Stock Road, Weaverville. Hours are Wednesday-Sunday, 3 p.m.-midnight. For more information, follow the venue on Instagram at @edas_hide_a_way.

Tapped out Last month, Archetype Brewing announced the closure of its North Asheville and South Slope locations. In a press release, the brewery attributed the closures to “Rising costs, lower patronage and the city’s too-little-too-late response to the declining state of safety downtown.” Both venues closed on Dec. 30.

For the time being, owners Corina and Brad Casanova plan to maintain their flagship location in West Asheville, which they opened in 2017. The brewery has frequently made headlines during its seven-year run for its array of Belgian- and American-style ales. Named 2021’s North Carolina Belgian Brewery of the Year, Archetype also holds gold medals for several of its core beer lineup; meanwhile, its Timely Surrender was named The Best Saison in The World by The Beer Connoisseur magazine. On the heels of this popularity, the Casanovas expanded their locations and distribution in early 2019 but struggled to keep up with the shifting consumer landscape brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. “I picked up everything and moved to Asheville for the opportunity to help Archetype open [Archetype Brewing + Kitchen on The South Slope],” said General Manager Donny Whitcomb, in the same press release. “The space, the food, the beer, the team we hired and Archetype’s commitment to quality are superior. The customers we have had left happy, posted great reviews, and loved their experience … but the

volume hasn’t been there to sustain the costs.” In the wake of the closure, Whitcomb has launched La Petite Kitchen, a catering company that serves Belgian and world-inspired cuisine. “One of our priorities is to support the team members we have to let go,” said Brad Casanova in the press release. “We’ve found our team members to be, in our opinion, some of the best in this city.” Anyone with employment opportunities is encouraged to contact info@archetypebrewing.com. The Casanovas remain hopeful that returning focus to their original location will save the company’s future and remind Asheville residents that they rely on their support. “Business owners are proud people,” said Corina Casanova in the brewery’s press release. “Go out and support them before it’s too late. You may be surprised how many of our valued small businesses are silently suffering and in need of your support now more than ever.” Archetype Brewing is at 265 Haywood Road. For more information, visit avl.mx/98p.

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Citizen Vinyl introduces twice-monthly jazz series Western North Carolina has a wealth of world-class jazz musicians, even if that’s not always obvious. “You can find [them] sprinkled all throughout the area, hiding in plain sight on larger stages, playing with folk, Americana and rock bands,” says George Awad, event co-producer at Citizen Vinyl. “We’re constantly surprised by just how much amazing musicianship exists in the region, rivaling much larger cities. We wanted to create another space where these artists can have the chance to return to their jazz passion in front of a jazz-hungry audience.” With that in mind, Citizen Vinyl has introduced Citizen Swing, a series that will run twice a month on Wednesdays, starting at 6 p.m. The event debuted Jan. 10 and will continue on Wednesday, Jan. 24, with a performance by Connor Law and Adam Rose. Law, a freelance bassist, bandleader and composer, will curate the talent for the series and perform at each show. Rose, a guitarist, composer and multi-instrumentalist, moved to Asheville in 2022 and released Vibes + Tribes, his first jazz album as a bandleader. At each event, organizers will spin classic jazz records from 6-7 p.m., after which the artists will take the stage and play until 9 p.m. Citizen Vinyl’s Session bar will feature cocktails inspired by the Jazz Age, and the kitchen will offer a special Citizen Swing menu. “We have been toying with the idea of a jazz night for some time,” Awad says. “We are always getting feedback about how much people love our space, and now that we have a stage, curtains and lights, we want to round it out with all of the blossoming local jazz talent there is.” Upcoming Citizen Swing nights will include Law playing with pianist Thomson Knoles on Wednesday, Feb. 7, and multireed instrumentalist Will Boyd on Wednesday, Feb. 21. Citizen Vinyl is at 14 O. Henry Ave. For more information about the Citizen Swing Series, go to avl.mx/prxr.

Book focuses on women of Appalachia Author Halle Hill was born and raised in East Tennessee and now lives in Winston-Salem. But she 24

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ALL THAT JAZZ: Bassist Connor Law will perform at Citizen Swing nights at Citizen Vinyl. Photo by Ken Voltz says her time in Asheville played a big part in the inspiration for Good Women, a new collection of short stories about the worlds of 12 Black women in Appalachia. “I wrote half of the collection when I lived in Asheville,” she explains. “I worked at Warren Wilson [College] while I completed my MFA thesis. After work, I frequently ate in the dining hall, then wrote in the library until it closed. The landscape of Western North Carolina is similar to East Tennessee, which was helpful when writing about and remembering physical spaces and atmospheres. Asheville brought me community, and it’s hard to not be inspired when your office windows open to a farm surrounded by sheep and soft, blue mountains. Asheville is a big part of me.” Hill and Asheville poet Michael Dechane will be featured at the

Punch Bucket Lit reading series at 7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 18, at rEvolve in West Asheville. Hill will read selections from Good Women, which was published in September by Hub City Press and named a 2023 Best Book of the Year by Kirkus Reviews, O Magazine, Electric Literature, Book Riot and Southwest Review. The stories in the book explore themes like religion, place, blood ties, generational trauma and obsession. “There is a sense of place, people and rhythm that came from my Appalachian upbringing and influences my work,” she says. “It’s the way people talk, relate, their pacing. The ways they show care. I carry that with me and used that knowing as a guide when writing Good Women.” rEvolve is at 697 Haywood Road. For more information or to purchase the book, go to avl.mx/d9b.

Family matters at Canton library The Canton branch of the Haywood County Public Library has become the first Family Place Library in North Carolina. Family Place Libraries is a nationwide program founded in 1996 to transform public libraries into centers for early literacy, parent education and family support, says Dillon Huffman, Haywood County public information officer. More than 500 libraries in 32 states have earned the designation. The model targets children 1-3 years old and consists of two major components: a specially designed learning space and twice-yearly, fiveweek parent-child workshops. The Canton branch’s Early Learning Space is in the children’s room and includes age-appropriate toys and parenting books. With financial support from the Haywood County Public Library Foundation, library staff recently updated the parenting collection and seating area and added manipulative toys such as Brain Flakes and Magnetic Tiles. “Children have the opportunity to learn through play while parents become informed of local community support organizations,” Huffman says. The first parent-child workshop, called “123 Play with Me,” started Jan. 10 and will continue for four more Wednesdays, Jan. 17, Jan. 24, Jan. 31 and Feb. 7, 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. The second session will begin in May. For those who cannot commit to a five-week program, Huffman says, the library hosts a monthly program called “Little Ones Learn” between sessions. “This program allows families to spend time together, make new friends and talk one-on-one with early childhood and family support specialists.”

Initial expenses for staff training and program implementation were covered by Haywood County Library Foundation and the nonprofit Region A Partnership for Children, Huffman says. The library’s operating budget has covered some minor expenses, and the Friends of the Haywood County Public Library support costs associated with the five-week workshops and the monthly programs. Haywood County Public Library director Kathy Vossler previously worked at the City of Wichita Falls Public Library in Texas, where she implemented the Family Place Libraries program. “Due to the overwhelmingly positive impact on children and families, she felt it was worth bringing to Haywood County,” Huffman says. To sign up for the programs or learn more, contact Ashlyn Godleski at ashlyn.godleski@haywoodcountync. gov or call (828)356-2567.

Meet the artist at Wedge Brewing Wedge Brewing Co.’s Grove Arcade location will host Cabin Fever Party, an event featuring artist Nadine Charlsen and music from Chris Wilhelm from 5-8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 19. Charlsen’s exhibit, Worlds of Watercolor, has been on display at the brewery since November and will continue until Sunday, April 28. Ukrainian pysanky egg designer Andrea Kulish will be a special guest at the party. Wedge Brewing Co. is in the Grove Arcade, 1 Page Ave. For more information, visit avl.mx/d9f.

ists Mark Flowers and Suzanne Dittenber in Off the Wall, an exhibit running from Saturday, Jan. 20-Friday, March 15. Strangers, a show by South Carolina artist Kevin Isgett, will run at the same time. An opening reception for both exhibits will be held Saturday, Jan. 20, 5-7 p.m. Flowers will showcase 11 mixed-media pieces, mostly from his “Baltimore Series.” The collagelike pieces resulted from his train travels in Baltimore, where he observed and took cellphone photos. Dittenber, an associate professor of painting at UNC Asheville, will display recently produced paintings using pigmented pulp on paper. Upstairs Artspace is at 49 S. Trade St., Tryon. For more information, go to avl.mx/d9e.

Weaverville museum hosts author Roberts Author Terry Roberts will discuss the background and composition of his 2022 novel The Sky Club at the Dry Ridge Historical Museum in Weaverville at 7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 19. The novel is set in Asheville in the late 1920s and early 1930s and features the 1930 closure of the Central Bank and Trust Co., a real historical event, as a major plot point. The Dry Ridge Historical Museum is in the Weaverville Community Center, 60 Lakeshore Drive. For more information, visit avl.mx/d9c.

Call for art submissions Asheville Parks & Recreation is inviting local artists of all mediums to submit pieces that will be displayed during a pop-up gallery celebrating Black Legacy Month from Friday, Feb 16-Thursday, Feb. 29, at Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Community Center. The exhibit, Southside Presents: Black History Through the Eyes of Art, opens with a reception on Friday, Feb. 16, 6-8 p.m. Participating artists should register at avl.mx/d9d and drop off submissions at the center, 285 Livingston St., from Monday, Feb. 12-Thursday, Feb. 15, 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m.

— Justin McGuire X

MOVIE REVIEWS ALL OF US STRANGERS: Writer/director Andrew Haigh conjures a haunting meditation on the intersection of grief and creativity. Grade: A-minus — Edwin Arnaudin

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17 185 KING STREET Trivia & Karaoke Night, 7pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Trivia! Trivia!, 6:30pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Humpday Hootenanny (funk, rock), 10pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm SHAKEY'S Sexy Service Industry Night, 10pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm

EULOGY Wolves in the Taproom: Black Metal Night, 7pm

THE DRAFTSMAN BAR + LOUNGE Trivia Nights, 8pm

FLEETWOOD'S Psych Night w/DJ Torren, 9pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Badfish (Sublime tribute band), 8pm

FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Saylor Brothers & Friends (jamgrass), 6:30pm

THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN Dan's Jam (bluegrass), 5pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Well-Crafted Music w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

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JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Old Time Jam, 5pm

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OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm

BLK MTN PIZZA & ALE HOUSE Billy Presnell (folk, Americana), 6pm

COWPUNK, SLOWCORE AND MORE: On Friday, Jan. 19, local cowpunkadelic band Puppy and The Dogs plays at Fleetwood’s at 9 p.m. as part of a local band showcase. Bad Ties (post-punk spoken word) and Places (alternative slowcore) will also be featured. Photo courtesy of Ryan Piper BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Trivia Night, 7pm CROW & QUILL Jessie & the Jinx (honkytonk), 8pm EULOGY Sluice & Truth Club (indierock), 8pm FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7:30pm LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA Comedy Night w/Holly Ballantine, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Billy Litz (Americana, blues, indie-folk), 7pm ONE WORLD BREWING Jake Burns (reggae, rock, folk), 7pm

SHAKEY'S • Comedy Showcase w/ Hilliary Begley, 8pm • Karaoke, 9pm THE ODD Anti-Sapien, Torsion & All Hell (death, metal, punk), 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Doss Church & the Unholy Noise (Americana, indie, post-folk), 8pm THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN Raphael Graves & Eric Congdon Duo (Americana, folk), 7pm THE RIVER ARTS DISTRICT BREWING CO. Peggy Ratusz & Kelly Jones (blues), 6pm THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN Mr Jimmy (blues), 5pm URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE Bachata Thursdays, 8:30pm

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19 27 CLUB Eiriel, And I Become Death & Ever After (psych-metal, post-doom, post-rock), 8pm BOLD ROCK ASHEVILLE Dolly Parton Karaoke Night, 8pm CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE ASHEVILLE • Comedy at Catawba: Boris Khaykin, 7pm • Comedy at Catawba: Freaky Friday Stand-up Showcase, 9pm CORK & KEG One Leg Up w/D'Jango Jazz (jazz, swing, Latin), 8pm CROW & QUILL Nick Garrison Jazz, 8pm EULOGY Cold Choir Presents: Vault (post-punk, dark techno, electro), 8pm FLEETWOOD'S Puppy & The Dogs, Bad Ties & Places (post-punk, cow-punk, alternative), 9pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Sauce Pocket (psych, funk), 7pm HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Jason Daniello (electronic), 6pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB • Honky-Tonk Fridays w/ Jackson Grimm, 4pm • Bald Mountain Boys (Appalachian, bluegrass), 9pm MAD CO. BREW HOUSE Chris Wayne (rock'n'roll), 6pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Nikki Talley w/Jason Sharp & Band (bluegrass), 8pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Dirty Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB tribute), 10pm ONE WORLD BREWING Stand Up Comedy Storytelling Showcase, 8pm

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ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Sun Goblin, Andrew Thelston Band & Lower Peaks (Americana, rock, indie), 8pm SHAKEY'S Big Blue Jams Band (multiple genres), 9pm SHILOH & GAINES Clouds of Delusion (Grateful Dead tribute), 9pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Corey Bowers & Dillon Halpain (country, blues), 8pm THE GREY EAGLE Princess Goes w/ Exclamation Pony (disco, new-wave, electronic), 8pm THE ODD Nerve Endings, Codapen, Systematic Devastation (punk), 9pm THE ORANGE PEEL Shrek Rave, 8pm THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN Ashley Heath (Americana, blues), 7pm THE RIVER ARTS DISTRICT BREWING CO. Mike & Amy Duo (Americana, rock, indie), 5pm URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE Cider Celts (Celtic, folk, old-time), 6pm WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT Susie Copeland (rock, pop, blues), 7pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN The Get Right Band (psych, alt-rock), 8pm

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20 27 CLUB Vera Soul, Father Figures & Blissful Thoughts (emo, post-rock), 9pm ASHEVILLE CLUB Mr Jimmy (blues), 6pm BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Dinah's Daydream (jazz), 6pm CORK & KEG Andy & Ruthie Hunter (multiple genres), 8pm CROW & QUILL Doc Docherty (magic), 8pm EULOGY Dylan LeBlanc (rock'n'roll), 8pm FLEETWOOD'S Cloutchaser, Party Nerves, Mary's Letter & Mercury Dimes (indie, punk, post-surf), 8:30pm HIGHLAND BREWING CO. Jeremy Short (Appalachian, funk), 6pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB • Nobody's Darling String Band, 4pm • The Howdies (honkytonk, country), 9pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Kayla McKinney (country, honky-tonk), 8pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL E'Lon JD x Elora Dash (soul, funk, rock), 10pm

5 WALNUT WINE BAR CaroMia, Rahm, Iannuci & Jaze Uries (dream-pop, soul, R&B), 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Ryles Monroe (rock, folk, psych), 8pm

EULOGY Elder w/Bask (psych-rock, stoner-metal), 7pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Takes All Kinds Open Mic Nights, 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S Best Ever Karaoke, 8pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Open Mic Downtown, 7:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST • The Dan Davis Organ Trio (jazz, funk, Latin), 4pm • Upland Drive (rock, funk, reggae), 9pm SHAKEY'S Trash Talk Queer Dance Party & Drag Show, 10pm

HAYWOOD COUNTRY CLUB Open Mic w/Taylor Martin & Special Guests, 7:15pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Quizzo! Pub Trivia w/ Jason Mencer, 7:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Mashup Mondays w/The JLloyd Mashup Band, 8pm

SHILOH & GAINES Muddy Guthrie & Friends (Americana, rock, blues), 9pm STATIC AGE RECORDS Cemetery Filth, Pissrot, Bacalou & Oblivion Throne (death-metal, thrash), 9pm THE BURGER BAR Best Worst Karaoke, 9pm THE GREY EAGLE Sold out: Foy Vance w/ Bonnie Bishop (alt-rock, folk, blues), 7pm THE ODD Party Foul Drag: Saturday Night Tease, 8pm THE ORANGE PEEL Sold Out: Jesse Cook (jazz, world), 8pm THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN Cuberow (Americana, funk, folk), 7pm WXYZ BAR AT ALOFT DJ Molly Parti, 7pm

SUNDAY, JANUARY 21 ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Slice of Life: Standup Comedy, 6:30pm CATAWBA BREWING CO. SOUTH SLOPE ASHEVILLE Comedy at Catawba: Nick Pupo, 6:30pm FLEETWOOD'S Mindful-NES (video games cover band), 4pm FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Reggae Sunday w/ Chalwa, 3pm JACK OF THE WOOD PUB • Bluegrass Brunch, 1pm • Traditional Irish Jam, 3:30pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Sunday Jazz Jam, 1:30pm SHAKEY'S It's Trivial: Free Group Trivia w/Divine, 4pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Cosmic Appalachian Soul, 7pm THE DRAFTSMAN BAR + LOUNGE Karaoke Nights, 8pm THE GREY EAGLE Burlesque Brunch, 12pm

MONDAY, JANUARY 22 27 CLUB Karaoke Monday, 9pm

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EULOGY Brad Walker & Thommy Knoles Quartet (jazz, blues), 8pm

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23

FLEETWOOD'S Psych Night w/DJ Torren, 9pm FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Saylor Brothers & Friends (jamgrass), 6:30pm

FLEETWOOD'S Spooky Tuesdays, 9pm FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

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OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Team Trivia, 7pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST The Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Grateful Dead tribute), 6pm SHAKEY'S Booty Tuesday w/DJ Tamagatchi, 9pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Tuesday Night Open Jam, 8pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN White Horse Open Mic, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24 185 KING STREET Trivia & Karaoke Night, 7pm ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Stand-Up Comedy Open Mic, 8pm ASHEVILLE PIZZA & BREWING CO. Trivia! Trivia!, 6:30pm

OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. Bluegrass Jam w/Derek McCoy & Friends, 6pm ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL Humpday Hootenanny (funk, rock), 10pm ONE WORLD BREWING WEST Latin Night w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm SHAKEY'S Sexy Service Industry Night, 10pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Poetry Open Mic, 8pm THE DRAFTSMAN BAR + LOUNGE Trivia Nights, 8pm THE GREY EAGLE Sunny Sweeney (country), 8pm THE ODD The Reppertons, Busy Weather, Repossessed & Second Self (pop, punk), 8pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Big Fur (Southern-rock, country, bluegrass), 8pm The Railyard Black Mountain Dan's Jam (bluegrass), 5pm URBAN ORCHARD CIDER CO. SOUTH SLOPE Trivia, 6:30pm

LAZOOM ROOM BAR & GORILLA Ashevillians Comedy Showcase, 7pm OKLAWAHA BREWING CO. West End String Band (bluegrass, roots, acoustic), 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Irish Music Session, 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING Patrick French & Michael Dunham (acoustic), 7pm

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST The Stolen Faces (Grateful Dead tribute), 9pm

27 CLUB SkyWay 61, Virigina Sweet & Dead Sons (rock'n'roll), 8pm BATTERY PARK BOOK EXCHANGE Mike Kenton & Jim Tanner (jazz), 5:30pm BLK MTN PIZZA & ALE HOUSE Billy Presnell (folk, Americana), 6pm CROW & QUILL Sparrow & Her Wingmen (jazz, swing), 8pm EULOGY Shadow Resonance w/DJ Duchess, 8pm FRENCH BROAD RIVER BREWERY Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm HIGHLAND BREWING DOWNTOWN TAPROOM Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm HOUSE OF BLACK CAT MAGIC, CO. Low-Cost Community Cat Neuter Clinic, 8:30am JACK OF THE WOOD PUB Bluegrass Jam w/Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

PULP Slice of Life: Comedy Open Mic & Standup Comedy, 7pm SALVAGE STATION BoomBox w/Tep No (electronic, rock), 8pm SOVEREIGN KAVA Stand Up Comedy for Your Health, 8pm THE GREY EAGLE Kim Smith (multiple genres), 8pm THE ODD Oberlin, The Welcoming, The Deathbots & Zillicoah (rock, pop-funk, alt-rock), 8pm THE RAILYARD BLACK MOUNTAIN Dark City Kings (indie, bluegrass), 7pm THE STATION BLACK MOUNTAIN Mr Jimmy (blues), 5pm WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Showman & Coole (bluegrass, folk, old-time), 7:30pm

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F R E E W I L L A S T R O L O G Y BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries chemist Percy Julian (1899–1975) was a trailblazer in creating medicine from plants. He patented over 130 drugs and laid the foundation for the production of cortisone and birth control pills. Julian was also a Black man who had to fight relentlessly to overcome the racism he encountered everywhere. I regard him as an exemplary member of the Aries tribe, since he channeled his robust martial urges toward constructive ends again and again and again. May he inspire you in the coming weeks, dear Aries. Don’t just get angry or riled up. Harness your agitated spirit to win a series of triumphs. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus actor Pierce Brosnan says, “You struggle with money. You struggle without money. You struggle with love. You struggle without love. But it’s how you manage. You have to keep laughing, you have to be fun to be with, and you have to live with style.” Brosnan implies that struggling is a fundamental fact of everyday life, an insistent presence that is never far from our awareness. But if you’re willing to consider the possibility that his theory may sometimes be an exaggeration, I have good news: The coming months could be less filled with struggle than ever before. As you deal with the ease and grace, I hope you will laugh, be fun to be with, and live with style — without having to be motivated by ceaseless struggle. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Gemini author and activist William Upski Wimsatt is one of my role models. Why? In part, because he shares my progressive political ideals and works hard to get young people to vote for enlightened candidates who promote social justice. Another reason I love him is that he aspires to have 10,000 role models. Not just a few celebrity heroes, but a wide array of compassionate geniuses working to make the world more like paradise. The coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to gather new role models, dear Gemini. I also suggest you look around for new mentors, teachers and inspiring guides. CANCER (June 21-July 22): I want you to fulfill your desires! I want you to get what you want! I don’t think that yearnings are unspiritual indulgences that divert us from enlightenment. On the contrary, I believe our longings are sacred homing signals guiding us to our highest truths. With these thoughts in mind, here are four tips to enhance your quests in the coming months: 1. Some of your desires may be distorted or superficial versions of deeper, holier desires. Do your best to dig down and find their heart source. 2. To help manifest your desires, visualize yourself as having already accomplished them. 3. Welcome the fact that when you achieve what you want, your life will change in unpredictable ways. You may have to deal with a good kind of stress. 4. Remember that people are more likely to assist you in getting what you yearn for if you’re not greedy and grasping. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): I regard Leo psychologist Carl Jung (1875–1961) as a genius with a supreme intellect. Here’s a quote from him that I want you to hear: “We should not pretend to understand the world only by the intellect; we apprehend it just as much by feeling. Therefore, the judgment of the intellect is, at best, only the half of truth, and must, if it be honest, also come to an understanding of its inadequacy.” You may already believe this wisdom in your gut, Leo. But like all of us, you live in a culture filled with authorities who value the intellect above feeling. So it’s essential to be regularly reminded of the bigger truth — especially for you right now. To make righteous decisions, you must respect your feelings as much as your intellect. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Poet Rainer Maria Rilke exalted the physical pleasure that sex brings. He mourned that so many “misuse and squander this experience and apply it as a stimulant to the tired spots of their lives and as a distraction

JAN. 17-23, 2024

instead of a rallying toward exalted moments.” At its best, Rilke said, sex gives us “a knowing of the world, the fullness and the glory of all knowing.” It is a sublime prayer, an opportunity to feel sacred communion on every level of our being. That’s the erotic experience I wish for you in the coming weeks, Virgo. And I believe you will have an expanded potential for making it happen. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Even if you are currently bonded with a spouse or partner, I recommend you consider proposing matrimony to an additional person: yourself. Yes, dear Libra, I believe the coming months will be prime time for you to get married to your own precious soul. If you’re brave enough and crazy enough to carry out this daring move, devote yourself to it with lavish abandon. Get yourself a wedding ring, write your vows, conduct a ceremony, and go on a honeymoon. If you’d like inspiration, read my piece “I Me Wed”: tinyurl.com/SelfMarriage SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Talking about a problem can be healthy. But in most cases, it should be a preliminary stage that leads to practical action; it shouldn’t be a substitute for action. Now and then, however, there are exceptions to this rule. Mere dialogue, if grounded in mutual respect, may be sufficient to dissolve a logjam and make further action unnecessary. The coming days will be such a time for you, Scorpio. I believe you and your allies can talk your way out of difficulties. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Sagittarian cartoonist Charles M. Schulz wrote, “My life has no purpose, no direction, no aim, no meaning, and yet I’m happy. I can’t figure it out. What am I doing right?” I suspect that in 2024, you may go through a brief phase similar to his: feeling blank, yet quite content. But it won’t last. Eventually, you will be driven to seek a passionate new sense of intense purpose. As you pursue this reinvention, a fresh version of happiness will bloom. For best results, be willing to outgrow your old ideas about what brings you gladness and gratification. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): We all go through phases that feel extra plodding and pedestrian. During these times, the rhythms and melodies of our lives seem drabber than usual. The good news is that I believe you Capricorns will experience fewer of these slowdowns than usual in 2024. The rest of us will be seeing you at your best and brightest on a frequent basis. In fact, the gifts and blessings you offer may flow toward us in abundance. So it’s no coincidence if you feel exceptionally well-loved during the coming months. P.S.: The optimal way to respond to the appreciation you receive is to ratchet up your generosity even higher. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): In the fall of 1903, The New York Times published an article that scorned human efforts to develop flying machines. It prophesied that such a revolutionary technology was still at least a million years in the future — possibly 10 million years. In conclusion, it declared that there were better ways to apply our collective ingenuity than working to create such an unlikely invention. Nine weeks later, Orville and Wilbur Wright disproved that theory, completing a flight with the airplane they had made. I suspect that you, Aquarius, are also primed to refute an expectation or prediction about your supposed limitations. (Afterward, try not to gloat too much.) PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Your sweat and tears are being rewarded with sweets and cheers. Your diligent, detailed work is leading to expansive outcomes that provide relief and release. The discipline you’ve been harnessing with such panache is spawning breakthroughs in the form of elegant liberations. Congrats, dear Pisces! Don’t be shy about welcoming in the fresh privileges flowing your way. You have earned these lush dividends.

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REAL ESTATE & RENTALS | ROOMMATES | JOBS | SERVICES ANNOUNCEMENTS | CLASSES & WORKSHOPS | MIND, BODY, SPIRIT MUSICIANS’ SERVICES | PETS | AUTOMOTIVE | XCHANGE | ADULT Want to advertise in Marketplace? 828-251-1333 advertise@mountainx.com • mountainx.com/classifieds If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Remember the Russian proverb: “Doveryai, no proveryai,” trust but verify. When answering classified ads, always err on the side of caution. Especially beware of any party asking you to give them financial or identification information. The Mountain Xpress cannot be responsible for ensuring that each advertising client is legitimate. Please report scams to advertise@mountainx.com EMPLOYMENT GENERAL PART TIME ASSISTANT Need assistant for errands, partial-day leisure trips in my car, light help at home. CNA preferred. East Asheville. Starting at $20/ hr. 828-772-7201 .

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Rocky Top

T HE N E W Y O R K T I ME S C R O S S W O R D P U ZZLE edited by Will Shortz | No. 1213

ACROSS 1 Wearily put one foot in front of the other 5 Bosses for T.A.s 10 “Macbeth” trio 14 Emotion indicated by the emoticon <3 15 Shiny headgear 16 London-based cosmetics company 17 Co-op responsible for more than two-thirds of cranberry production in North America 19 Hot stuff 20 Phrased 21 Book of hymns 23 Beats by ___ (audio brand) 24 Tech product that’s promised but never delivered 26 Hog heaven 29 Makes 30 Pathway for oxygenation 31 As of now 32 Handle the bill 33 “Make yourself comfortable!” 34 Wants 36 “Q” key neighbor 39 Put money (on) 40 Pallid 41 Long, drawn-out story 42 Slangy summons 45 Businessgenerating partner at a law firm 47 It might make or break a hand in Texas hold ’em 49 Suffix with block 50 Venerating 51 Like diner food, stereotypically 54 Many an ancient statue 55 Natural process suggested by the starts of 17-, 24-, 26-, 45- and 47-Across

| 6

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32 35

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51 56

58 Will of “The Waltons” 59 Project for the Army Corps of Engineers 60 Capital of Italy 61 Online marketplace since 2005 62 In a foxy fashion 63 Get-together, informally

24 Makes a play (for) 25 Like the sentiment of a “Drop Acid, Not Bombs” poster 26 Résumés, for short 27 Strung blossoms 28 Novgorod negative 32 Keystone State eponym 34 Big name in combines 35 Speakeasy fear 36 Act on prompting (from) 37 Number on a birthday card 38 Speakeasy, basically 39 Barrel maker

1 Furrow former 2 Cray cray 3 Exert oneself until there’s nothing left 4 Sprint at top speed 5 Vet’s affliction 6 Feature of some jeans 7 Aquatic propeller 8 Foamy iced drink 9 Right of approval 10 Connector of bedrooms 11 Hit 2009 film with a hit 2022 sequel 12 Rule 13 Traps for the unwary 18 “___ I say more?” 22 Demarcated places

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41 1979 Robert John hit that repeats “I don’t wanna see you cry” 42 [Oooh, that’s embarrassing] 43 Social dance in 3/4 time 44 Sidesteps 45 Tennis’s Nadal 46 Latin singer Anthony 48 Monastery hoods 51 Earl ___ tea 52 Some 35mm cameras, in brief 53 Michelle of “Everything Everywhere All at Once” 56 “Sesame Street” rating 57 Slithering swimmer

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