Mountain Xpress 02.15.23

THE WOMEN’S

Our annual Women’s Issue returns with a look at a number of topics: birth-related trauma; life for trans women in Asheville; issues local female performers face; marriage trends; and insights on education, the arts and entrepreneurship.

PUBLISHER & EDITOR: Jeff Fobes

ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER: Susan Hutchinson

OPERATIONS MANAGER: Able Allen

MANAGING EDITOR: Thomas Calder

NEWS EDITOR: Daniel Walton

EDITOR: Lisa Allen

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Thomas Calder

OPINION EDITOR: Tracy Rose

STAFF REPORTERS: Edwin Arnaudin, Thomas Calder, Andy Hall, Justin McGuire, Sara Murphy, Brooke Randle, Jessica Wakeman, Daniel Walton

COMMUNITY CALENDAR & CLUBLAND: Andy Hall

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Mindi Friedwald, Peter Gregutt, Mary Jean Ronan Herzog, Rob Mikulak

REGULAR CONTRIBUTORS: Mark Barrett, Blake Becker, Morgan Bost, LA Bourgeois, Carmela Caruso, Nikki Gensert, Bill Kopp

STAFF 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, Scott Mermel, Braulio Pescador-Martinez

INFORMATION

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COPYRIGHT

Development is ruining North Buncombe

As someone who has lived 12 minutes from Weaverville for the last 33 years, it churned my stomach to read about the Northridge Farms development with yet 577 more units planned in an area that just had three huge condo/apartment complexes built in the last two-three years [ “Development Roundup: Northridge Farms Proposes 577 Units for Weaverville,” Feb. 1, Xpress]. The traffic on the Weaverville strip and Monticello Road is bumper to bumper as is. Running errands in Weaverville was an alternative to Asheville for me, as its overcrowding and ever-worsening traffic continue. These developments are always named after what used to be there. Farmland and forests. Everywhere you go in and around Weaverville,

huge developments are under construction. Lake Louise is horrible. Reems Creek. Old Marshall Highway. Residents watch their views from their homes literally disappear. Even where I live, 18 houses have gone in around me within a half-mile radius in the last three years. I don’t dare ride my bicycle on the roads anymore for the constant stream of cars.

It was very different three decades ago. And I loved it here. Now I’m filled with heartache as more trees are bulldozed and farmland is taken by the day. This building boom is on steroids, and it’s turning what was a quaint little town and quiet rural countryside into constant traffic congestion.

There are no signs of it letting up, either. For shame on you, Weaverville. Devastating those who have lived here and enjoyed the area for decades, forever ruining precious farmland and acres of woodlands. Tapping the Ivy River of its

water. All for revenue. I avoid South Asheville like the plague. Now North Buncombe is getting turned into the same. If I weren’t so old and didn’t have 33 years of blood, sweat and love in my little acre, I’d be packing up and moving out farther away. Developers don’t care how they impact locals. Or the environment. They are exploiting the land for greed. Nothing short. I have choice words for them that can’t be printed here.

— Troy Amastar Alexander

Council ‘check-ins’ are tool for understanding

[Regarding “Out of Sight: City Council, Mayor and Staff Hold Closeddoor Meetings, Sowing Distrust,” Jan. 25, Asheville Watchdog via Xpress:]

As an executive coach, I always hear about poor or lack of communication among team members in organizations. This is a subset of understanding. Think of Stephen Covey’s fifth habit of seeking to understand before being understood.

Council check-ins are a good tool for better understanding in a smaller setting. While I, as a citizen of Asheville, may not be privy to these conversations, I trust they are beneficial and will lead to better decisions that will positively impact the Asheville community.

— David Carr Asheville

Thumbs-up for more eyes on the street

[ Regarding “Asheville Joins Buncombe County Surveillance System,” Feb. 1, Xpress:]

With the amount of crime, drugs and an understaffed police force, we need cameras and more of them.

— Joe Ward Asheville

CARTOON BY RANDY MOLTON

WNC offers many more dance options

As a longtime lover of dance, I was excited to pick up the Feb. 1 edition of the Mountain Xpress and read “Get Your Groove On: New and Established Dance Studios and Classes Help Locals Stay Fit and Feel Great.” I was then disheartened at the many dance options not included in the write-up.

Appalachian clogging and flatfoot dance are alive and well in Western North Carolina for all ages. I regularly offer adult classes at In His Steps Dance studio downtown.

Swing Asheville offers dance lessons and open dances at the Alley Cat in West Asheville and at LEAF Global Arts.

A welcoming and energetic Latin dance scene exists at One World Brewing West on Wednesday nights with a lesson offered in advance. Club 11 on Grove and Alley Cat have Latin dance lessons and open dances, too.

Contra dances with live music happen at Warren Wilson College on Thursday nights.

Cajun and zydeco bands pass through town and draw a good crowd of dancers at the Cork & Keg Bar.

And there is Argentine tango and African dance and ballroom and

ecstatic dance and more. These are all excellent ways to make social connections and for adults to move their bodies in healthy ways. I’d love to see an article that features these hidden parts of our local dance community.

—

Linda Block Fairview

Editor’s response : Thanks so much for your readership and passion about local dance. As you note, WNC’s dance community is extensive, and it wasn’t possible to feature every style in our recent story. In keeping with the focus of our wellness series, our intent was to provide a noncomprehensive sampling of local studios that approach dance with fitness in mind. We encourage you and others in the dance community to submit events to our Community Calendar at Calendar.MountainX. com.

Thanks for spot-on dating advice

[ Regarding “Lonely Hearts Club: Tips for Mindful Dating in Asheville,” Feb. 8, Xpress:]

This was a great read and advice on relationships! Thank you!

— Tyler Class Asheville

Whose space is public space?

Asheville’s parks belong to all of us

BY PIP FLICKINGER

On Christmas Day 2021, the Asheville Police Department shut down an event in Aston Park. The resulting arrests, which have led to multiple ongoing, high-profile legal cases, have highlighted a troubling dynamic in the APD’s dealings with homeless individuals, advocates, volunteers and the media in recent years. As someone who’s worked locally in homeless services, I want to share my experience of such interactions as seen from the inside.

While doing outreach and running AHOPE Day Center, I saw people’s camps taken from them again and again, with little or no warning. Watching how this disrupts people’s lives, their ability to meet basic needs and their connection to health services has deeply shaped my current belief that providing commonsense support to camps in the form of things like trash service, bathrooms and basic dignity is a better answer than police sweeps. A 2019 report co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development suggests that unless supportive services are also offered, camp evictions may actually decrease shelter utilization and prolong the amount of time that people stay unhoused.

Merely handing out a list of shelters that may not even have beds available to people who are being dislodged from the only homes they have does not remotely meet that standard.

RISING TENSIONS

In the early days of COVID-19, almost all homeless services in Asheville shut down. There were virtually no reliable places where people could receive meals. In response to this, volunteers connected with the Asheville Survival Program began serving coffee and food, seven days a week, to fill the gaps.

And as meals and other services were slowly reestablished, ASP shifted to serving food and distributing clothes and camping gear on the weekends, as Saturdays and Sundays have historically been when the fewest options for warmth and food were available. Over the last several years, I have seen ASP volunteers — both people who live on the streets and those who live in houses — build beautiful, meaningful relationships and support one another through times of crisis, anger, sadness and joy.

Throughout this same period, however, I’ve watched tensions rise between the APD and these mutual aid volunteers. In December, I brought some pizzas to a community meal and art party in Aston Park. Subsequently, after weeks of surveillance, four officers came to my work to charge me with “aiding and abetting felony littering.” I later learned that I had also been banned from all city parks and other Parks & Rec facilities for three years. Through conversations, public records requests and comments at public meetings, it has become clear that these extreme reactions to food sharing and camp advocacy are rooted in political differences. There aren’t many local issues that are more contentious than where or whether homeless camps should exist, but I hope we can at least agree that responding to a community picnic by issuing felony charges and barring residents from public spaces is frightening, and not just to those of us who were charged: It is frightening to live in a city that views advocacy as a problem and uses prosecution to “solve” problems.

TALKING TRASH

At the core of this is a question that concerns all of us: Who are Asheville’s public spaces for? According to the 2022 point-in-time count, 71% of people living on the streets were already residing in Asheville or Western North Carolina before they became homeless. And in my experience based on years of speaking with people on the streets, most have told me they were lifelong area residents. Other local organizations working in the field have consistently found this as well.

I would be willing to bet that if you asked local “housies” this same question, a far lower number would be able to make that claim. In other words, volunteers who are sharing food, and folks who are just trying to rest up in their hometown, have been pushed out of our public spaces as a result of the city’s prioritizing shortterm rentals over the needs of people who already live here.

I also want to reframe what’s been described as “trash” in local coverage of camp evictions. When APD representatives say they cleaned up trash, they’re suggesting that people’s homes and other essential items are garbage. If I left my umbrella on a bench and someone threw it away, it wouldn’t

mean that my umbrella was trash. It would simply mean that someone threw it away. The people we exclude from public spaces, and the things we refer to as worthless, say a lot about what we value as a community.

DOLLARS AND SENSE

Meanwhile, on a more pragmatic level, let’s talk about costs. The amount of public resources the city is sinking into prosecuting 16 felony littering cases could probably have paid

for dumpster services, bathrooms and other services at camps many times over. Research I conducted in connection with a grant proposal concluded that it would cost about $1,000 a month per camp to provide basic sanitation services. How much is the city spending on police, court-appointed attorneys and assorted other staff in connection with these cases?

Meanwhile, a January 2022 post on the city’s website reports that it costs the public $30,000 to $50,000 a year to provide services for someone who lives on the streets, versus $12,800 for supportive housing. I’d like to think that this mistreatment of our neighbors bothers all of us for purely ethical reasons, but if nothing else, it is economically indefensible.

Based on my years spent working in homeless services, I would encourage people to help make things better in two ways.

First, get to know the folks who live around you. Share food, thoughts and emotional support with them. If someone looks like they’re having a hard time, consider calling a neighbor or two instead of the APD, and see what forms of support you can all figure out together. The more city residents care for one another, the stronger and more resilient our community networks become!

Second, if you object to what the city is doing (and failing to do), please contact city officials or our district attorney’s office. Let them know you want to live in a place that cares for all those who live here — and that there is room for everyone.

Asheville resident Pip Flickinger has worked with the local homeless population since 2015 in both professional and volunteer capacities. X

PIP FLICKINGER

“I saw people’s camps taken from them again and again, with little or no warning.”

Extra hands

BY LISA ALLEN

lallen@mountainx.com

“It is impossible to find child care,” says Tiffany Hall. The Asheville resident has a lot of personal experience behind that claim — she is the mother of four children, ages 2 months to 14 years.

“There is no such thing. I’m relying on different friends and family each day,” Hall continues. “Thankfully, they aren’t charging the outrageous amounts you see on Care.com and places like that. Some [providers on those platforms] are charging $15 to $20 per hour per child.”

Hall says the lack of open child care spots has gotten worse since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I called this place last week, and they said they haven’t been able to find someone to staff their infant room in two years,” she gives as an example.

According to the nonprofit Buncombe Partnership for Children, the county’s child care workforce has fallen by almost 19% since September 2019. As a result, the partnership says, nearly 900 fewer children are enrolled in licensed child care facilities now than before the pandemic.

One potential way to close the gap, suggests Rob Thompson, is to boost Buncombe’s number of homebased child care providers. He’s the director of early childhood programs at the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation, which commissioned a study on the subject last year.

The resulting report, “Growing Home-Based Child Care: An Important Opportunity for North Carolina,” found that the state has significantly fewer spaces in licensed HBCC facilities than do other

Home-based child care may help with Buncombe needs

states with similar populations. In Buncombe County, the number of those facilities decreased from 48 in 2006 to only 11 in 2022.

“We have a dramatic shortage of child care options in our state,” says Thompson. “We have to boost our supply of providers.”

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

Home-based child care encompasses a variety of small-scale programs operated in residential settings. Not only do parents often prefer such options, Thompson says, but home-based settings can often

provide more scheduling flexibility than commercial programs and can be more convenient in rural areas.

Local demand for these programs well exceeds supply. “I have 30 people on my waiting list for infant care,” says Alissa Rhodes, who runs A Sense of Wonder from her Fletcher home. “I’ve never had that many.”

What keeps Rhodes and other home-based providers from addressing the need? One limit is legal: North Carolina law limits HBCC facilities to caring for just five preschool-age children. “If they would just change the law to add just one more child per facility, that would help me and help families,” Rhodes says.

Regulation also can discourage would-be providers from getting started. The state pre-licensing checklist for HBCCs runs four single-spaced pages. Requirements cover everything from record-keeping and playground equipment to emergency procedures and staff training. Additional requirements vary by locality, such as setbacks or parking.

“Getting licensing can be challenging if you’ve never been licensed before,” Rhodes says. “It’s intimidating, especially for a young mother or grandmother who have never been in child care before.”

Providers find the process of licensing rigid, inconsistently interpreted

READING GROUP: Alissa Rhodes, left, offers home-based child care in Fletcher. She says demand for such programs is high, with 30 people on her waiting list alone. Photo courtesy of Rhodes

Tanya Tracy, MPT & Pilates instructor

and more aligned with center-based care than home-based options, according to the BCBSNC report. “Licensing quickly surfaced as a significant challenge for network providers and, in some cases, a seemingly impossible barrier,” the report reads.

VOUCHING FOR IT

Licensing can have a financial benefit, as only licensed providers are eligible for reimbursement through state voucher programs. The process also gives the facility a rating from one to five stars, a marker of quality for potential clients.

But that voucher system is unwieldy for customers and care providers alike, says Jenny Vial, director of child care resources for the Buncombe Partnership for Children. Once they receive a voucher, parents must use them within 30 days. Families often can’t find a slot in time, and the difficulty increases for those with more than one child.

“Especially, when it’s an infant or toddler, it’s hard to find a spot. The lack of spots is really fueling the inability to use vouchers,” Vial says.

On the provider side, vouchers are of limited value for those just starting up. For the first six months a provider is in operation, Vial explains, reimbursement is capped at a third of the five-star rate.

“The subsidy pay gap for the first six months is a huge number. It makes it really hard for someone just starting,” she says. And even for established facilities, North Carolina pays a month in arrears, which can create cash-flow issues.

“I rarely get a request to take vouchers,” says Rhodes with A Sense of Wonder. Just one child at her facility currently uses the program.

WAGES OF CARE

Even with state support, providing child care is far from lucrative. In 2021, the median hourly wage in Buncombe County for child care workers was $11.26; Buncombe County’s living wage for 2023 is $20.10 per hour.

Rhodes had one employee for a while, and she cut her own pay in order to provide that employee with a living wage. She was able to do it because her five-star-rated facility allows her to charge a top rate: $255 per week per infant, or about $13,260 per year.

That’s a little over the Buncombe County average for home-based infant care: about $11,000 annually, as reported by the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau. But even that lower rate comes out to more than 18% of the county’s median household income.

Rhodes wrestles with the tension between charging what she needs to fairly compensate staff and remaining affordable for parents. “It takes a two-income household to afford my tuition unless they are subsidized, leaving out single parents and lower-income families. This is not OK with me, and it keeps me up at night,” she says.

Thompson with the BCBSNC Foundations says private funders like his foundation don’t have enough money to solve the problem of low pay. He argues that more support must come from state and federal government.

“We have a system is resource starved, and it doesn’t pay well,” he says. “It says something that a child care provider can double her pay by becoming a kindergarten teacher.”

The BCBSNC report notes that virtually all state funding, training and technical assistance aimed at raising the quality of child care is directed to center-based care. Buncombe County’s own investments also focus on centers rather than home-based care.

None of the three county commissioners on Buncombe’s Early Childhood Education and Development Fund committee — Jasmine Beach-Ferrara, Martin Moore and Al Whitesides — responded to an Xpress request for comment.

Meanwhile, Thompson says his foundation is creating information networks for providers on how to run their business, train staff, seek licensing if possible and advocate for more governmental support.

And Hall, the mother of four, continues her search for child care. “I am on every single waiting list known to man that exists in Asheville, even all the way out to Mills River,” she says. X

Facts and figures

Number of licensed home- or family-based child care facilities in Buncombe County: 11

Total licensed child care facilities in Buncombe County: 111

Percentage of Buncombe County children through prekindergarten in licensed care: 28%

Percentage change of Buncombe County children enrolled in care, February 2020-December 2022: minus 23%

Percentage of Buncombe County children living in poverty: 17%

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Hormones Fluctuate

‘Where do I fit in?’

Trans women in Asheville share their experience

BY JESSICA WAKEMAN

jwakeman@mountainx.com

The first time that Allison Scott was sexually assaulted in Asheville was at a queer-friendly nightclub.

“I’m dancing on the dance floor, and I’m queer, so I dance with all kinds of different people,” she recalls. A bridal party was dancing, too, and one woman began dancing with Scott, who is transgender.

“It was nothing intimate — it wasn’t that kind of dancing,” she says. “All of a sudden, she grabs me in my crotch. I slap her hand away and I’m, like ‘What are you doing?’ And she’s like, ‘I want to see what you have down there.’”

Scott began crying and approached the club’s bouncer to inform him of what had happened. “The bouncer was just, like, ‘Well, do you want me to throw a woman out for grabbing you?’” she says, mimicking a shrug.

Asheville has a reputation as welcoming individuals of all gender identities and sexual orientations. The city has numerous gender-affirming health care providers, social groups for the LGBTQ community and inclusive arts and culture spaces. Yet the local trans women who spoke with Xpress say they’ve continued to face bigotry in their careers, health care and social lives.

“Elements of Asheville are very welcoming, and I would say it’s done a lot of work over the years,” says Peyton Daisy O’Conner, who has lived in Asheville since age 3. “I don’t want to be harsh, but I don’t know that the reputation that it has for being LGBTQfriendly fully aligns with the reality.”

ON THE MARGINS: “Asheville is very friendly towards more heteronormative gay and lesbian couples,” says Peyton Daisy O’Conner, pictured, who came out as queer in 2019 and as a transgender woman in 2020. “I’ve seen a lot of struggles with people within the queer community who are further outside of that fringe.” Photo courtesy of Shannon O’Conner

O’Conner and her wife moved to Madison County in December after she resigned from the Asheville City Board of Education. The relocation followed O’Conner’s harassment at meetings by an Asheville pastor who is a “local ambassador” for the Arizonabased anti-LGBTQ nonprofit Alliance Defending Freedom.

WRITE FOR Transgender women by the numbers

Asheville’s population of transgender individuals, and transgender women in particular, is unknown.

“This is a demographic that hasn’t been represented in most data collections ever,” says Blue Ridge Pride spokesperson Rosie Bullock. “For the surveys/census that do include trans people, the trust isn’t built, so with the discrimination and safety concerns that trans folk face, many would choose to opt out of any data collection.”

The U.S. Census Bureau began asking questions about gender identity in July 2021. Preliminary results found that 0.6% of adults nationwide identify as transgender.

According to data from various behavioral surveys, the UCLA School of Law Williams Institute, a think tank studying gender and sexuality law, estimates that 0.87% of the North Carolina population over age 18, or about 71,300 people, are transgender. That’s the highest projected percentage of any state in the country. X

‘THERE’S A WORD FOR THIS’

Scott, who is director of impact and innovation for the nonprofit Campaign for Southern Equality, says her earliest childhood memories were realizing she was a girl. At age 16, she learned “there’s a word for this” — meaning transgender — and planned to transition after high school.

Her goal was to attend A-B Tech, work and save money to move out West, which she says had better resources for transitioning than North Carolina. But her plan veered off-course after she decided to marry her high school girlfriend, convincing herself that, in her words, “‘I’m not trans — that’s just silliness.’”

Looking back, Scott realizes she “did not see a viable, healthy path for transgender people” in Asheville when she was a teenager. The transgender individuals she knew at the time struggled to maintain housing and employment, she says.

While continuing to present as male, Scott rose through the ranks at corporations in Asheville. Though

outwardly successful, she experienced years of self-harm, suicidal ideation and a suicide attempt, which she says were all connected to her gender dysphoria. In 2013, she experienced what she calls a “breakdown.”

With the help of a therapist who provided gender-affirming mental health care, Scott decided to medically and socially transition. “That’s when the hate really started,” she recalls. “It was brutal.”

The company where Scott worked had a federal contract, and then-President Barack Obama had issued an executive order in 2014 prohibiting federal contractors from discrimination on the basis of gender identity. Yet despite that level of protection, Scott says she eventually left her job in 2018 due to mistreatment.

Upon announcing her transition, Scott met with her human resources department. She shared gender-affirming policies from other companies and offered input on what should be said to inform her colleagues. Still, she says an individual in HR asked her, “‘Wait, so you’re going to come to work dressed as a woman?’” (Scott tells Xpress, “I said, ‘I’m going to come to work dressed as myself, which will completely meet all dress [codes].”)

Some colleagues were accepting, some indifferent. Others began to treat her with hostility. “It would be little things, like the shipping/receiving department would just leave my packages nowhere near my office, like in common areas,” she explains. “Or they deliver everybody else’s [packages] and not mine.”

Scott says multiple co-workers made sexually suggestive comments, including implying she was a sex worker. Some followed her into the women’s bathroom in suspicion, and others made threatening statements suggesting what they would do to her if they found her alone.

“I’d report [the behavior,] and it would get quiet, but nothing punitive ever happened to anyone,” Scott says. She thinks that emboldened the bigoted behavior: “If people see there’s no punishment, then it creates a culture that it’s OK to escalate it.”

Her experience at that job culminated with a written death threat being left in her office, which she says she was asked to investigate. Scott quit after 13 years at the company.

‘NOT THEIR FIRST TRANS PATIENT’

Both O’Conner and Scott say they’ve found gender-affirming health care, including mental health care, in Asheville. However, it took some work.

O’Conner says she has continued to see the same primary care physician since before her transition in 2020. “I

was very fortunate to come out to her and also have her be able to manage trans health care and the gender-affirming hormone replacement therapy,” she says.

Scott informed her physician that she would be treated for her hormone replacement therapy by another practitioner but wanted to stay at her primary care physician’s practice for all other health care. “They said, ‘No, I don’t think that would be a good idea — you should find a primary care physician that feels more comfortable treating you,’” she explains. Then she realized, “OK, you don’t feel comfortable treating me.”

Scott also came up against a lack of education about transgender health at her usual pharmacy in Asheville, which led her to switch pharmacies.

“I went to pick [my hormone prescription] up at one of the big namebrand pharmacies, and the person on the counter was like, ‘This can’t be right. Why would you be taking estrogen?’” she recalls.

Finding supportive mental health care providers has been a barrier as well. O’Conner says she’s struggled to find a local psychiatrist with a competency in issues facing transgender patients. She drives to Wake Forest every three months to meet with her psychiatrist in person and does telehealth appointments in between.

Scott says she put a lot of research legwork in to find gender-affirming mental health care. “I interviewed therapists,” she says, recalling that many practitioners’ websites lacked details about their experience with transgender patients. “I wanted to make sure that I was not their first trans patient and that they had actually had professional training with trans and gender identities.”

FITTING IN

Despite these experiences, O’Conner, who is the executive director of the local harm reduction organization Steady Collective, says she’s been “pleasantly surprised” with some positive experiences of late.

In January, she began training as an emergency medical technician in Madison County. “I was nervous about that setting, but so far it’s been super affirming,” she explains. She’s also taking courses in medicine at Blue Ridge Community College and has found support.

She says acceptance from people in the health care fields has fostered a feeling of belonging. “One of the things I’ve been trying to figure out is, where do I fit in.” she says.

“Where can I fit in with the least amount of resistance, so I’m not having to struggle every day?”

On the importance of mentorships

Michele Cook, owner of Blaze On Creations, discusses the importance of mentorships and inspiring the next wave of female business owners.

Who is a local woman you admire and why?

This is tough — as there are a handful. But to choose one ...

Franny Tacy , the mastermind behind Franny’s Farmacy, shines as a beacon of inspiration. Her passion for sustainable agriculture and commitment to natural products have earned her a special place in my admiration. With her unrelenting drive to share knowledge and offer encouragement, she has been a driving force for many, including myself, in our community. Her unwavering vision has flourished into a thriving business, showcasing her remarkable ability to bring her beliefs to life.

Franny’s support for small businesses, including mine, and her sage advice have been immeasurable, and I am grateful for the time she takes to uplift and inspire others. Franny is a true gem in our community.

What is one specific way women can help uplift other women within your industry?

Women can help uplift other women entrepreneurs by offering mentorship and support to overcome unique challenges and barriers, such as limited access to funding, lack of representation and cultural biases. This includes offering advice, connecting with resources and networks, and advocating for policies that support women in entrepreneurship. By collaborating, women entrepreneurs can foster a more just and equal business environment, balance the odds and inspire the next wave of female business owners.

What’s one way men can better support women in WNC?

As a small-business woman in a male-dominated industry, I appreciate the support of men who understand the unique challenges faced by women in the workplace. One way men can better support us is by being an ally and advocate for gender equality. This can include speaking up when they witness bias or discrimination, promoting and supporting women’s ideas and contributions in meetings, and being mindful of their own language and behavior. Additionally, mentorship and sponsorship opportunities can go a long way in helping women advance in their careers. By working together and supporting each other, we can create a more inclusive and equitable work environment for everyone in Western North Carolina. X

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MICHELE COOK photo courtesy of Cook

What’s in a name?

Asheville residents ponder name changes after marriage

BY BROOKE RANDLE

brandle@mountainx.com

Since the summer of 2021, I’ve been struggling with an identity crisis. You see, as a lifelong cynic, I loathed the idea of getting married.

Then in 2012, I met someone who was as skeptical of the institution as me — and it was love at first snark.

Fast-forward nine years, and to my bewilderment, I found myself at Lake Eden in Black Mountain exchanging rings with that same person. Both of us now embraced that our relationship would be officially recognized in the eyes of friends, family and federal government.

But after all the guests had left and the last piece of cake was eaten, I was left with a question: Should I change my last name?

A 2015 analysis by The New York Times found that roughly 70% of U.S. women take their husband’s last name, while 20% chose to keep their given surname and 10% opt for a third route, such as hyphenating their last name.

“ Brooke Hendrickson ,” I said aloud. A lot of consonants. Maybe too many.

There I was, basking in a postnuptial glow, questioning my own name and identity to the point of existential dread. Isn’t marriage great?

In an attempt to sort out my own feelings (and procure some much-needed validation), I reached out to other married folks in Asheville to learn how they had handled the predicament.

TO EACH, THEIR OWN

Cellist and singer Melissa Hymen first met guitarist Ryan Furstenberg in 2010 at the Brown Bag songwriting competition before pairing up at a holiday party. The couple eventually formed a band together, The Moon and You, and married in September 2015.

When they first discussed the topic of changing her name, Hymen, who describes herself as a feminist with a splash of contrarian, says she didn’t appreciate the sexist historical underpinnings of the tradition.

“The idea that a woman has her father’s name until she takes her husband’s name is tied up in the transactional nature of historical marriage and the treatment of the woman in a marriage as a commodity, to be owned and traded for, say, a herd of sheep or a dowry,” Hymen says.

That assessment is correct, according to a 2022 story in Brides.com, which explains that under English common law during the Middle Ages, women did not have a legal identity and were considered property of their fathers or husbands.

Hymen and Furstenberg weighed their options. They asked themselves which of their last names was more difficult to remember, pronounce or spell. Unfortunately, she says with a laugh, that thought experiment ended in a draw.

Ultimately, Hymen says, her work as a full-time musician — a profession that relies on name recognition — drove her to keep her name.

“I feel like I’ve worked hard to build a reputation and standing in the community that I feel proud of and really lucky to have,” Hymen explains. “It wouldn’t necessarily cause big problems, but changing one’s name does open up the possibility of you getting lost in the shuffle.”

So far, the arrangement has “been totally smooth” for the couple, says Hymen, and allowed each person to maintain a sense of identity alongside their partnership.

ME, PLUS YOU

Meg Moore-Hubbard and her husband, Drew, were married in 2011 after growing up in the same southwest Virginia town. They say that the name-change discussion wasn’t part of the planning for their wedding and came much later in the relationship.

“I would love to say that I was really intentional and that’s how this all played out. But it was not at all,” says Meg Moore-Hubbard. “We didn’t really talk about it.”

Moore-Hubbard says while she initially planned to take her husband’s name, she dreaded the paperwork and logistics involved and avoided the decision for years. As time went on, she took up the effort again, but her thoughts about what she wanted had shifted since she’d begun working on a graduate program.

“I was feeling just a lot of societal and cultural pressure to change

my name,” she remembers. “But I thought, ‘Wait — I’m going to get this master’s [degree], and the name that’s going to be on it is not my own.’ That just feels so messed up to me.”

She decided to join her name, Moore, with her husband’s, Hubbard, together with a hyphen. But what felt like a compromise wasn’t happily ever after: Moore-Hubbard says she expected her husband to also hyphenate his name to match, which caught him by surprise.

Today, both partners have matching hyphenated names and feel good about where they landed. She advises couples with marriage ambitions to start the conversation about name changes early to avoid any misunderstandings, as well as acknowledge that feelings might change as the relationship grows.

SAY MY NAME, SAY MY NAME

Dance instructor Elizabeth Kellberg and her musician husband, Craig, married in 2019. The bride wanted the new pair to match, she says, and at first she was content to take Craig’s surname. But as the couple continued talking, her husband came up with a radical concept: What if they created a brandnew name for their family?

The two began scouring for a new last name. But in the end, Elizabeth Kellberg says, they thought “it’d be really cool to combine our last names [Kellogg and Sandberg] so we still can keep our family in the picture.”

Now the world has the Kellbergs: a new last name, but one with roots. Kellberg describes her family’s reaction as “definitely surprised, but not in a bad way.”

As it turns out, creating a brandnew last name isn’t as easy as writing it down. Kellberg says she and her husband went through even more than the usual amount of paperwork and bureaucracy to get the job done, which included getting fingerprinted and checking in with both the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation and the FBI.

Since the couple welcomed their first child into the family in 2021, Kellberg says she hopes her daughter will one day see their name as the ultimate collaboration.

“Everything we do is an equal partnership. We always communicate with each other and consult each other on things before we make decisions,” she says. “And so I feel like it just presents a more unified relationship.”

IN THE NAME OF LOVE

In surveying all of these parties, I saw a clear trend: There is no “normal” way to think about our names and whether to keep them, change them or find something in between.

“It’s absolutely OK to have separate names, and there’s something really lovely about sharing your name, especially when it feels equitable and like it was a conversation,” says Moore-Hubbard. “It’s finding what is right for you.”

“I just love that there are options, and people are really thinking about it and choosing what’s best for them and their family,” Hymen adds.

These women are totally right, I thought, as notions of history, family and love swirled in my head.

I did end up legally changing my name. But as for my byline — that will stay the same. How’s that for compromise? X

QUICK TAKES

The goal is thought

Sarah Steiner , Western Carolina University’s head of research and instruction services at Hunter Library, shares her thoughts on community, uplifting fellow librarians and the importance of asking questions.

Who is a local woman you admire and why?

A couple of years ago I met Dawn Neatherly, the executive director of the nonprofit Circles of Jackson County. Through Circles, she works with families in poverty to get them the educational, community and transportation-related things they need. I was very impressed with her work, openness and commitment to the community.

What is one specific way women can help uplift other women within your field?

I’m a librarian, and librarianship is a female-dominated profession, so there are many of us to uplift! Our goal as librarians is, in part, to stimulate thought and conversation on a wide variety of topics. Often librarians face challenges to the materials we choose or are asked to purchase. Challenges are natural; if questions can be posed kindly and with understanding of the varied perspectives we honor, it goes a long way.

What’s one way men can better support women in WNC?

We are so diverse — each woman needs unique support. I think the best way to know how to support anyone is to ask. I’ve tried to guess in the past and have not done as well as I had hoped! X

SARAH STEINER photo courtesy of Steiner

LET’S STAY TOGETHER: Xpress reporter Brooke Randle, left, who married Jamie Hendrickson, right, in 2021, is among several local residents who have contemplated name change options. Photo by Elizabeth Mendoza

Duke Energy completes Hot Springs microgrid

The Madison County town of Hot Springs has long relied on a single 10-mile power line for connection to the Duke Energy electrical grid. But as of Feb. 2, its more than 500 residents have a formidable backup plan: a solar-powered “microgrid” that Duke officials say is one of the most advanced in the U.S.

The microgrid includes 2 megawatts of solar panel capacity and 4.4 megawatt-hours of battery storage. Those resources are enough to power the entire town for an extended period if its connection to the main grid is disrupted.

“The Hot Springs inverter-only-based community microgrid is a great step forward for Duke Energy and our customers. This project has reduced the need for equipment upgrades in an environmentally sensitive area,” said Jason Handley, who manages Duke’s Distributed Energy Group. “At a larger scale, microgrids bring more resiliency to the energy grid for our customers.”

Handley noted that the Hot Springs project will inform other projects throughout the utility’s service area. During a 2022 community meeting, as reported by the Citizen Times, Handley said six further community microgrid developments — four in Florida and two in Indiana — were in Duke’s pipeline.

MOUNTAINTRUE SHARES LEGISLATIVE GOALS FOR 2023

Asheville-based environmental nonprofit MountainTrue has set its priorities for conservation funding and policy at the N.C. General Assembly in 2023. First among them is improving water quality in the French Broad River by fighting bacterial pollution.

The nonprofit notes that the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality added 19 miles of the French Broad to its list of “impaired waterways” last year due to high levels of E. coli and other bacteria. In response, MountainTrue wants state lawmakers to allocate $2 million for projects that would help WNC farmers keep pollution from livestock out of waterways, as well as $500,000 for property owners to reduce stormwater runoff.

Other specific funding requests include $450,000 for the town of Canton to expand the Chestnut

Mountain Nature Park, $150,000 to provide additional access to the Green River in Polk County and $150,000 to expand the Blue Ridge Snorkel Trail throughout WNC. MountainTrue also seeks general policy support for affordable housing, dam removal and stormwater mitigation.

In a press release announcing the legislative agenda, Gray Jernigan, MountainTrue’s deputy director and general counsel, said changes in Raleigh would likely make the nonprofit’s work more difficult than before. He noted that former Sen. Chuck Edwards, a Hendersonville Republican who chaired the Senate’s committee for environmental appropriations, has moved on to the U.S. House; he also cited the loss of former Boone Republican Sen. Deanna Ballard to Republican Sen. Ralph Hise

“The good news is that Hise remains a chairman of the powerful Senate appropriations committee,” Jernigan continued. “The WNC delegation also picked up some muscle in the House, where [Republican] Rep. Karl Gillespie, who represents Cherokee, Clay, Graham, and Macon counties, was appointed co-chair of a House natural resources budget committee.”

MountainTrue’s full legislative agenda is available at avl.mx/cdj.

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

• The city of Hendersonville’s Environmental Sustainability Board seeks nominees for the city’s inaugural Sustainability Hero Award. The award will “honor an individual city employee or team that is a champion for change and is responsible for development and implementation of sustainability practices in Hendersonville and the surrounding community.” More information is available by emailing Kelly Pahle at KPahleESB@ Gmail.com; nominations are due by Wednesday, March 1.

• WNC Communities is accepting nominations for the 2023 WNC Agricultural Hall of Fame. Established in 1991, the Hall of Fame’s objectives are to honor significant contributions to agriculture, recognize individuals who have been responsible for agricultural advancement and promote regional agribusiness. Nominations must be submitted by Monday, March 13; more information and a nomination form are available at avl.mx/cdh.

• The Black Mountain Beautification Committee is accepting applications for its 2023 Seed Money Awards. Applicants can receive up to $2,500

LET THE SUN SHINE: The Hot Springs microgrid includes 2 megawatts of solar panel capacity and 4.4 megawatt-hours of battery storage, enough to power the entire town for an extended period. Photo courtesy of Duke Energy

for gardening projects within Black Mountain that honor “the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains while seeking to reflect that beauty on the streets and in the lives of the citizens.” Applications are due by Monday, March 13, with more information available at avl.mx/b5l.

GET INVOLVED

• The Asheville-Buncombe County Food Policy Council is looking for volunteers to further its mission of building a more robust local food system. Opportunities include neighborhood emergency food preparedness, food security reparations and food waste reduction. More information is available by emailing Gina Smith at Coordinator@ ABFoodPolicy.org.

• Plant and craft vendors are encouraged to apply for Hendersonville’s Garden Jubilee, taking place Saturday-Sunday, May 27-28. The event will feature over 200 vendors, landscaping displays and presentations by gardening experts. More information is available at avl.mx/cdn.

SAVE THE DATE

• The N.C. Arboretum celebrates the annual Great Backyard Bird Count on Saturday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Events planned for the day include a bird mist netting demonstration, birding walks and a bird craft station for children. More information is available at avl.mx/cdm.

• Asheville’s Parks & Recreation Department has released its guide to winter and spring programs. Upcoming outdoor options include a hike geared toward older residents Tuesday, Feb. 21, and a family disc golf demo Thursday, March 9. More information and registration are available at avl.mx/cb9.

• The Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project’s annual CSA Fair takes place at the YWCA of Asheville on Friday, March 10, 3:30-6:30 p.m. The free event connects residents with local farmers offering community supported agriculture subscriptions of produce, meat, flowers and more. More information and an online CSA guide are available at avl.mx/936.

• The nonprofit Organic Growers School hosts a four-part series of gardening classes beginning Saturday, March 11. The course, hosted by Laura Ruby at Reems Creek Nursery in Weaverville and an urban garden in West Asheville, will cover plant selection, site design and approaches to transplanting.

More information and registration are available at avl.mx/cba.

• Bullington Gardens, the Hendersonville horticultural learning center, will hold its annual spring plant sale ThursdaySaturday, April 27-29, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Offerings will include native pollinator shrubs, perennial flowering plants, vegetable starts and herbs. More information is available at BullingtonGardens.org.

COMMUNITY KUDOS

• The Blue Ridge Electric Vehicle Club was named the Chapter of the Year for the South by the national Electric Vehicle Association. The award, presented Jan. 28 in Carlsbad, Calif., recognizes the club’s “hard work and dedication to educating and advocating for the rapid adoption of electric vehicles.”

• Old Fort-based Kitsbow Cycling Apparel received a Visionary Leadership Award from the N.C. Business Council at a Jan. 26 event in Raleigh. The honor recognizes “executives within businesses that see beyond the short-term, market-driven actions and position their business, or sector, for success over the long term.”

• Harrison Davis, a junior agriculture student at West Henderson High School in Henderson County, won the N.C. FFA Association’s tractor driving championship on Feb. 2.

• Arden resident Nathan Frantz, along with Lexington resident Sean Clayton, set a new speed record for hiking the Palmetto Trail in South Carolina. The two completed the 500-mile route in 10 days, 11 hours, besting the previous record by 17 hours.

• Asheville photographer David Huff took first prize in the “People in Places” category of the 2022 America the Beautiful Photo Contest, hosted by national nonprofit Scenic America. Huff’s winning shot features a sunset at Vernal Falls in Yosemite National Park. His photograph and all other contest winners can be seen at avl.mx/cdl.

• The nonprofit Friends of DuPont Forest received $99,000 in grants from tourism leaders in Henderson and Transylvania counties to help develop a master recreation plan for the DuPont State Recreational Forest. As noted by Sara Landry, the nonprofit’s executive director, in a press release announcing the awards, the forest receives about 1.3 million visitors annually, a level far above the capacity for which it was designed upon opening in 1995.

— Daniel Walton X

SERVICE CELEBRATED: Pearson Riddle poses with medals recognizing his military service in the Asiatic-Pacific campaign of World War II. Riddle worked as a member of the Civilian Conservation Corps and was assigned to help build a base on Wake Island. He was captured by the Japanese navy on Dec. 23, 1941, and held as a prisoner of war until the war’s end. He was recognized by the U.S. Navy as a veteran in 1987. More recently, his service and sacrifices were celebrated by the N.C. Department of Military and Veterans Affairs at a ceremony on Dec. 29. He is the last survivor of the Battle of Wake Island. The 101-year-old Yancey County resident resides in his 200-year-old family home in Burnsville. To hear his story in his own words, visit avl.mx/ccr. Photo by LA Bourgeois

Buncombe

reckon with racial disparities in education

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted education for every student in the Asheville and Buncombe County school systems. Data presented to the county Board of Commissioners Feb. 7 suggested that disruption has hit Black children even harder than those of other races.

During an annual check-in regarding Buncombe’s strategic goals for education, Rachael Nygaard, the county’s strategic partnerships director, said the pandemic had driven general upticks in chronic absenteeism and disciplinary issues while lowering graduation rates. Yet on every measure of performance she presented for the 2021-22 academic year, across both school systems, Black students fared worse than did white ones.

Black students had chronic absenteeism rates of 49% and 38% in city and county schools, respectively; for white students, those rates hovered around 20%. Rates of short-term suspensions were nearly 12 times higher for Black students than white pupils at Asheville schools and over 4.5 times higher in the Buncombe system. Black graduation rates also fell below those of white students.

Regarding academic achievement, just 11% of Black students in grades three through eight at Asheville City Schools scored as proficient in math, with 13% proficient in reading. Rates were somewhat better in the county system, with 21% of Black pupils proficient in both subjects, but still fell well below those of white, Hispanic and Asian students. As previously reported by Xpress, the achievement gaps for the city schools have long been among the worst in state.

TROUBLING NUMBERS: Rates of short-term suspensions were nearly 12 times higher for Black students than white pupils at Asheville City Schools and over 4.5 times higher in Buncombe County Schools for the 2021-22 academic year. Graphic courtesy of Buncombe County

Commissioner Al Whitesides voiced his robust displeasure over the numbers.

“As a Black man, I’m appalled,” Whitesides said. “Every year it’s the same story — we spend over $100 million in funds. … I’m just starting to see why people are down on public schools. We spend the money but we don’t get anything out of it.”

Meanwhile, Commissioner Amanda Edwards homed in on the discipline figures. She said there needed to be additional discussion about how to assess appropriate punishments for students.

“The consequence shouldn’t be heavy-handed,” she said. “We need to look at the specifics of what happened.”

Buncombe County Schools

Superintendent Rob Jackson and Asheville City Schools interim

Superintendent Jim Causby were both present at the presentation. Addressing the board, Causby acknowledged the numerous perils and setbacks of the pandemic, saying that lingering damage to students would have to be addressed.

“Not being in school, they missed high-quality education,” he said. “When you’re not face to face, the educational opportunities fall.”

Whitesides encouraged the superintendents to “surprise [him]” and come forward with better numbers at the next annual check-in.

IN OTHER NEWS

At the board’s regular meeting later that day, commissioners unanimously passed a resolution to move ahead with an audit regarding local government’s treatment of Black residents, as recommended by Asheville’s Community Reparations Commission last year.

The resolution says the audit, which will be conducted by an outside firm, will probe “intentional and unintentional harm committed against the African American community.”

Asheville resident Jonathan Wainscott brought the issue up during the meeting’s public comment portion. He posited that whichever firm is eventually selected for the audit should look with a critical eye at the county board itself, noting that the area’s elected officials have long been predominantly white.

The board also unanimously approved its 2023 legislative agenda. The priorities, which were first discussed publicly during a Jan. 30 special meeting, include more support for early education programs and fighting against proposals that would limit Buncombe’s ability to regulate short-term rentals.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

FEBRUARY 15 - 23, 2023

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.

 More info, pages 30-31

 More info, pages 32-33

WELLNESS

Narcotics Anonymous

Meetings

Visit wncna.org/ basic-meeting for dates, times and locations.

Sparkle Time Holistic Exercise

Aerobic strengthening, balance and flexibility.

WE (2/15, 22), MO (2/20), 10:30am, Avery’s Creek Community Center, 899 Glenn Bridge Rd

Tai Chi for Balance

A gentle Tai Chi exercise class to help improve balance, mobility, and quality of life.

WE (2/15, 22), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Tai Chi for Beginners

All ages and abilities. Yang 10 and 24 forms along with Qigong exercises.

TH (2/16, 23), 11:30am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Nar-Anon Family Group Meeting

Weekly meeting for family and friends of addicts. Use Door C.

TH (2/16, 23), 7pm, 1316D Patton Ave

Asheville Aphasia Support Group

Every Friday in Rm 345. No RSVP needed.

FR (2/17), 10am, WCU at Biltmore Park, 28 Schenck Pkwy

Yoga for Everyone

For all ages and abilities. Instructors are trained to facilitate

classes for people standing, or in a chair.

Classes are in English, instructor is able to speak Spanish if needed. Registration is required.

SA (2/18), 9:30am, Black Mountain Presbyterian, 117 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain

Ladies Beginner MTB Ride

Review basic MTB skills, and ride for approx 1 to 1.5 hours. Led by local Black Mountain MTB rider, Sandra Carpentier.

SA (2/18), 10am, WNC Outdoor Collective, 110 Black Mountain Ave, Black Mountain

Guided Meditation

A six week series for adults to explore the gentle practice of meditation, sampling from a variety of traditions and tools.

SA (2/18), 10:15am, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler

Activate the Peace Within: Reiki & Sound Event

Bring a mat and blanket. Tea and Tarot to follow.

SA (2/18), 11am, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd

Moon Journaling & Acupuncture

Explore moon phases through the lens of yin/yang by combining intention setting with creative exploration, meditation and acupuncture.

WAKE AND BAKE: The North Asheville Tailgate Market returned for its winter market season earlier this month. The market, held 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturdays near Owen Hall on the campus of UNC Asheville, is one of the oldest in Western North Carolina. Its vendors include OWL Bakery, whose baked goods are pictured. Photo courtesy of North Asheville Tailgate Market

SA (2/18), 3pm, East Acupuncture Wellness

Boutique, 2296 US 70, Swannanoa

Wild Souls Authentic Movement Class

A conscious movement experience in a 100year old building with a community of women at all life stages.

SU (2/19), 9:30am, Dunn's Rock Community Center, 461 Connestee Rd, Brevard

Bend & Brew Pop-Up Yoga Class No experience necessary, all levels welcome. Bring a mat.

SU (2/19), 10:30am, Hillman Beer, 78 Catawba Ave, Old Fort

Winter Flow

This class is designed to build heat in the body and release excess kapha during the winter.

SU (2/19), 11am, One World Brewing West, 520 Haywood Rd

Flute & Flow

Join Sheri Kay and Conrad for an hour of a gentle movement, created in harmony with live flute music.

SU (2/19), 6:30pm, Black Mountain Yoga Center, 116 Montreat Rd, Black Mountain Medical Qigong

Classical Qigong exercises to promote the flow of Chi in the body

for a healthy lifestyle.

TU (2/21), 9am, Dragon Phoenix, 51 N Merrimon Ave

Ben's Friends

Offering supportive community to food and beverage industry professionals struggling with addiction and substance abuse. Every Tuesday.

TU (2/21), 10am, Avenue M, 791 Merrimon Ave

ART

Sherrill Roland: Sugar, Water, Lemon Squeeze

Through sculpture, installation, and conceptual art, Roland engages visitors in dialogues around com-

munity, social contract, identity, biases, and other deeply human experiences. Open 11am, closed Tuesdays. Through Mar. 20. Asheville Art Museum, 2 S Pack Square

Courtney M. Leonard - BREACH: Logbook23 | Coriolis

Exploring cultural and historical connections to water, fishing practices, and sustainability. Created by a Shinnecock Nation ceramic artist, the installation is a response to the artist’s research in Western North Carolina. Open Tuesday through Friday, 10am. WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Reception for Courtney M. Leonard - BREACH: Logbook23 | Coriolis

This event will include a gallery talk by Courtney M. Leonard, along with complimentary hors d'oeuvres and drinks.

TH (2/16), 5pm, WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

Night/Visionary

A five-person exhibition featuring contemplative works on paper, panel and canvas by Josephine Close, Renato Órdenes San Martín, Kyung Soon Park, Christina Haglid and Eli McMullen.

Through Feb. 26. Gallery open Tuesday through Saturday 10am and Sunday 11am. Tyger Tyger Gallery, 191 Lyman St

Opening Reception: 2023 Curatorial Fellows Exhibition

This opening reception celebrates the culmination of each curatorial fellow’s exhibition: Crafting Denim, curated by Sonya Abrego; Something earned, Something left behind, curated by Kehayr Brown-Ransaw, and NEO MINERALIA, curated by Oscar Salguero.

FR (2/17), 6pm, Center for Craft, 67 Broadway St

Southside Presents: Black History Through the Eyes of Art Opening Reception

Pop-up gallery will remain on display through Feb. 28. Open Monday through Friday, 10am. See p33 FR (2/17), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

Art in the Heart: A Speculative Moment

An installation of a transparent, nine-foottall obelisk filled with swirling fog that will slowly disperse into the atmosphere through small holes in the top of the obelisk. Text and images from interviews with Asheville youth and leaders will be

projected onto the fog that represent what a monument could possibly be and say in 2523.

SA (2/18), 6:30pm, Pack Square Park

Smoky Mountain Impressions

Featuring works on of the Great Smoky Mountains by four new gallery members:

Gail Drozd, Patricia Hargrove, Natalie Ray and Christine Schlageter. Gallery open daily 11am, exhibition runs through Feb. 28.

Asheville Gallery of Art, 82 Patton Ave

COMMUNITY MUSIC

The Gesualdo Six All-male vocal group with one each of countertenor and baritone, and two of tenor and bass.

TH (2/16), 7:30pm, Brevard Music Center, 349 Andante Ln, Brevard

The Foreign Landers

The married folk duo perform acoustic bluegrass and Americana. SA (2/18), 7:30pm, Madison County Arts Council, 90 S Main St, Marshall

Masterworks 4: Aurora Three Scandinavian and Slavic composers channel the spirit and splendor of the frozen north in this program inspired by the northern lights. See p33 SA (2/18), 8pm, Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, 87 Haywood St Family Folk Dance Drawing from the American folk tradition as well as a few international ones, an instructor will lead the dances as live music plays. All ages are welcome, no experience necessary. Children must be accompanied by an adult. SU (2/19), 3pm, Harvest House, 205 Kenilworth Rd

The Land of Sky Men's

Chorus Rehearsal

Four part a cappella harmony singing. Men of all ages and from all backgrounds welcome.

TU (2/21), 6:30pm, Care Partners Main Campus, 68 Sweeten Creek Rd

Imani Winds: Black and Brown

An entire program celebrating composers of color such as Wayne Shorter, Paquito D’Rivera, and Valerie Coleman - from the twice Grammy-nominated wind quintet.

TH (2/23), 7:30pm, WCU Bardo Arts Center, 199 Centennial Dr, Cullowhee

LITERARY

Joke Writing Workshop

Hosted by Disclaimer

Stand Up Lounge and moderated by Cody Hughes, weekly. Bring 90 seconds of material that isn't working.

WE (2/15, 22), 6:30pm, Asheville Music Hall, 31 Patton Ave

Poetry Open Mic Hendo

A poetry-centered open mic that welcomes all kinds of performers every Thursday. Performances must

be no longer than ten minutes. 18+

TH (2/15, 23), 7:30pm, Shakedown Lounge, 706 Seventh Ave East, Hendersonville

Lori Hovitz: Collect Call to My Mother: Essays on Love, Grief, and Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

The author reads from her book.

SU (2/19), 3pm, Asheville Visitor Center, 36 Montford Ave

Shut Up and Write!

An hour of silent writing - no reading or critiquing, and no talking, except for the optional socializing afterwards. All are welcome.

MO (2/20), 2pm, Dripolator, 909 Smokey Park Hwy, Candler

Diverse Roots at the Common Table: Culinary Conversations in the American South - Southern Chefs in the White House

With culinary historian and author Adrian Miller. See p30-31

WE (2/22), 6pm, Highsmith Student Union, UNCA, 1 University Heights

Poetry Open Mic w/

Host Caleb Beissert

All forms of entertainment welcome at this weekly poetry-centric

open mic. Sign up at 8pm.

WE (2/15, 22), 8:30pm, Sovereign Kava, 268 Biltmore Ave

AVL Revue

Featuring artists invited to participate by Blackled organizations, in honor of Black History Month. See p32

FR (2/17), 7pm, Story Parlor, 227 Haywood Rd

Love Stories

Five WNC storytellers explore love in all its glorious, complicated facets. Sponsored by the Weaverville Center for Creative and Healthy Living. Tips appreciated.

TH (2/23), 7pm, Lake Louise Community Center, Weaverville

THEATER & FILM

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo

Dancing the line between drag and ballet, this all-male company lend their expert knowledge of ballet with a comic approach. WE (2/15), 8pm, Wortham Center For The Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

North Carolina Stage Company presents Every Brilliant Thing

Based on true and untrue stories and told with the help of the audience, a life-affirming story of how to achieve hope through focusing on the smallest miracles of life. Various dates and times through Feb. North Carolina Stage Company, 15 Stage Ln Abe Lincoln and Uncle Tom in the White House

A re-imagination of events the night before Abraham Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation, when he is mysteriously visited by Uncle Tom, the fictional character in Harriet Beecher Stowe’s abolitionist novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7:30pm, through Feb. 18; also 3pm on Feb. 19. Presented by Diffrent Strokes Performing Arts Collective.

Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, 18 Biltmore Ave

National Paddling Film Festival

Showcasing the best of film competition in the paddle sport community with international film submissions,

celebrating 40 years in 2023. SA (2/18), 4pm, Liquidlogic Kayaks, 210 Old Airport Rd, Fletcher

Calendar Girls

Based on the Miramax motion picture by Juliette Towhidi and Tim Firth, the true story of eleven middle-aged women who famously posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund in 1999. Various daters and times through Feb. 19. Hendersonville Theatre, 229 South Washington St, Hendersonville

She Kills Monsters

A dramatic comedy about the world of fantasy role-playing games and the story of Agnes Evans as she comes to terms with the death of her teenage sister, Tilly. Feb. 23-25, 7:30pm and Feb. 26 at 3pm. Western Carolina University, Cullowhee

MEETINGS & PROGRAMS

Sewing Club

Bring your machine or borrow one and be taught how to use it. WE (2/15, 22), 5:30pm, The Burger Bar, 1 Craven St

Grief Keening Circle

Discussion of loss and grief with a period of music and silence, followed by an open group conversation. WE (2/15, 22), 8pm, Vintage Kava, 141 Reems Creek Rd, Weaverville Southside Card Game Night Families and community members can play card games like bid whist/ spades, Apples to Apples, Uno, and more. Light refreshments served.

TH (2/16, 23), 6pm, Dr Wesley Grant, Sr. Southside Center, 285 Livingston St

WNC, Past and Present

| The African American Experience in the Smokies (AAESP): Making the Invisible Visible Participants will learn the long-standing history of African American culture in the region through free and enslaved peoples’ interactions with early white settlers. Also, participants will look at the documentation of African American burials in and around the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and how the AAESP is using these burials to shed light on the lives

Bring LOVE

Poetry Contest

Xpress announces a 2023 poetry contest in celebration of April as National Poetry Month.

Are you poet living in Western North Carolina? If so, consider submitting an original, previously unpublished work for this year’s contest. This year’s theme is all about hope. Where do you go in Buncombe County to find your moment of zen or sense of purpose? Do you gravitate toward hiking trails or do you prefer a swimming hole? Or are you more likely to find your peace of mind in a local bookstore or cafe?

Wherever it is, we want to read about it in the form of a poem.

All poems should be no longer than one typed page in a 12-point font. Again, only previously unpublished works will be considered.

The contest is currently open for submission and will close at midnight on Wednesday, March 8. Email the poem in the body of the message to tcalder@mountainx.com. The subject line should read “Xpress 2023 poetry contest.” Include the author’s full name and contact information in the email. Only one submission is allowed per person. There is no cost to enter.

A winning poem will be determined by local, award-winning poet Michael Hettich. The winner will be published online and in print in the final issue of our annual Sustainability series on Wednesday, April 26. The contest is not open to Xpress employees or freelance contributors.

Contact Thomas Calder at tcalder@mountainx.com with any questions

of African Americans in the area.

TH (2/16), 6pm, Black Mountain Library, 105 N Dougherty St, Black Mountain

Sanctuary Saturdays

Join others in the community for a free hot lunch in a warm and safe setting. Use the restroom, charge your phone, be part of a conversation, play cards, rest - all are welcome.

SA (2/18), 11am, First Presbyterian Church Asheville, 40 Church St

Sew Co./Rite of Passage Factory Tour

On this 30 minute micro-tour, learn abourt sustainable and transparent business practices and hear about production processes and client collaborations. To register in advance, visit avl.mx/cec.

MO (2/20), 11am, Rite of Passage Clothing & SewCo, 240 Clingman Ave Ext.

Brushes & Brews:

Shamrocks

Join local artist from Arrowhead Gallery Dawn Dreibus for a guided painting of shamrocks.

MO (2/20), 6pm, Hillman Beer, 78 Catawba Ave, Old Fort

Chai: a Tasting Experience from Chai For Chai For's founder, Colin Wiseman, will guide you through a selection of Chai from different parts of India. Learn about the history and legacy behind each variety, from when it was first brewed to how it's made today.

TU (2/21), 5:30pm, Outsider Brewing, 939 Riverside Dr, Asheville

BMH Campus Connect

Tour & Volunteer Info

Learn about and history and programs with a tour of campus, followed by a light lunch prepared by the Culinary Arts apprenticeship program.

TH (2/23), 10am, BMH West Campus, 100 Clover Ln, Swannanoa

The Rhythmic Arts

Project: Rhythm and Percussion Class for Everyone

A family, inclusive program that teaches the basics of music theory by playing percussion instruments. Everyone is welcome, but instruments are limited. To sign up visit the website or call (828)250-4758.

TH (2/23), 4pm, Enka-Candler Library, 1404 Sandhill Rd, Candler

LOCAL MARKETS

RAD Farmers Market Winter Season

Providing year-round access to fresh local foods, with 25-30 vendors weekly. Handicap

parking available in the Smoky Park lot, free public parking available along Riverside Drive. Also accessible by foot, bike, or rollerblade via the Wilma Dykeman Greenway.

WE (2/15, 22), 3pm, Smoky Park Supper Club, 350 Riverside Dr

Weaverville Tailgate Market

Vendors from WNC sell their locally raised meats, veggies and fruits, cheese, herbal products, jams, jellies, pickles, baked goods, sourdough breads, drinks and more.

WE (2/15, 22), 3pm, Weaverville Tailgate Market, 60 Lake Shore Dr, Weaverville

North Asheville

Tailgate Market Winter

Season

Locally produced goods and fresh fruits and vegetables, since 1980. SA (2/18), 10am, UNCA, 3300 University Heights

FESTIVALS & SPECIAL EVENTS

36th National Arts and Crafts Conference

Featuring antiques and contemporary items, seminars, workshops, tours and demonstrations.

FR (2/17) - SU (2/19), Omni Grove Park Inn, 290 Macon Ave

Asheville Celtic Festival

Featuring live Celtic music, Scottish athletes, warrior fighting, Highland cows, herding sheep dogs, Celtic foods and ales, artisan crafted gifts, jewelry, health, clothing, kilts and accessories. See p32

SA (2/18), WNC Agricultural Center, 1301 Fanning Bridge Rd

DJ's Pickles Mardi

Gras: Second Anniversary Open House

Celebrate with pickles and king cake at 2:30pm.

SA (2/18), 1pm, WNC Farmers Market, 570 Brevard Rd

Grove Park Arts & Crafts Home Tour

Sponsored by the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County. See p33 SA (2/18) - SU (2/19), 1pm, Grove Park Neighborhood

Valentine’s Banquet

A youth fundraiser with spaghetti, salad, bread, dessert, games and a couples costume contest.

SA (2/18), 5:30pm, First Baptist Church of Old Fort, 203 E Main St, Old Fort

Night-O

Beginners welcome. A portion of ticket sales will be donated to the Camp Lakey Gap Autism Summer Camp Program. Presented

by WNC Orienteering Club.

SA (2/18), 6pm, Christmount Christian Assembly, 222 Fern Way, Black Mountain

Combat Vets Chili Cookoff

The community is invited to sample the chili while supplies last.

Presented by Combat Vets - Blue Ridge Sevens. Contestants register by emailing kensampler1@gmail. com. Call for more info

(828)242-9659

SU (2/19), 1pm, Silverados, 2898 US-70, Black Mountain

Asheville Mardi Gras

Parade Queen's Ball

Parade steps off downtown 3:05pm. Free celebration following at the Funkatorium with live music at 5:30pm by Jackomo Cajun Band, Asheville Samba and guests and FunkNAround. See p30 SU (2/19), 3:05pm, South Slope

Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Extravaganza

Cajun food and NOLA classic cocktails. See p30

TU (2/21), 6pm, Circa

29, 56 Patton Ave

55th Annual Winter Vegetable Conference and Trade Show

Organized by the N.C. Tomato Growers Association and N.C. State University Cooperative Extension. See p31 WE (2/22) - TH (2/23), Crowne Plaza Resort, 1 Resort Dr

Pie Baking Contest

A staple throughout culinary history, pie recipes are often a closely-held secret only handed down when the time is right. To enter a pie, register online or call the center at (828)350-2062.

TH (2/23), 2pm, Grove St Community Center, 36 Grove St

Elevate Old Fort: The 150th Celebration

Kick-Off

The Town of Old Fort's sesquicentennial kick-off, with guest speakers, a student wax museum, art exhibits and a historical presentation followed with cake and activities.

TH (2/23), 5pm, Old Fort Elementary, 128 Mauney Ave, Old Fort

Soul Food Supper

In the late 19th century, the church became a gathering place for the Black community and impacted the development of what's now considered soul food. Celebrate 100 years of Stephens-Lee HIigh School at this dinner sponsored by school alumni and the East End/Valley St Neighborhood Association with down-home cooking that’s been passed down through the generations.

Advance registration is requested to help with

planning. Call (828) 3502058 for more info.

TH (2/23), 6pm, Stephens Lee Recreation Center, 30 George Washington Carver Ave

BENEFITS & VOLUNTEERING

Food Is Love: Food

Donation Drive for MANNA FoodBank

Focusing on collecting healthy, nonperishable foods for distribution to those in need in Western North Carolina.

Items of need include low-sodium canned vegetables, canned tuna and chicken, low salt nuts, no sugar added fruits, shelf stable milk, whole grain pasta, brown rice, oatmeal, canola and olive oil, peanut butter, low sodium soups, canned and dried beans, and low sugar cereals. Collection bins will be in the Asheville Outlets food court. Monetary donations can be made at MANNAFoodBank. org. Through Feb. Asheville Outlets, 800 Brevard Rd

Date Night with Divine Interactive games and shenanigans ensue as single and coupled audience members participate in "date night" with a drag queen host. All profits go to Arms Around ASD 501c3. Admission is free, donations are encouraged.

TH (2/16), 7pm, Highland Brewing Co., 12 Old Charlotte Hwy Barketype Dog Adoption Event

In partnership with Mountain Pet Rescue. SA (2/18), 1pm, Archetype Brewing, 265 Haywood Rd

Katarina's Saturday Cabaret Drag Brunch

Proceeds go to the local non-profit Tranzmission. 18+ SA (2/18), 2pm, Banks Ave., 32 Banks Ave

St. Gerard House 13th Annual Mardi Gras Party Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit local families with children on the autism spectrum.

See p30

TU (2/21), 6 pm, Galaxy Room, 175 Biltmore Ave

Become a Volunteer Court Advocate for Children In Need

Seeking volunteers for Guardian ad Litem advocates, trained community volunteers who are appointed by a district court judge to investigate and determine the needs of abused and neglected children petitioned into the court system. Visit volunteerforgal.org or call (828)259-6603.

First Baptist Church of Asheville, 5 Oak St

Support, protect and respect women

Shaneka Haynes, director of women’s empowerment at the YWCA, discusses role models, making connections and respecting women’s needs.

Who is a local woman you admire and why?

A woman that I admire is my sister Jerrika. She is 10 years older than I am, and I have always looked at her as a mother figure and role model. She has consistently shown how resilient, strong, courageous and bold she is. I have never seen her give up, she always has her head held high, and she never backs down from a challenge. I aspire to be just like her.

What is one specific way women can help uplift other women within your industry?

Focus on making connections with each other and for each other. The ultimate goal is to help and uplift our community as individuals and as professionals.

What’s one way men can better support women in WNC?

We can all better support women in WNC by listening to their needs first. Men can reflect on their power and privilege by putting into action to support, protect and respect women’s wants and needs. X

QUICK TAKES

Camaraderie in the arts

Rae Geoffrey, managing director of Wortham Center for the Performing Arts, discusses the power of giving, the arts and the unique superpowers women bring to leadership positions.

Who is a local woman you admire and why?

I am in awe of Hedy Fischer [co-owner of Pink Dog Creative]. Hedy gives selflessly to Asheville and her community in Merida, Mexico. Hedy builds opportunity and connections, making major strides in the arts sector through curating, volunteering and utilizing the arts for social change. She accomplishes amazing feats quietly, seeking no recognition for her incredible work. In addition to these gifts, she bikes across entire countries in her spare time!

What is one specific way women can help uplift other women within local theater?

Women in the performing arts are passionately dedicated to the field. We cannot imagine doing anything else. We collectively build arts audiences for the entire community to ensure the future of our industry. We support each other. We refuse to foster a spirit of competition. We acknowledge our common commitment and remain united through the demands and the joys of a career in the arts. When one of us succeeds, we all succeed.

What’s one way men can better support women in WNC?

Humans identify as a variety of genders beyond male and female, but I’ll use those two terms for the purposes of the question.

Too often, females are expected to make themselves more “male” to be considered a strong leader. Yet, female executives inherently face different challenges. They may show up, lead and problem-solve differently than their male counterparts. Our society should honor these differences not as flaws or weaknesses but as superpowers. X

SHANEKA HAYNES photo courtesy of the YWCA

RAE GEOFFREY photo by Carol Spags Photography

Birth story

BY BROOKE RANDLE

Therapists discuss resources for coping with birth-related trauma

Last fall, Tiziana Severse found herself weighing her options in a hospital room as she prepared to bring her second daughter into the world.

Despite her intention to deliver her baby without medical interventions, Severse’s doctors advised her to consider an epidural that would help mitigate pain should complications arise. Feeling anxious after the premature birth of her first daughter just two years earlier, she reluctantly agreed. The medical team then recommend she start doses of Pitocin, a synthetic version of oxytocin, to help speed up her labor.

But when Severse showed minimal progress after several hours, her doctors made the decision to deliver the baby through a cesarean section, a surgical procedure by which babies are birthed through an incision in the mother’s abdomen.

“It was literally my worst nightmare,” she remembers. “I didn’t want an epidural; I didn’t want Pitocin; I didn’t want a C-section. I didn’t want any of it.”

After a flurry of doctors and consent forms, the baby was out in what felt like five minutes, Severse says. But then “everything got really quiet.”

“I was like, ‘What’s wrong? What’s going on?’ And my doctor said, ‘There’s just more blood than there should be.’”

Feeling sick from the medications and helpless on the operating table, she anxiously waited as the medical team tested and examined her for signs of internal injuries. After four grueling hours, her doctor finally concluded that she was safe to be reunited with her baby.

POSTPARTUM STRUGGLES: As many as 1-in-5 women experience mood changes or anxiety after experiencing trauma while giving birth, with roughly 9% being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

While both Severse and her baby were deemed healthy, the medical procedures and health scare left her with feelings of guilt and regret in the weeks that followed. As many as 1-in5 women experience mood changes or anxiety after experiencing trauma while giving birth, with roughly 9% being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to Postpartum Support International, an organization that provides support and education to new parents. The psychological and physical impacts of birth trauma can manifest in a range of symptoms, including depression, sleeplessness, shame, fear and more.

“I was sitting on the couch with my newborn and a cup of coffee by

Share Friedman, LCMHC, MA, MS Ed., MSCC is a Jungian transpersonal psychotherapist with a holistic clinical orientation. Share’s life experience, wisdom, and insights as an HSP, Reiki Master, LMBT, LPN, doula, & mother adds a unique perspective to overcoming life’s challenges. Life-coaching & in-person eco-therapy on the homestead.

myself, and I just burst into tears. All the feelings of foreboding — all the feelings that this was a punishment — just came tumbling out of me,” she explains. “I was walking around every day with this intense sense of guilt, as if there was a great big cosmic finger being wagged at me for not just trusting my body.”

THE MIND-BODY CONNECTION

Caroline Hall, an Asheville-based licensed clinical social worker with a background in women’s health and postpartum trauma, describes the condition as the real or perceived trauma experienced during labor,

delivery or the postpartum experience. Trauma can be either physical, such as a health emergency for the mother or baby, or emotional.

“Women with emotional birth trauma will sometimes describe feeling powerless during delivery, which can have a lot to do with the medical providers or support people around them. Some will describe poor communication between the provider and themselves,” Hall explains. “Women who’ve had a history of rape, sexual assault or physical assault are more likely to have this kind of traumatic response in their body to what’s happening during delivery.”

Postpartum traumatic responses can manifest as intrusive thoughts that replay the birth over and over again, as well as flashbacks, nightmares or feelings of hypervigilance and anxiety, says Hall. New parents might also experience mixed feelings about the baby or about their partner because of the event. Some mothers might feel a sense of “unreality” or not feeling like themselves after giving birth. They might feel afraid to have another child later in life, even if they desire one.

Part of Hall’s work involves helping new mothers process their trauma by listening to their birth stories and using techniques to help them understand the mind-body connection, because “trauma,” she says, “is stored in the body.”

For example, therapeutic interventions like eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy, or EMDR, are sometimes used to help reduce the emotion and intensity of a painful memory over time. During EMDR, patients are encouraged to focus briefly on a traumatic memory while experiencing bilateral stimulation, usually created by eye movements.

Hall adds that although some women and medical professionals seem wary of them, there are plenty of safe medications that can also play

Photo by iStock

a role in treating anxiety and depression experienced during pregnancy or the postpartum period. She says health care providers can contact the free N.C. Psychiatry Access Line at UNC Chapel Hill regarding medication safety. “When [the] mood is stable, processing a traumatic birth is more possible.”

MANAGING EXPECTATIONS

Physical injuries or health emergencies may seem the most obvious source of trauma. However new mothers can also experience trauma symptoms due to their own expectations surrounding birth and pregnancy, says Kelly Moore Spencer, a licensed clinical mental health counselor trained in perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and associate psychology professor at Mars Hill University.

“A lot of birthing folks go into the experience with an idea of what the birth should be like, particularly in Asheville,” says Moore Spencer, who uses birth-story processing as one form of therapy for new parents. “There are expectations around the ways babies should be born or how people should give birth, and then around how we should parent afterwards. And I think there’s just not enough talk around the struggles.”

Media portrayals of pregnancy and birth often depict unrealistic ideals while leaving out the sometimes unpleasant but authentic realities that can occur during labor and delivery, like needing medical interventions or feeling negative emotions. As a result, some pregnant people may feel the need to control their own experience according to fixed ideas around their pregnancy, she explains.

While Moore Spencer says that pregnant people should feel empowered to choose the way they give birth — choosing to have an unmedicated birth or to deliver a baby at home instead of in a hospital setting, for example — care needs to be taken to manage feelings of inadequacy or shame that can arise if someone gives birth differently from how they initially planned.

“Birth plans can be both good and bad. There are so many unknowns. We don’t know how our body or the baby is going to respond. That’s why we oftentimes will shift into talking about birth preferences,” says Moore Spencer, who is also a certified birth doula.

Postpartum traumatic responses stemming from unmet expectations can sometimes be harder for friends, family — and even new parents themselves — to identify, Moore

Spencer says, because the experience is subjective. One of the best ways for friends and family to offer support is to allow new parents to share their experience without rushing to reassure or judge, but instead acknowledging that “my baby can be healthy and I can be healthy, and I could have experienced a traumatic birth.”

PART OF THE TRIBE

Connecting with friends, family and other new parents to share birth experiences can be one of the most therapeutic ways to cope with feelings of isolation, mood changes or traumatic birth, and adjust to parenthood. Both therapists advocate for postpartum support groups like the ones offered through Perinatal Emotional Health Network of WNC, which offers in-person and online groups and resources for new parents locally.

“It’s a way to bond with others on one of the most unique physical and emotional experiences of one’s life,” says Hall. “Whether it’s a group of women who weren’t necessarily traumatized but want to support each other, or those who have had trauma during birth or experience postpartum depression or anxiety, being in a group with other women who are experiencing some of those challenges in addition to caring for an infant can be powerful.”

For her part, Severse chose to share her experience through her online blog. She’s received positive feedback for recalling her pregnancy and postpartum experience with authenticity, and for providing a sense of belonging to other parents with less-than-perfect birth experiences.

“When you have a birth that’s traumatic, you feel outside the tribe of women. You feel on the outskirts of those successful bodies that were able to give birth naturally, which is incredibly lonely,” Severse says.

“And when you tell your story, you realize that in the dark outside that circle there are so many women leaning against the fence who also can’t get in. And all of a sudden you realize that you are still part of a tribe, it’s just not that tribe.”

She says the act of sharing her story, along with therapy and faith, helped her process her pain and have compassion for herself.

“Now when I start to feel guilt, I express it as grief. And the cosmic finger being wagged at me transformed into a cosmic hand on my shoulder, saying, ‘I know that was really hard.’ That was when I knew everything was gonna be OK.”

Empowered women

Nicole Cush, the principal of School of Inquiry and Life Sciences at Asheville, discusses local news, empowerment and the importance of speaking up.

Who is a local woman you admire and why?

I can only select one? That is a tough ask; there are some incredibly awesome women, doing amazing things in this lovely city! I will say Johnnie Grant of the Urban News.

She is brilliant, so hardworking and has such an incredible work ethic. She is from Asheville and keeps me and many folx in the city informed on many issues and events that would otherwise go unnoticed.

What is one specific way women can help uplift other women within the education field?

• Be authentic, self-aware and compete only with yourself.

• Be courageous to speak out when equity is the talk but not the walk.

• Be committed to continuous improvement.

• Empowered women empower other women; we must be co-conspirators in love as there are so many battles ahead of us. There is room for everyone to shine — blowing out my candle won’t brighten your candle’s reach. Collectively, we could be so bright and powerful.

What’s one way men can better support women in WNC?

• Leverage your privilege and love us. Hear us. See us. Trust us. Hire us. Pay us what we deserve. Stop putting us into boxes.

• Be authentic, self-aware and only compete with yourself.

• Be courageous to speak out when equity is the talk but not the walk.

• Be committed to continuous improvement. X

NICOLE CUSH

photo by Carol Spags Photography

the building,

WITH MORGAN BOST

BY MORGAN BOST

Ah, February. The real start to the new year.

Let’s face it, January’s a wash — a monthlong decompression session (better known as weighted blanket season) brought on from too much holiday socializing.

Yes, February is a time for new beginnings. And for love. Plus, all planets are direct until April so it’s the perfect time to get out of bed and start on those resolutions! Mine is to stop mentioning astrology so much. (Drats! Oh well, there’s always next year.)

In honor of Xpress ’ annual Women’s Issue, I’ve called up a few of my funniest friends, who also happen to be women, to talk dating games, the great holiday water outage and what it’s like to be a female performer in Asheville.

Readers, please give a warm welcome to local comedians Allison Shelnut and Moira Goree and multidisciplinary artist Gina Cornejo.

Bost: I hope everyone is staying hydrated this winter, if possible, of course. In light of the recent water outages, what alternatives could the city provide in the event of another system break?

Allison Shelnut: Hello? The answer is dogs! I think the city of Asheville should acquire 200 or so St. Bernards. Don’t worry, folks, we will look into ethically run rescues. Why St. Bernards? They’re the ones that carry those little barrels around their necks. That way they can deliver emergency water and other supplies when needed. We should also require all local government workers to watch the 1995 film Balto as part of their onboarding process. The story of Balto, the courageous wolfdog who delivers lifesaving medicine, should inspire the city to find better, creative solutions. If this doesn’t work, nothing will.

Moira Goree: Honestly, the best way for the city to respond to the next crisis is to pay everyone $250. COVID? $250. Water crisis? $250. Mad

Max-esque marauders terrorizing the population? 250 smackeroonies.

Gina Cornejo: There’s the brilliant saying: “Comedy is tragedy plus time.” The water outage was clearly disruptive and shocking for all communities in Asheville. So if — or, let’s be honest, probably when — this occurs again, maybe there is a way to pair the next round with comedic flare and entertainment. An idea: Open up the major hotels downtown as rehydration stations and exquisite showering options — and when finished utilizing the (ahem, gratis) facilities — performances will be available in the lavish lobbies! Drag, burlesque,

comedy, poetry, improv — the city would book (and yes, pay!) these local gems as a distraction from the latest disaster. Just an idea…

Bost: Best Medicine Heads will harken back to the September issue where I suggested the purchase of exactly one Brita water filter to be shared across WNC as an alternative to the bond initiative. While the idea seemed comical at the time, perhaps this type of radical socialism is exactly what we need in light of the recent water outage. It’s only a matter of time before climate change wreaks havoc on our remaining water supply, and as the availability of clean water dwindles and demand

increases, Asheville’s water treatment systems won’t be able to keep up, and we’ll all be left to our own devices. A Brita filter will certainly come in handy during the impending water wars when citizens are forced to fetch their own supply directly from the French Broad. And given that Moira Goree’s public works plan includes $250, each person could easily purchase their own filter and still have a couple hundred leftover for Kool-Aid packets (to mask the E. coli flavor).

Cupid recently descended upon Asheville and after recently being forced to watch “The Bachelor,” I wondered, what would be the ultimate Asheville dating show? For singletons like me, the thought of participating in a reality-esque dating competition elicits fear, excitement and wild curiosity. Who would be the contestants? Would there be games? Where would the show take place, and who would be the target audience?

Shelnut: I know for a fact that a reality show about single local comedians (yes, we will allow improvisers to enter as well) would garner worldwide excitement. The reason I know this is that my therapist is always entertained when I tell her about the fun characters I share open mics with every week. People say you shouldn’t date a comedian ... but that’s just because we haven’t made this show yet! Think of the possibilities! A viral sensation: “Asheville’s Funniest Loves and Laughs Linger” (that doesn’t make sense, but you get it). We will figure out the name later. Target audience: millennials (they are so over the apps, sad and indoors for the winter). Somehow the show is built around competitive journaling.

Goree: It’s called “Polycule” and features such games as Do Our Dogs Like Each Other? Is Someone I’m Dating Dating You? How Many IPAs Can You Drink While Hiking?! As well as the absolute classic, How Bad Are Your Opinions?! This last game is where you try to gently bring up various topics hoping to see if your date is into QAnon so you can leave them with the check.

Cornejo: First, can I acknowledge that if someone “forced” you to watch

WHAT IS LOVE: Local comic Morgan Bost, top left, is back for the latest installment of “Best Medicine.” This month, she discusses dating in Asheville and the challenges local female comedians face while onstage. Also featured, clockwise from top right, Moira Goree, Allison Shelnut and Gina Cornejo. Photo of Bost by Cindy Kunst; all other images courtesy of comedians

Cupid has left

and these four comedians are fine with that

“The Bachelor,” Morgan, I’m not sure if that person is a true friend.

I, too, am a single human navigating this Blue Ridge landscape under the heart-eyed gaze of Cupid. My instinct is to keep this reality-esque dating show locally sourced. I’m thinking of a cafe to brewery “Love Crawl” scenario. Everyone currently claiming the status of a mingling single is allowed to participate. There are no games involved. Patience is at the core of this crawl (as you wait and wilt in the slow-moving lines). Bonding over excruciating small talk is also involved. (“I’ve heard their cortado has been voted the best, but I tend to lean more toward their lattes.”) Patience and someone to listen to our daily dribble: Isn’t that what we are all seeking?

Bost: In many ways, I’m already the unwilling participant of the ultimate Asheville dating show. After months of trying too hard, I’ve finally broken into the highly exclusive social circle of popular seniors that gather at Odd’s Café. These elders have now taken an interest in every aspect of my life and seem especially concerned with my marital status (or lack thereof); often they inquire about my prospects before my first

sip of light roast. In an effort to save me from certain spinsterdom, these friends have now taken it upon themselves to play matchmaker, often citing grandchildren and neighbors they feel would be a perfect fit. It seems the natural next step would be to exploit these good intentions for TikTok fame by gathering said prospects for a round of Morgan Speed Dating in which contestants will be asked hard-hitting questions around zodiacs and attachment styles. Bestcase scenario, I leave with love. Worst case? I leave with content.

On a more serious note, can you all speak to your experiences as women in comedy and the performing arts? The good, the bad and the downright ugly. (Warning, dear readers, vulgar language is on its way!)

Shelnut: Uh-oh. Do we really want to open this can of worms? Because I have THOUGHTS. My experiences have truly run the gamut. I’ve met incredible people, and I’ve learned how to tolerate lots of personali-

CONTINUES ON PAGE 26

• Full-time faculty in Humanities, UNCA

• Doctoral concentration in Shakespearian Studies

• Presented and published widely in academic conferences and journals, on Renaissance Literature and Dance Theory

• Training - New York City Ballet, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham

• Principal ballerina - Hartford Ballet, American Ballet

• 60 years of choreography credits include “Turandot” for New York City Opera at Lincoln Center, “Amahl and the Night Visitors” for Menotti’s official U.S. tour, “Macbeth” witches for American University, Rome, Italy

• Awards - Most Distinguished Teacher in Humanities at UNC-Asheville, Best Research Article published by the International Journal of Arts and Sciences, North Carolina Artist of the Year Award, UNC-Asheville Alumni Distinguished Faculty Award, William Blake prize for first volume of poetry

• Scholarships – Bread Loaf, Weymouth, The Aspen Institute’s 2015 WYE Faculty Seminar on Citizenship in the American and Global Polity

• Published three volumes and two chapbooks of poetry

• 5 children, 12 grandchildren

Ann Dunn:

Artistic and Executive Director of The Asheville Ballet

Owner and CEO of Asheville Academy of Ballet and Contemporary Dance

Publish March 8th & 15th Reserve advertising space in these special issues today! 828.251.1333 x1

ties (read: men). I’ve developed new fun skills like how to swiftly leave a room at the first “my dick” or “my crazy ex-girlfriend” joke. Don’t get me wrong: The Asheville comedy scene is miles ahead of other cities — *cough, Greenville, cough.*

But seriously, Asheville makes space for everyone to have a mic, and I truly appreciate us for that. For me, comedy at its best is a platform to build empathy through storytelling. Everyone isn’t doing comedy for the same reasons, and that is OK. I just want everyone to consider how the things they say and the way they show up may make folks with different lived experiences feel unsafe or activate past traumas. I say this not because anyone wants you “canceled,” but because this is a community I care deeply about.

Goree: I’ve been performing music and comedy since I was 17. There was a time when an old guitarist in my band quit. I later found out that he did so because he felt that

having a woman as the lead singer was a gimmick, and he didn’t want to be in a “gimmicky” band. Which is wild because he liked what I did as a singer, but he was just so tripped up by the fact that I’m a lady.

It still happens, and it doesn’t ever come at you honestly. How many bills have lady comics been on billed as “Women of _____,” or in my case as a trans woman “Queers of _______.” Positively or negatively, we are sold as a gimmick and talked about that way.

What should be done about it? $250.

Cornejo: For 17 years I claimed Chicago as my artistic home. I created and contributed original writing, performance/production concepts and original choreography to several ensemble-built shows, and I was a voice-over artist and actor in the city. In my early auditioning days, the baseline as a female-identifying person was to know that you were easily replaceable. From where I stood, there were 20 others just like me, or

QUICK TAKES

We are social creatures

Mathilda Potter, a local artist, arts teacher and vice president of the Arrowhead Artist and Artisans League, discusses the importance of community art centers, the perks of hugs and ways fellow community members can uplift each other.

Who is a local woman you admire and why?

I admire Helen Sullivan for making the art world much more open to the cute little town of Old Fort by being a founding force behind The Arrowhead Gallery and Studios [a subsidiary of Arrowhead Arts and Artisans League]. This nonprofit community art center began about 10 years ago when Helen worked to create a space where art is for everyone. A place where beginners as well as established artists can display, rent studios and take classes in everything from painting to pottery to stained glass.

Helen did all that as her retirement project. Prior to becoming a full-time artist, she worked as a lawyer in the Pentagon, where she survived the 9/11 strike. Helen Sullivan is a true force of nature, and I admire her not only for her art but for her unstoppable spirit.

What is one specific way women can help uplift other women within your industry?

Women can support each other today by truly, physically showing up for each other in person and not only online. We need to remember that we are social creatures, and there is no substitute for a real hug from a real friend!

What’s one way men can better support women in WNC?

Men can and do help support women, and I’m grateful for the men who have lifted me up by sharing their skills and teaching me trades. A kind man taught me pottery, which became my passion and my career. A kind man is teaching me to restore my 1969 VW Beetle.

Despite the bad luck of having a father who was not a kindhearted man, I’ve been incredibly blessed to have the support of good men throughout my journey. X

close enough, ready and willing to do/say/perform what I might have felt inappropriate to do/say/perform.

The “don’t speak up, don’t speak back, don’t be difficult” approach lingers in the performance realm — but thankfully, things have begun to shift! However, it’s still daunting in a rehearsal room, or even a friendly collaborative environment, to kindly choose to say the word, “No.”

Also, there’s much to unpack as a Milwaukee, Wis.-born, Peruvian American, who many times was asked to sound “more urban,” “more hood,” and even “more Mexican” with little to no context. Let’s just say a conscious healing strategy should be put into action for all those involved in the art of performance!

And if you ever need a reassuring hug or high-five, I give my consent!

Bost: Last summer I was the only woman on a standup show when a man old enough to be my father confidently asked about the state of my pubic hair during an audience Q&A. While to many, that comment may seem nothing more than rude, to me a strange man’s comfort in discussing my pubic area to an audience is a reflection of rape culture; a dog whistle to remind me and everyone else that as a woman with the audacity to be onstage, even my private parts are no longer private.

I’ve left many performances feeling both violated and afraid. I’ve had men howl and bark while I’ve been onstage; I’ve had strangers try to touch me and rub my shoulders once I’ve come off. A local radio DJ once called me “rude” and “off-putting” when I politely declined his invitation for an interview after he made me uncomfortable by calling me things like “cutesy” and requesting the interview take place at a bar over drinks.

Women in comedy are often faced with the decision to call out sexism onstage at the risk of being called a “bitch,” or we’re expected to just laugh it off in an effort to preserve the mood of the show. As someone still somewhat new in comedy, I don’t always have the skill set or the tools to both shut down sexism and be funny, but if given the choice I will shut it down every time.

I’m pleased to say that often other Asheville comics will aid in shutting down sexism. Asheville has a particularly warm and supportive comedy scene across all genders. I feel lucky to be part of a community where comics step in to protect one another and where gender-based comedy isn’t really our bread and butter. Anytime an out-of-town comic starts a set with “you know how women …” you’ll hear a collective groan from our community. X

MATHILDA POTTER photo courtesy of Potter

Together they read

Building community through books

BIBLIOPHILES: Malaprop’s Wednesday night book group, the second-oldest book club sponsored by the local shop, has been meeting monthly for over 13 years. Photo courtesy of Jay Jacoby

BY ARNOLD WENGROW

a.wengrow@yahoo.com

Reading is a solitary pleasure. But for many locals, Asheville book clubs and reading groups turn the individual experience into a community-building sport.

“It’s delightful to get together with people and talk about books,” says Sarah Gransee , branch services manager for Buncombe County Public Libraries. Gransee helps track 12 book clubs that meet monthly at Pack Memorial Library as well as the county’s other 11 branches.

These clubs, Gransee notes, are different from a neighborhood or friends book club. “You’re not self-selecting people you already know; you’re meeting new people,” she explains. “[It’s] a wonderful way to connect and empower the community.”

But libraries are not alone in promoting community through literature. Nor do librarians work in a bubble. On Jan. 24, Jen Waite, Pack’s specialist for adult programs, organized the headquarters’ first book club fair inside Lord Auditorium. Nearly 50 guests attend-

ed and learned about opportunities to join various community reading groups. Representatives from the YMI Cultural Center and the Noir Collective AVL, the Wilma Dykeman Legacy, Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, the N.C. Arboretum, Firestorm Bookstore & Coffee and the Asheville Art Museum attended.

“The concept,” says Waite, “was to bring together as many book clubs as we could find that are open to the public and put them all in one spot, so people can see what’s available in the community and find the book club that might fit them the best.”

A DIFFERENT APPROACH

Meeting in small groups to discuss a new book each month is how clubs featured at the book club fair operate. Some choose works of general interest. Others focus on a theme or genre such as history, mysteries, science fiction or the Black experience.

But at UNC Asheville, The Common Word Community Read takes a different approach. Participants dig deeply into a single book over three months during each academic semester. Along with dis-

History of book clubs

Kathy Hill, library specialist at Pack Memorial Library, traces the organization’s current crop of clubs to 1990, when the Friends of the South Buncombe Library established its first book club. Soon thereafter, similar groups at other branches began to spring up as well.

“Asheville has a long history of independent book clubs,” she says. In fact, “the library was basically started through a book club.”

According to Hill, in 1877, three civic-minded women, Anna C. Aston, Fanny L. Patton and Anna B. Chunn, began a private reading circle. From there, they formed the Asheville Library Association and went through the county in a horse-drawn wagon collecting donations of money and books to open a community reading room. Its success prompted George W. Pack, the lumber baron and philanthropist, to donate a building for a library that would eventually memorialize his name. X

Magical Offerings

cussion, the series features lectures by experts on the book’s topic as well as conversations with some of the authors.

Wiley Cash, a New York Times bestselling novelist and UNCA’s writer-in-residence, created the series in fall 2021 in an effort to bring together the campus and the broader community. “That was during the pandemic,” he says. “Obviously, we weren’t having events in person. We had our lectures virtually and we did them during the noon hour, hoping to get people on their lunch breaks to open up their laptops, sit at their desks and engage.”

While Cash didn’t track participation, he noted that the Common Word’s private Facebook page drew 181 followers.

Each fall, Cash says, “we choose a book that speaks to the contemporary social moment.” The 2021 selection, Isabel Wilkerson’s Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, analyzed racism in the U.S. as a system of social stratification. North Carolina author Jason Mott’s Hell of a Book a seriocomic, semiautobiographical novel about a Black author’s adventures on a book tour — was the fall selection.

“In the spring of each year, we try to do a book with some local relevance,” Cash continues. “Last spring, we did The Last Castle, about the Biltmore House, by [Asheville resident] Denise Kiernan. Denise joined us on campus for the final event. This semester we’re doing The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, a Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice.”

The Common Word begins Monday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m., with the lecture “How to Get Away with (Writing About) Murder,” by Laura Meadows, UNCA assistant professor of mass communication. The event takes place at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute’s Manheimer Room and will also be available on Zoom. Meadows’ talk will address the explosion of true crime narratives in popular culture.

In March, Laura Jones, associate professor of health and wellness, lectures on “Mental Health Behind Bars: The Role of Mental Health in the U.S. Legal System.” The series concludes in April with a conversation between Cash and the book’s author, Dr. Benjamin Gilmer

HAVING THEIR SAY

When Kathleen Eskew retired to Asheville in 2008, she initially joined seven reading groups. “All were very different,” she says. “I would highly recommend visiting a

STOKED ABOUT READING: Jim Stokely, president of the Wilma Dykeman Legacy, meets attendees at the Buncombe County Public Libraries’ Book Club Fair on Jan. 4. Photo courtesy of Stokely

few to determine which one clicks for you.”

Today, Eskew has narrowed her commitments to two library book clubs. One reads a miscellany of fiction, nonfiction and short stories. The other, called Land of the Sky 101, is hosted by Pack’s Buncombe County Special Collections librarians

and explores regional history with topics that stretch from ancient times to the late 20th century revitalization of downtown Asheville.

“I enjoy the opportunity to be introduced to many books that I may not have selected,” Eskew says. “Many times, we continue the discussion over lunch after the meeting. Every time I attend a book club meeting, I come away with many memorable and meaningful experiences.”

Meanwhile, Alex Pritchard , a senior mass communication major at UNCA, participates in the Common Word series even with a busy class schedule. “I love to take advantage of programs like this that give me a chance to learn things outside of the classroom,” she says.

Pritchard enjoys the way Cash chooses the speakers. “For example, last semester’s selection, Hell of a Book, is about an author on a book tour. Dr. Cash invited the co-founders of [Gold Leaf Literary] to come and speak about what it’s like to promote a book.”

For this semester’s pick, The Other Dr. Gilmer, Pritchard is looking forward to Laura Meadows’ presentation about true crime writing. “She is one of my favorite professors,” she says. “So, you have topics that are related to their corresponding selections, but that allow these speakers to use their expertise and engage the audience.” X

Want to try a book club?

Interested in joining a book club? Here’s some more information on some in the area:

• The Buncombe County Public Library has 12 clubs meeting at branches throughout the county. For a listing, visit avl.mx/ce1. Be sure to scroll down to events calendar and click “book club” in the filter by event box.

• The Black Experience Book Club, co-sponsored by the library and the YMI Cultural Center, meets at Noir Collective AVL, 39 S. Market St. On Thursday, Feb. 23, 6:30 p.m., the club will be discussing The Furrows, a novel by Namwali Serpell avl.mx/ce2

• Malaprop’s Bookstore/Cafe, 55 Haywood St., launched its first book club over 20 years ago and now sponsors 10 groups. avl.mx/ce3

• The Common Word Community Read at UNC Asheville offers free virtual and in-person lectures about The Other Dr. Gilmer: Two Men, a Murder, and an Unlikely Fight for Justice by local author Dr. Benjamin Gilmer, beginning Monday, Feb. 20, at 7 p.m. To register, visit avl.mx/ce4.

• The Asheville Art Museum’s Discussion Bound book club meets 6-8 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month in the museum’s multipurpose space, level 1, 2 S. Pack Square. The club is free for museum members; nonmembers are required to pay general admission. avl.mx/cef

• The Wilma Dykeman Legacy hosts the monthly Thomas Wolfe Short Story Book Club via Zoom. The next meeting is Thursday, March 9, 7-8 p.m. avl.mx/ceg

• Firestorm Books & Coffee’s Waywardness as Survival Reading Group meets virtually Wednesday, Feb. 15, and Wednesday, March 15, at 6:30 p.m. avl.mx/ceh

• View the Buncombe County Library’s Book Club Fair video on Malaprop’s YouTube channel to learn about other clubs open to the public. avl.mx/cei

Daily Readers Available

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FULL MOON: March 7th

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What’s new in food

Mardi Gras returns to Asheville starting Sunday, Feb. 19, for a multiday, multivenue extravaganza celebrating all things indulgent and exuberant.

The annual Asheville Mardi Gras Parade kicks off this year’s festivities at 3:05 p.m. on the South Slope. The procession begins on the corner of Southside and Coxe avenues and will make its way toward Buxton and Banks avenues before circling back down Coxe Avenue.

Afterward, Burial Beer Co., 40 Collier Ave., will continue to let the good times roll through a number of exclusive draft beer offerings, food and beverage specials, king cake and live music from Asheville Second Line and The Big EZs.

“Mardi Gras is an Asheville tradition and community celebration on the South Slope,” says Phil Cassella, Burial’s head of marketing. “The Mardi Gras and New Orleans culture is a huge piece of the inspiration behind the Burial brand, and it’s one of our favorite annual events. We want all folks to come out and participate in whatever they feel most comfortable with.”

The Queen’s Ball wraps up the evening at the Funkatorium, 147 Coxe Ave., 5:30-10 p.m. The event is free to attend and will feature live music and a cash bar.

The imbibes and good vibes pick back up on Fat Tuesday, Feb. 21, for a number of Mardi Gras festivities around town, including another beer-fueled party at Burial’s Forestry Camp, 10 Shaky Oak Drive, beginning at 5 p.m.

Elsewhere, the soon-to-open restaurant Gourmand (founded by New Orleans natives) will host a Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras Extravaganza from 6-10:30 p.m. at Crica29 inside the S&W Building, 56 Patton Ave. Tickets are $75 per person and will feature Cajun delicacies and classic New Orleans cocktails. avl.mx/cdx.

Meanwhile, St. Gerard House hosts its 13th annual Mardi Gras Party on Fat Tuesday as well from 6-8 p.m. The event costs $50 per person and takes place at the Galaxy Room, 175 Biltmore Ave. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit local families with children on the autism spectrum. “Along with beads and booze, the Galaxy Room will be serving up the ‘Best of the Bayou,’ a full-on Cajun dinner compliments

of Daddy Mac’s Down Home Dive,” says Callie Davis, director of development and community engagement at St. Gerard House. avl.mx/cdw.

Metro Wines, 169 Charlotte St., is also hosting a French Fête Extraordinaire, 4-6 p.m. Feb. 21. Chef Sam Etheridge will prepare a fourcourse Mardi Gras meal. Each dish will be paired with a distinct Johnson Brothers/Mutual wine. Tickets are $45 per person. “Celebrating Mardi Gras with great New Orleans-inspired food and perfectly paired wines is a great example of our philosophy: wine is about food, family, friends and community,” says Metro Wines co-owner Gina Trippi. avl.mx/cdv.

For more information on the Asheville Mardi Gras Parade, visit avl.mx/cdy.

Celebrating Black culinary history

UNC Asheville welcomes culinary historian and author Adrian Miller as part of the university’s Thomas Howerton Distinguished Professor Speaker Series, Diverse Roots at the Common Table: Culinary Conversations in the American South Miller’s lecture, “Southern Black Chefs in the White House,” takes place Wednesday, Feb. 22, 6 - 7:30 p.m. at the Blue Ridge Room inside Highsmith Student Union.

“Over time, the contributions of African American culinary artists have become a hidden history,” Miller says in a press release announcing the event. “I want people to truly understand how influential these cooks were and continue to be.”

Miller’s books have twice won a James Beard Award in the Reference and Scholarship category. He’s also featured in the 2021 Netflix documentary High on the Hog: How African American Cuisine Transformed America. Furthermore, Miller previously served as a special assistant to President Bill Clinton during his administration and as the deputy director of the President’s Initiative for One America. The lecture will draw directly from Miller’s 2017 book, The President’s Kitchen Cabinet: The Story of African Americans Who Have Fed Our First Families, from the Washingtons to the Obamas

“I think people will be surprised to learn the extent to which Black

chefs blended the culinary ingredients, techniques and traditions of West Africa, Western Europe and the Americas from fine dining to more vernacular cooking, especially the foods introduced from Africa,” Miller elaborates in the same release.

UNC Asheville is at 1 University Heights, Asheville. Books will be available for purchase at the event through Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café. Those who wish to attend via Zoom may pre-register at avl.mx/cee.

Gather ’round the garden

The 55th annual Winter Vegetable Conference and Trade Show will be held Wednesday, Feb. 22, to Thursday, Feb. 23, at the Crowne Plaza Resort. Organized by the N.C. Tomato Growers Association and N.C. State University Cooperative Extension, the conference is the largest commercial vegetable grower event in the region, featuring educational programs put together by vegetable extension specialists and agents at the N.C. State cooperative extension.

Pest management, tomato breeding and food safety are among the issues that will be addressed. Representatives from agricultural companies and businesses supporting the industry will be on-site to educate and network, and a sponsored lunch and award program will be featured Feb. 23.

The Crowne Plaza Resort is at 1 Resort Drive. Tickets are $90 per person and include annual N.C. Tomato

Geraldine’s next generation

Fred and Rosemary Dehlow, owners of North Asheville’s Geraldine’s Bakery, which opened in 2013, sold their bakery to Alexandra “Zan” Maddox in January.

“Rose and Fred have been here helping me get started over the past month, so it’s been a real team effort. Now they’re fully retired,” says Maddox. “I am so fortunate that all the staff has decided to stay on. I could not have hand-picked a better staff. We are going to continue to bake the same pastries, Danishes and cakes that Geraldine’s is known for.”

by Stephanie Hand and her partner Don Hutchins in December. “We are both professional culinary-trained chefs with a combined 50 years of industry experience,” Hand says.

When the original bakery owners ( Cathy Cleary and Krista Steams) made the decision to sell, Hand and Hutchins jumped at the chance to helm the Haywood Road staple. “Everyone has a West End Bakery story. It’s an institution,” exclaims Hand.

Growers Association membership dues. Visit avl.mx/cdt for additional information.

Slices at Shakey’s

The Original Papa Nick’s, a family-run business serving pizza and homestyle Italian food for over 50 years in Mars Hill, has announced a new partnership with Shakey’s, a local watering hole. Announced earlier this month on social media, the partnership will invite Shakey’s thirsty patrons to pair their drinks with hot, fresh Papa Nick’s pizza seven days a week from 4 p.m.-2 a.m.

This news comes coupled with confirmation that the Papa Nick’s second location at French Broad Brewery has ceased operations. “We have three kids, and trying to run a restaurant in Mars Hill and a restaurant in Asheville was really wearing on our family, especially on our children, so we decided to prioritize our family over the business,” says Sean Turner, who co-owns The Original Papa Nick’s alongside his wife, Murph

The Turners decided to take a different approach for their new venture, pre-cooking and freezing their stone-baked pies, which Shakey’s can finish off in its oven. “The most exciting thing for us is the new method we have come up with to sell pizza without having to be present all the time,” says Sean.

Shakey’s is at 38 N. French Broad Ave., Suite 300. The Original Papa Nick’s Mars Hill restaurant is at 15 College St.

A graduate of UNCA, Maddox left Asheville in the ’90s to attend Florida State University College of Law. After building her family, her law practice and a successful track record of business ownership, Maddox decided the time was right to return to Asheville. “I happened upon Geraldine’s with my mother and daughters and just fell in love, then I decided to take a leap into the bakery business,” Maddox details.

While she plans to make the place her own over time, Maddox’s current priority is consistency.

“I’m hoping all the Geraldine’s regulars feel that the quality and the atmosphere of the bakery remains the same,” Maddox says. “In the future, I hope to expand the outdoor seating and possibly expand the breakfast and coffee menu, but I want to keep the small-town, local bakery feel.”

Geraldine’s Bakery is at 840 Merrimon Ave. Visit avl.mx/cdu for hours of operation and additional information.

West End’s new beginning

The West End Bakery is now under new ownership following a purchase

The new owners have introduced a rotating menu featuring sweet treats such as bright pink doughnuts with Pop Rocks sprinkles and red velvet cookies. The latest options also include savory pastries for people on the go, such as shredded pork milk buns, carne asada on blue corn masa biscuits and chicken pot pie.

“The West End Bakery is something that existed before us and will grow beyond us, too,” Hand reflects. “We have big ideas and vision but also understand the importance of this not being about us. This is for the Ashevilleans.”

The West End Bakery is at 757 Haywood Road. Visit avl.mx/cdr for additional information.

— Blake Becker X

MARDI ON: Let the good times roll with a number of Mardi Gras celebrations happening around town. Photo courtesy James DeStio Photography

Around Town

For too many people, “vagina” is a dirty word, says Allison Taylor

“Men are perfectly comfortable talking about their penises, and women are used to hearing them talk about their ’packages,’ but vaginas are still considered off-limits among most,” says Taylor, a local producer and director.

That’s why she embraced the message of Eve Ensler’s influential 1996 play, The Vagina Monologues, when she first encountered it. In 2013, Taylor brought the show to her native Brevard to raise money for SAFE Inc. of Transylvania County. For a few years, she continued with annual performances in Brevard and Asheville before running the production exclusively in Asheville.

Taylor will produce and direct the show’s latest iteration on Friday, March 17, at 8 p.m., at The Orange Peel. All proceeds will benefit Helpmate, a nonprofit that addresses intimate partner violence in Buncombe County.

Previous performances have raised almost $45,000 for local women’s shelters.

“Unfortunately, domestic violence is a prominent problem in our society — and around the world,” Taylor explains. “The work of Helpmate is extremely important in our community as they work toward creating a

MOVIE REVIEWS

Local reviewers’ critiques of new films include:

MAGIC MIKE’S LAST DANCE:

Back in 2012, it seemed unlikely that Magic Mike would spawn one of cinema’s most entertaining trilogies. But director Steven Soderbergh and star Channing Tatum have done just that with their latest sequel. Grade: B-plus — Edwin Arnaudin

world free of violence by providing safety, shelter, counseling, advocacy and education to their clients and the community.”

The Vagina Monologues explores sexual experiences, body image, genital mutilation, vaginal care, menstrual periods and other topics through the eyes of women of various ages, races and sexualities. The Orange Peel show will feature a cast of 18 local women.

“My hope is that the audience will walk away with a better understanding of the issues that women face, a deeper education of the difficult and sometimes horrible journey that many women have traveled,” she says. “But overall, the feel of the production is much more funny than it is somber.”

Taylor stresses the importance of men attending the show. “These are issues that affect their wives, daughters, mothers, sisters and friends,” she says.

The Orange Peel is at 101 Biltmore Ave. General admission tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door. Student tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door. For more information or to buy tickets, go to avl.mx/cdo.

Long story short

Luke Hankins knows Testament, his latest poetry collection, sounds pretty bleak when he describes it.

“The poems address both internal and external sources of pain, conflict or damage — such as gun violence, terrorism, spiritual uncertainty and mental health issues,” the Asheville poet explains. “But I hope these concerns are balanced with attention to beauty, faith in the power of poetic language to make difficulties of all kinds more manageable and small gestures toward redemption.”

The 32-page Testament was released this month as part of the Texas Review Press Chapbook Series. A chapbook is a short book of poetry, usually ranging between 20 and 40 pages.

Hankins’ previous poetry collections, Radiant Obstacles and Weak Devotions, were each 80 pages or more.

ily, and which is presented as an attractive physical object,” he says. “In terms of thematic and stylistic concerns, there’s definitely a lot of continuity [in the three collections], but I do think that my newer work looks more consistently outside the self than my earlier work.”

Hankins is the founder of Orison Books, a local nonprofit literary press. For more information or to purchase Testament, go to avl.mx/ce5.

Celtic pride

Put on that kilt and get ready to eat some haggis while the sound of bagpipes plays in the background.

The Asheville Celtic Festival will be Saturday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., at the Western North Carolina Agricultural Center in Fletcher.

The opening ceremony for the annual indoor/outdoor event will be at 11 a.m. and will feature music from the Grandfather Mountain Highlanders Pipe Band. Other live music will be provided by Scottish band Albannach and North Carolinabased band Unspoken Tradition.

Also on tap will be a fully armored sword-fighting demonstration by the Warriors of Ash, border collie demonstrations, genealogy research and Celtic foods.

The festival is put on by the Asheville Celtic Group, a nonprofit that seeks to educate about the historic Celtic cultural influences brought by settlers to the Western North Carolina mountains from 1750 to 1850.

more information or to buy tickets, go to avl.mx/6w3.

Event highlights Black storytellers

In honor of Black History Month, Story Parlor’s AVL Revue series will feature artists invited to participate by Black-led organizations on Friday, Feb. 17, at 7:30 p.m.

Black Wall Street will present photographer/designer Ricardo Tejeda and author and motivational speaker Tyler Lewis; the Racial Justice Coalition of Asheville will feature music by Nostalgianoid (Mike Holmes); the N.C. Association of Black Storytellers will be represented by storyteller Roy Harris; the featured performer of Asheville FM’s “Slay the Mic” will be hip-hop artist SIYAH (Isa Whitaker); and the YMI Cultural Center will present a spoken-word performance by artist Lady Be (Robyn Baxter). Story Parlor is a cooperative arts space in West Asheville.

“We’re zooming in on the incredible contributions and creativity of our BIPOC friends and neighbors here in Asheville, along with acknowledging the systemic hardships and harm that Black Americans continually face on a daily basis,” Story Parlor says in a press release. “With a microphone and a stage at our disposal, we aim to provide a safe and inclusive space for all voices and maintain our sense of faith in the transformative power that art and story can have.”

Find full reviews and local film info at ashevillemovies.com patreon.com/ashevillemovies

“There’s something appealing to me in a shorter sequence that might be read in a single sitting fairly eas-

General admission tickets are $24 for adults and $8 for children ages 5-12.

The WNC Agricultural Center is at 761 Boylston Highway, Fletcher. For

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.

Story Parlor is at 227 Haywood Road. For more information or to buy tickets, visit avl.mx/ce6.

BODY TALK: The March 17 production of The Vagina Monologues at The Orange Peel will raise money for Helpmate. Photo by Capturing WNC Photography

‘The Vagina Monologues’ raises money for domestic violence nonprofit

Art history

Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Southside Center will host an art show, Southside Presents: Black History Through the Eyes of Art, from Friday, Feb. 17, to Tuesday, Feb. 28. The exhibit gets underway with a reception Feb. 17, 6-8 p.m.

The pop-up show will feature art in various mediums from local artists.

Dr. Wesley Grant Sr. Grant Southside Center, 285 Livingston St., is open Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. For more information, go to avl.mx/ce7.

Grove is in the heart

The Grove Park Arts & Crafts Home Tour will be Saturday, Feb. 18, and Sunday, Feb. 19, 1-5 p.m., in Asheville’s Grove Park neighborhood.

The historic neighborhood was laid out by noted landscape architect Chauncey Beadle in the early 20th century and includes representative examples of colonial revival-, Tudor revival- and bungalow-style dwellings.

Sponsored by the Preservation Society of Asheville and Buncombe County, the event is part of the 36th annual National Arts & Crafts Conference and Shows, which runs from Friday, Feb. 17, to Sunday, Feb. 19, at the Grove Park Inn.

Participants should be able to walk several city blocks and negotiate stairs and public walkways. Docents will be available in each home to answer questions. The tour will happen rain or shine.

Tickets are $35 for each day. For more information or to buy tickets, go to avl.mx/ce8. For more information about the National Arts & Crafts Conference and Shows, visit avl.mx/ce9.

Winter music

The Asheville Symphony will present Masterworks 4: Aurora, a program featuring works by three legendary Scandinavian and Slavic composers, Saturday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m., in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium of Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville.

The program opens with Jean Sibelius’ Finlandia, a tone poem for orchestra. After that, guest pianist Jacob Bernhardt will join the orchestra for Edvard Grieg’s Piano Concerto. The program concludes with Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony

Ticket prices range from $25-$75.

Harrah’s Cherokee Center –Asheville is at 87 Haywood St. For more information or to buy tickets, go to avl.mx/cea.

Justin McGuire X

Photography: Carol Spags Photography

For questions about free listings, call 828-251-1333,

SHAKEY'S

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15

12 BONES BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

185 KING STREET

Winter Trivia Tournament and Karaoke Night, 7pm

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL

CLUB

Karaoke Wild Wednesday Dance Party, 8pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Aquanet Goth Party w/ Ash Black, 9pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Disclaimer Stand-Up Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

BIER GARDEN

Geeks Who Drink: Trivia at the Bier Garden, 7pm

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE Music Bingo, 7pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

Weekly Trivia Night w/ Not Rocket Science Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING CO.

Songwriter Series w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Wild Wednesday Funkn-Rock, 10pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Latin Night Wednesdays w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm

RENDEVOUS

Albi (vintage jazz), 6pm

SALVAGE STATION

No Simple Disruption presents: An evening of powerful poetry & music, 6pm

Sexy Tunes w/DJ Ek Balam & Mad Mike, 10pm

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN

BREWERY

Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 6pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Poetry Open Mic w/ Host Caleb Beissert, 8pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER

BAR

Asheville FM Live Music Sessions w/State Park Ranger (grunge-folk), 9pm

THE ORANGE PEEL

Matt Nathanson w/ Stephen Kellogg (pop), 8pm

THE SOCIAL

Wednesday Night

Karaoke w/LYRIC, 9pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Wednesday Open Mic, 5:30pm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB

Swing Dance, 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Valentine's Burlesque Dance Class, 7pm

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE Trivia Night, 7pm

CITIZEN VINYL

Tyler Ramsey (Americana), 6:30pm

EURISKO BEER CO. Hops Around Comedy: Kevin McCaffrey, 7pm

FLEETWOOD'S

The North Country, Krave Amiko & Hi Helen's (experimental pop, indie/folk), 8pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

PUNK IT UP: Celtic punk-grass group Tan and Sober Gentlemen will play at Jack of the Wood on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 9 p.m. The ensemble, which hails from Snow Camp, N.C., blends bluegrass roots with traditional Irish music. Photo courtesy of the band

GIGI'S UNDERGROUND

Mr Jimmy (blues), 8pm

GREEN MAN BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Bluegrass Jam hosted by Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

The Lumpy Heads (Phish tribute), 9pm

PULP

Standup Comedy: Ryan Cox, 8pm

MARDI GRAS

w/The Carribean cowboys

TUESDAY 2.21.23 | 6PM ONWARDS

DRINKS | FOOD | MUSIC

THE SOCIAL - 1078 TUNNEL RD ASHEVILLE

SHAKEDOWN LOUNGE

Poetry Open Mic Hendo, 7:30pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke, 9pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR

• Rum Punchlines Comedy Open Mic, 6pm

• Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ Press Play (disco, funk and lo-fi house), 9pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Thursday Night Karaoke, 8:45pm

URBAN ORCHARD

Trivia Night, 6:30pm

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Venus (dark house dance party), 10pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Dogs in a Pile (funk, rock, psych), 8pm

BLACK MOUNTAIN CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Valentine's Burlesque Dance Class, 7pm

BOTANIST & BARREL TASTING BAR + BOTTLE SHOP

Fancy Marie (alt country, honky tonk), 6pm

FLEETWOOD'S Hydrone w/Trash Police (garage, punk), 5pm

GIGI'S UNDERGROUND

• ATLiens: Best of Atlanta Comedy Showcase, 8pm

• Underwear Comedy Party, 10:30pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

CRAFT BREWERY & TASTING ROOM

Descolada (country, folk), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Jackson Grimm Band (modern folk), 9pm

NOBLE CIDER & MEAD TAPROOM

Crisp Comedy: Live in Leicester, 8pm

ONE STOP AT

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

• Free Dead Friday w/ Gus & Friends (Grateful Dead tribute), 5pm

• Joe Marcinek Band, Felix Pastorius, Adam Chase & Rebekah Todd (rock, funk, jam), 10pm

SALVAGE STATION Lotus (rock, jam band), 8pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Cuberow (soulful indie), 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Metro Rock (hip-hop), 9pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ James Nasty, 9pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Dirty Bird (pop fusion), 8:30pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK

MOUNTAIN

Dark City Kings w/Dulci

Ellenberger (country, rock), 8pm

WRONG WAY

CAMPGROUND

Fireside Fridays, 5:30pm

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Jackson Grimm (bluegrass), 9pm

STORY PARLOR

Libby Rodenbough & Lou Hazel (folk), 7:30pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ Short Stop (soul, Latin, dance), 9pm

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 19

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB

Live and Local Sunday, 7pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

• Life's A Drag Brunch

w/Ida Carolina & Euphoria Eclipse, noon

• SOL Dance Party w/

18

185 KING STREET

Mardi Gras Soiree w/ High Flying Criminals (funk, soul), 3pm

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB

Karaoke Hot Night of Singing and Dancing, 8pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

80s MAXimum

Overdrive w/DJ Nato, 10pm

ASHEVILLE CLUB

Mr Jimmy (blues), 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Hot Girl Hoedown:

Cardi B x Megan thee

Stallion Tribute w/April

B. & The Cool, 9pm

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE

Bluegrass Brunch, 10am

GINGER'S REVENGE

SOUTH SLOPE

LOUNGE

Wife Island (folk rock), 4pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Moon Water w/James

Schlender (Americana), 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

• Nobody’s Darling String Band, 4pm

• Tan and Sober

Gentlemen (Celtic punk-grass), 9 p.m.

MEADOWLARK

MOTEL

Darren Nicholson (bluegrass, Americana), 6pm

NOBLE CIDER

DOWNTOWN

Don't Tell Comedy, 6:30pm

ONE STOP AT

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Solar Circuit (jamtronic trance fusion), 9pm

RIVERSIDE

RHAPSODY

Chris Jamison (singer-songwriter), 6pm

SALVAGE STATION

Rockstead w/Billingsley & Joker’s Trade (rock), 8pm

SHILOH & GAINES

Mood Ring (R&B, soul, vintage jazz), 9pm

Zati (soul house), 9pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Red Clay Revival w/ UniHorn (soul grass, funk), 7pm

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE

Bluegrass Brunch, 10am

CATAWBA BREWING

CO. SOUTH SLOPE

ASHEVILLE

Modelface Comedy presents Ron Nobles & Ryan Brown, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Traditional Irish Jam, 3:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Sunday Jazz Jam, 1:30pm

SALVAGE STATION

Yarn w/Jesse Iaquinto & Tommy Maher (bluegrass), 8pm

SOVEREIGN

JACK OF THE WOOD PUB

Quizzo! Pub Trivia w/ Jason Mencer, 7:30pm

NOBLE CIDER

DOWNTOWN

Freshen Up Comedy

Open Mic, 6:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING

Open Mic Night, 6:30pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Monday Mashup w/The JLloyd MashUp Band, 8pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ Short Stop (soul, Latin, dance), 9pm

THE JOINT NEXT DOOR

Mr Jimmy and Friends (blues), 7pm

THE ORANGE PEEL Silversun Pickups w/ Paris Jackson (rock), 8pm

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 21

185 KING STREET

Travis Book & Friends

Fat Tuesday Edition ft John Trufant, Jeff Sipe & Derrick Gardner, 6:30pm

5 WALNUT WINE BAR

The John Henrys (jazz, swing), 8pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Karaoke w/Ganymede, 10pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Tuesday Night Funk Jam, 10:30pm

FRENCH BROAD BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND DOWNTOWN TAPROOM

Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm

ONE STOP AT ASHEVILLE MUSIC HALL

Early Tuesday Jam (funk), 7pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

The Grateful Family Band Tuesdays (Dead tribute, jam band, rock), 6pm

SHAKEY'S

Booty Tuesday: Queer Dance Party, 8pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Weekly Open Jam

hosted by Chris Cooper & Friends, 7:30pm

THE IMPERIAL LIFE

DJ Mad Mike: Music for the People, 9pm

THE SOCIAL

Fat Tuesday Celebration w/The Caribbean Cowboys, 6pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Tuesday Night Trivia, 7pm

WHITE HORSE BLACK MOUNTAIN Open Mic Night, 7pm

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22

12 BONES BREWERY Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

185 KING STREET

Winter Trivia Tour-

nament and Karaoke Night, 7pm

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL CLUB

Karaoke Wild Wednesday Dance Party, 8pm

ASHEVILLE BEAUTY

ACADEMY

Aquanet Goth Party w/ Ash Black, 8pm

ASHEVILLE MUSIC

HALL

Disclaimer Stand-Up

Lounge Comedy Open Mic, 8pm

BIER GARDEN

Geeks Who Drink Trivia, 7pm

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE

Music Bingo, 7pm

HI-WIRE BREWING

Weekly Trivia Night w/ Not Rocket Science Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

CO.

Songwriter Series w/ Matt Smith, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Old Time Jam, 5pm

ONE WORLD BREWING WEST

Latin Night Wednesdays w/DJ Mtn Vibez, 8:30pm

RENDEVOUS

Albi (vintage jazz), 6pm

SHAKEY'S 80s Night, 8pm

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN BREWERY Jazz Night w/Jason DeCristofaro, 6pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Poetry Open Mic w/ Host Caleb Beissert, 8pm

THE SOCIAL

Wednesday Night Karaoke w/LYRIC, 9pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Wednesday Open Mic, 5:30pm

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23

ALLEY CAT SOCIAL

CLUB

Swing Dance, 8pm

BOLD ROCK

ASHEVILLE

Trivia Night, 7pm

FRENCH BROAD

RIVER BREWERY

Jerry's Dead (Grateful Dead & JGB Tribute), 6pm

GIGI'S UNDERGROUND

Mr Jimmy (blues), 8pm

GINGER'S REVENGE

SOUTH SLOPE

LOUNGE

Hops Around Comedy: Gwen Sunkel, 7pm

GREEN MAN

BREWERY

Robert's Totally Rad Trivia, 7pm

HIGHLAND BREWING

DOWNTOWN

TAPROOM

Not Rocket Science Trivia, 6pm

JACK OF THE WOOD

PUB

Bluegrass Jam hosted by Drew Matulich, 7:30pm

SHAKEY'S Karaoke w/DJ Franco Niño, 9pm

SOVEREIGN KAVA

Stand Up Comedy for your Health w/Justin Blackburn, 8pm

THE GETAWAY RIVER BAR Karaoke w/Terraoke, 9pm

TWIN LEAF BREWERY

Thursday Night Karaoke, 8:45pm

URBAN ORCHARD

Trivia Thursday, 6:30pm

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries director Francis Ford Coppola was asked to name the year’s worst movie. The question didn’t interest him, he said. He listed his favorite films, then declared, “Movies are hard to make, so I’d say, all the other ones were fine!” Coppola’s comments remind me of author Dave Eggers’: “Do not dismiss a book until you have written one, and do not dismiss a movie until you have made one, and do not dismiss a person until you have met them.” In accordance with astrological omens, Aries, your assignment is to explore and embody these perspectives. Refrain from judging efforts about which you have no personal knowledge. Be as open-minded and generous as you can. Doing so will give you fuller access to half-dormant aspects of your own potentials.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Artist Andy Warhol said, only half in jest, “Being good in business is the most fascinating kind of art. Making money is art, and working is art, and good business is the best art.” More than any other sign, Tauruses embody this attitude with flare. When you are at your best, you’re not a greedy materialist who places a higher value on money than everything else. Instead, you approach the gathering of necessary resources, including money, as a fun art project that you perform with love and creativity. I invite you to ascend to an even higher octave of this talent.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You are gliding into the Season of Maximum Volition, Autonomy and Liberty. Now is a favorable time to explore and expand the pleasures of personal sovereignty. You will be at the peak of your power to declare your independence from influences that hinder and limit you. To prepare, try two experiments. 1. Act as if free will is an illusion. It doesn’t exist. There’s no such thing. Then visualize what your destiny would be like. 2. Act as if free will is real. Imagine that in the coming months you can have more of it at your disposal than ever before. What will your destiny be like?

CANCER (June 21-July 22): The ethereal, dreamy side of your nature must continually find ways to express itself beautifully and playfully. And I do mean “continually.” If you’re not always allowing your imagination to roam and romp around in Wonderland, your imagination may lapse into spinning out crabby delusions. Luckily, I don’t think you will have any problems attending to this necessary luxury in the coming weeks. From what I can tell, you will be highly motivated to generate fluidic fun by rambling through fantasy realms. Bonus! I suspect this will generate practical benefits.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Don’t treat your allies or yourself with neglect and insensitivity. For the sake of you mental and physical health, you need to do the exact opposite. I’m not exaggerating! To enhance your well-being, be almost ridiculously positive. Be vigorously nice and rigorously kind. Bestow blessings and dole out compliments, both to others and yourself. See the best and expect the best in both others and yourself.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Is there a bug in the sanctuary of love? A parasite or saboteur? If so, banish it. Is there a cranky monster grumbling in the basement or attic or closet? Feed that creature chunks of raw cookie dough imbued with a crushed-up Valium pill. Do you have a stuffed animal or holy statue to whom you can spill your deep, dark, delicious secrets? If not, get one. Have you been spending quality time rumbling around in your fantasy world in quest of spectacular healings? If not, get busy. Those healings are ready for you to pluck them.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): There’s a weird magic operating in your vicinity these days—a curious, uncanny kind of luck. So while my counsel here might sound counter-intuitive, I think it’s true. Here are four affirmations to chant regularly:

1. “I will attract and acquire what I want by acting

as if I don’t care if I get what I want.” 2. “I will become grounded and relaxed with the help of beautiful messes and rowdy fun.” 3. “My worries and fears will subside as I make fun of them and joke about them.” 4. “I will activate my deeper ambition by giving myself permission to be lazy.”

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): How many people would fight for their country? Below I list the countries where my horoscopes are published and the percentage of their populations ready and willing to take up arms against their nations’ enemies: 11% in Japan; Netherlands, 15 %; Italy, 20%; France, 29%; Canada, 30%; U.S., 44%. So I surmise that Japanese readers are most likely to welcome my advice here, which is threefold: 1. The coming months will be a good time to cultivate your love for your country’s land, people, and culture, but not for your country’s government and armed forces. 2. Minimize your aggressiveness unless you invoke it to improve your personal life—in which case, pump it up and harness them. 3. Don’t get riled up about vague abstractions and fear-based fantasies. But do wield your constructive militancy in behalf of intimate, practical improvements.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): By the time she was 33, Sagittarian actor Jane Fonda was famous and popular. She had already won many awards, including an Oscar. Then she became an outspoken opponent of America’s war in Vietnam. Some of her less-liberal fans were outraged. For a few years, her success in films waned. Offers didn’t come easily to her. She later explained that while the industry had not completely “blacklisted” her, she had been “greylisted.” Despite the setback, she kept working — and never diluted her political activism. By the time she was in her forties, her career and reputation had fully recovered. Today, at age 84, she is busy with creative projects. In accordance with astrological rhythms, I propose we make her your role model in the coming months. May she inspire you to be true to your principles even if some people disapprove. Be loyal to what you know is right.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Charles V (1500–1558) had more than 20 titles, including Holy Roman Emperor, King of Spain, Archduke of Austria and Lord of the Netherlands. He was also a patron of the arts and architecture. Once, while visiting the renowned Italian painter Titian to have his portrait done, he did something no monarch had ever done. When Titian dropped his paintbrush on the floor, Charles humbly picked it up and gave it to him. I foresee a different but equally interesting switcheroo in your vicinity during the coming weeks. Maybe you will be aided by a big shot or get a blessing from someone you consider out of your league. Perhaps you will earn a status boost or will benefit from a shift in a hierarchy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Some people I respect regard the Bible as a great work of literature. I don’t share that view. Like psychologist Valerie Tarico, I believe the so-called good book is filled with “repetition, awkward constructions, inconsistent voice, weak character development, boring tangents and passages where nobody can tell what the writer meant to convey.” I bring this to your attention, Aquarius, because I believe now is a good time to rebel against conventional wisdom, escape from experts’ opinions, and formulate your own unique perspectives about pretty much everything. Be like Valerie Tarico and me.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): I suspect that arrivederci and au revoir and sayōnara will overlap with birth cries and welcomes and initiations in the coming days. Are you beginning or ending? Leaving or arriving? Letting go or hanging on? Here’s what I think: You will be beginning and ending; leaving and arriving; letting go and hanging on. That could be confusing, but it could also be fun. The mix of emotions will be rich and soulful.

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- HELPER - JANITORIALBIMMER LOGIC BIMMER LOGIC is hiring a shop helper. Flexible schedule $18/hr. Clean the shop/equipment/offices/ bathrooms. Wash vehicles. Shuttle drive customers and pick up parts. Help technicians. Must have a clean driving record! 828-214-9961 Luke@ bimmerlogic.net www. bimmerlogic.net/

SKILLED LABOR/ TRADES

HIRING ELECTRICIANS AND ELECTRICIAN HELPERS TK Electric LLC is looking to hire full-time experienced residential/commercial electricians and helpers in Arden. Applicants must be able to work 40-hour work weeks. To apply, call Tim at 828-708-1001

PROFESSIONAL/ MANAGEMENT

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LEGAL NOTICE

On January 27, 2023, Auslator, LLC, licensee of W264DT, 100.7 MHz FM, Clyde, North Carolina, filed an application with the Federal Communications Commission for Assignment of the license for W264DT to Radio Training Network, Inc. Members of the public wishing to view this application or obtain information about how to file comments and petitions on the application can visit avl.mx/ce0, and search for W264DT

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ACROSS

1 Runs

recreationally

5 Some hotel room amenities

10 The “Toreador Song,” for one

14 From the top

15 Fulfill mundane but necessary responsibilities, in modern lingo

16 Sift (through)

17 Software prototype

18 Vessels with large containers

20 Does pranks with rolls, informally

22 Connecticut

Ivy Leaguer

23 Nail polish brand

25 Pursue romantically

28 Actor/comedian Lil ___ Howery

29 Talking item in Dora the Explorer’s backpack

32 Oceanfront district of Los Angeles

35 Manhattan neighborhood

37 Front-page mergers and acquisitions, e.g.

39 Grayish

40 Skateboarding jump

41 Neckwear that smells nice

42 Photographer Adams

43 Difficult, unfun chore

44 Investment guide calculation

46 Props for presentations

49 Most reptilian, in a way

50 “Spring forward” or “fall back” letters

51 Electrical unit with a Greek letter symbol

67 Nobel laureate Wiesel

68 Longtime Jay Silverheels role

69 Ankh-carrying goddess

70, 71 & 72 Commits perjury … or what can be found four times in this puzzle

DOWN

1 Sharp punch

2 “!” keymate

3 Scramming

4 Exchange

5 ___ fly

6 Org. promoting canine care

7 Spleen

8 “Enigma Variations” composer

9 Lifted

10 Be sore

11 Pépin le Bref, par exemple

12 Troublesome sort

13 Muscles tightened by planking, in brief

19 Storage tower

21 Greta Garbo, by birth

23 Diffused gradually

24 Saffron-flavored dishes

26 Horatian creation

27 Big name in brushes

29 Beauty pageant founded in 1959 as a mail-in photo contest

30 One who doesn’t have a prayer?

31 Alternatives to street parking

33 Negro leagues great Satchel

34 Butterlike spreads

36 Hawaiian island shaped like an apostrophe

38 Considering the fact that

42 Setting for many van Gogh works

45 It’ll dawn on you

47 Folk stories

48 Up-start?

52 Worker with a trowel

55 A long, long time

56 Food part that’s usually not eaten

58 Home of Denison University

59 Tierra ___ Fuego

60 Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year in 1974 (10 years after he first became world champion)

61 German “never”

62 Bell Atlantic merger partner of 2000

63 Repeated word in the U.S. postal creed

65 Buzzing … or, in a different sense, buzzed 66 Do a wedding task, informally