November 2014 Rapid River Magazine by Rapid River Magazine

DINING GUIDE PGS

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Give the Gift of Art PGS

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Timpanis & Tchaikovsky with the ASO PG 4 River Arts District Studio Stroll PGS 20-21 Cover Painting by Jonas Gerard PG 21

Among The Tombstones • The Equalizer • Fury • The Judge • Laggies • St. Vincent

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ASHEVILLE SYMPHONY

ORDER BY PHONE 828.254.7046 2 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

2014-2015 SEASON DANIEL MEYER, MUSIC DIRECTOR

www.ashevillesymphony.org

C O T T O N M I L L S T U D I O S F E AT U R E D A RT I S T

Cynthia Pierce

Owner/Baker at Yuzu Patisserie

Yuzu Patisserie is a cozy bakeshop and cafe located within Gallery Mugen at the Cotton Mill Studios in Asheville’s River Arts District.

Here you will find artful pastries created by Cynthia which are often enhanced by unexpected ingredients such as yuzu, the aromatic Japanese citrus fruit for which the shop is named. The patisserie also serves coffee brewed to order and a variety of loose leaf teas, including a number of Japanese green teas as well as herbal and black teas. Bistro tables and chairs within the gallery and outside on the deck offer guests a chance to snack and relax during a day spent exploring all that the RAD has to offer.

www.yuzubycynthia.com

Cotton Mill Studios

122 Riverside Drive

pg. 22

www.cottonmillstudiosnc.com

pg. 32

www.SusanMPhippsDesigns.com pg. 18

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 3

performance Unusual Timpani Concerto and Tchaikovsky Symphony

The Asheville Symphony Orchestra will feature two timpanists, two living composers, and one of Tchaikovsky’s most popular symphonies in a Masterworks concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, November 22 at Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Music Director Daniel Meyer will conduct the Asheville Symphony Orchestra (ASO) in the concert, Tchaikovsky’s 4th. The Tchaikovsky symphony is on the second half of the program. The first half includes Jennifer Higdon’s Machine and James Oliverio’s Dynasty Double Timpani Concerto, which will feature Asheville Symphony principal timpanist Todd Mueller and his mentor, Atlanta Symphony principal timpanist Mark Yancich. The concerto was written especially for Yancich and his brother Paul Yancich, the principal timpanist of the Cleveland Symphony, and follows their backgrounds, the trajectory of their careers and their musical forebears. Mueller and Mark Yancich will use two sets of five timpani of different sizes, which can be pitched using foot pedals. Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 4 is regarded as a litmus test for the virtuosity of an orchestra, and is unique in that each family of the orchestra is distinctly highlighted in the work. Higdon’s Machine was originally written to be a series on encores, and according to the composer is a tribute to composers such as Tchaikovsky who seemed like machines because they wrote so many notes and so much music.

PROGRAM HIGDON: Machine OLIVERIO: Dynasty Timpani Concerto TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 4 In celebration of Veteran’s Day on Tuesday, November 11, the ASO will offer a special discount to all veterans and active duty military

MiCHaEL J. MOREL

ASO principal timpanist, Todd Mueller with his mentor March Yancich, principal timpanist of the Atlanta Symphony.

members, who will receive a free ticket with the purchase of one ticket through the Asheville Symphony office. Call (828) 254-7046 for more information. IF YOU Asheville Symphony presents GO Tchaikovsky’s 4th, November 22 at 8

p.m. in the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. Tickets start at $22 for adults and $11 for youth, and are available through the ASO office or the U.S. Cellular Center ticket office. Details at www.ashevillesymphony.org or call (828) 254-7046.

Piano and Violin Jazz Duo

Monthly “Take Two” jazz duet series features pianist Dr. Bill Bares and violinist Lyndsay Pruett.

pg. 18

4 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

A project launched by Bares, the concerts pair the UNC professor’s piano with a changing cast of WNC’s finest jazz performers in a format that allows both players maximum creative space. Every performance features at least one composition written by Bares specifically for the guest artist. November’s guest artist is genre-bridging Asheville violinist Lyndsay Pruett. Trained as a classical violinist, she also socialized with

musicians who played by ear, prompting her to explore playing “off the page.” She’s a member of several bands, including Futureman’s (Bela Fleck and the Flecktones) Black Mozart Ensemble, Johnson Crossroads, the Jon Stickley Trio, Galen Kipar Project, Taylor Martin’s Engine, and the Asheville Tango Orchestra. IF YOU Take Two Jazz Series, Monday, GO November 3 at 7:30 p.m. $12/$6

students w/ID. The White Horse, 105C Montreat Road, Black Mountain. For more details visit www.whitehorseblackmountain.com.

web exclusives RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE Established in 1997 • Volume Eighteen, Number Three

NOVEMBER 2014 www.rapidrivermagazine.com Publisher/Editor: Dennis Ray Marketing: Dennis Ray, Rick Hills Copyeditor: Kathleen Colburn Proofreader: Diane S. Levy Poetry Editor: Carol Pearce Bjorlie Layout & Design: Simone Bouyer Accounting: Sharon Cole Distribution: Dennis Ray

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sandi Anton, Judy Ausley, Carol Pearce Bjorlie, James Cassara, Kathleen Colburn, Michael Cole, Susan Devitt, Amy Downs, Phil Hawkins, Marilynne Herbert, Ryan Jaccard, Phil Juliano, Chip Kaufmann, Michelle Keenan, Jane Kennedy, Peter Loewer, Marcianne Miller, Michelle Miller, Michael J. Morel, Doug Murray, Wendy H. Outland, Karen Paquette, Dennis Ray, Jeannie Shuckstes, Jane Sims, Chris Stack, Greg Vineyard, David Voorhees, Bill Walz, Dan Weiser, J. & R. Woods.

CONTACT US Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine is a monthly publication. Send all mail to: Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine 85 N. Main St., Canton, NC 28716 Phone: (828) 646-0071 info@rapidrivermagazine.com

ADVERTISING SALES Downtown Asheville and other areas Dennis Ray (828) 646-0071 dennis@rapidrivermagazine.com Hendersonville, Waynesville, Dining Guide Rick Hills (828) 452-0228 rick@rapidrivermagazine.com South and West Asheville Mary Lloyd (828) 712-0390 All materials contained herein are owned and copyrighted by Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine and the individual contributors unless otherwise stated. Opinions expressed in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine or the advertisers found herein. © Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine, November 2014, Vol. 18 No. 3

4 Performance

SHORT STORIES

Asheville Symphony Orchestra . . . . 4 St. Lawrence String Quartet. . . . . . . 6 AmiciMusic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 HART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

7 Columns

5 Sketch Stories,

written by George Ellison, artwork by Elizabeth Ellison

Bonnie Freewoman,

written by Nick Andrea

Greg Vineyard – Fine Art . . . . . . . . . 7 W.H. Outland – Business of Art . . . 7 James Cassara – Spinning Discs . . 12 Carol Pearce Bjorlie – Poetry. . . . . 14 Marcianne Miller – Books . . . . . . . 15 Bill Walz – Artful Living . . . . . . . . 17 Peter Loewer – Curmudgeon . . . . 37 Judy Ausley – Southern Comfort 37

8 Music

Electromagnetism, written by RF Wilson

The Wild Arabian,

written by Kristen Burns

Time Flies,

written by Sandee Setliff

Vulnerability is Strength,

written by Phil Okrend

Womansong . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Dave Mason . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

11 Fine Art Black Box Photography & Dot Editions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Jonas Gerard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Rob Amberg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Art After Dark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Voorhees Family Art Show . . . . . . 25 James Daniel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Red House Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

19 Noteworthy Asheville Cinema Festival 2014 . . . 19 Tellabration! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

26 Movie Reviews Chip Kaufmann, Michelle Keenan .26

30 Dining Guide

ONLY ONLINE Our Southern Highlanders – The

Great Smoky Mountains Association has released a new edition of Our Southern Highlanders, the classic collection of essays on mountain life and lore by author Horace Kephart.

Mountains for the Masses – A new book

chronicles the history of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

WE’RE A LOCAL & RESPONSIBLE PUBLISHER

A More Beautiful World

Rapid River Magazine is an eco-friendly newsprint publication dedicated to helping the area grow responsibly through our use of soy based ink, purchasing only recycled post and pre-consumer paper, and donating thousands of advertising dollars to local environmental and non-profit organizations. We are local people working to support local businesses. Keep your advertising dollars here in WNC, call (828) 646-0071 today.

written by Kathleen Colburn and Anita Walling. When we share our gifts and passions, when we shine with integrity, we experience our lives aligning with our sacred selves.

SPECIAL SECTIONS Hendersonville . . . . . . . . . . . . . pgs 8-9 Downtown Asheville . . . . . . pgs 18-19 River Arts District. . . . . . . . . pgs 20-21 Waynesville . . . . . . . . . . . . . . pgs 22-23 Black Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . pg 39

Sharing Our Gifts and Passions,

NEW! Profiles Feature Local Authors and Artists.

Fun and informative profiles of our area’s talented writers and artists. Would you like to be profiled? It’s a great way to promote yourself. Choose from a number of questions to compose your profile. Contact the section editor, Kathleen Colburn by email to shortstories@ rapidrivermagazine.com

Bogart’s Restaurant and Tavern . . . 30 Brixx Wood Fired Pizza . . . . . . . . . 31 West Village Market . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Mother Earth Produce . . . . . . . . . . 33

34 What to Do Guide On the Cover: River Park Vignette by Jonas Gerard. pg 21

Discover More Exciting Articles, Short Stories & Blogs at www.rapidrivermagazine.com

™

Best in Show by Phil Juliano . . . . 35 Callie & Cats by Amy Downs . . . . 35 Corgi Tales by Phil Hawkins . . . . 35 Dragin by Michael Cole . . . . . . . . 35 Ratchet & Spin by J. & R. Woods . . 35

IF YOU GO: Tell them you saw it in Rapid River Magazine! Distributed at more than 390 locations throughout eight counties in WNC and South Carolina. First copy is free – each additional copy $1.50

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 5

captivating performances Acclaimed St. Lawrence String Quartet

Catch the St. Lawrence String Quartet in concert November 16 as part of the Asheville Chamber Music Series. Established in 1989, the St. Lawrence String Quartet has developed an undisputed reputation as a truly world-class chamber ensemble. The quartet performs over 120 concerts annually world-wide. It is also the Quartet-in-Residence at Stanford University and the prestigious Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC. The quartet continues to build its reputation for imaginative and spontaneous music-making through an energetic commitment to the great established quartet literature as well as the championing of new works. The SLSQ’s recordings have been honored with the coveted German critics award, Canada’s Juno Award, and two Grammy nominations. “We are eagerly looking forward to having the St. Lawrence Quartet perform in our series. Their appearance has been long-anticipated,” says Asheville Chamber Music Series (ACMS) President, Polly Feitzinger.

MaRiLyNNE HERbERt

PROGRAM Haydn Discovery Hour – Haydn: String Quartet in

C major, Op. 76, No. 3 (Emperor) Beethoven: String Quartet in C sharp minor, Op. 131 For more than a half a century the ACMS has taken World-class chamber ensemble, the St. Lawrence String Quartet. its place as a valued cultural resource in Asheville, bringing world-renowned chamber artists to the IF city. As one of the nation’s oldest continuous YOU The St. Lawrence String Quartet performing chamber music organizations, GO in concert Sunday, November 16 at 4 p.m. at the Unitarian Universalist it has been recognized for its outstanding Congregation in Asheville, corner of Edwin programs and unique education component Place and Charlotte Street. Tickets are $38. through a collaboration with the strings proTo purchase tickets or for more information gram of the Asheville-Buncombe Schools and please visit www.ashevillechambermusic.org, its other cultural partners in the community, call Nathan Shirley at (828) 575-7427 or email including the Asheville Symphony Orchestra support@ashevillechambermusic.org. and the Asheville Young Musicians Club.

AmiciMusic Presents “Beethoven’s Cello”

AmiciMusic, the criticallyacclaimed chamber music organization based in Asheville, will present a unique weekend of concerts called “Beethoven’s Cello” in November.

$15 for Church members, free for children). Discounts for advance reservations at www.amicimusic.org.

Saturday, November 22 at 11 a.m. at Isis in West Asheville at 743 Haywood Rd. ($15 for concert; optional brunch for $7-11 more). Reservations recommended by calling Isis at (828) 575-2737. For more details, visit www.isisasheville.com

Over four concerts in four different venues, celebrated cellist Lawrence Stomberg and Artistic Director/pianist Daniel Weiser will present a rarely heard Saturday, November 22 at feat – the complete repertoire for Lawrence Stomberg, 7:30 p.m. at the White Horse cello and piano as composed by cellist. Black Mountain. $20 at the the great Ludwig van Beethoven, door; $15 in advance. Call (828) 669-0816 or featuring a total of nine works. go to www.whitehorseblackmountain.com. Beethoven was one of the first composers to focus on the cello as a solo instrument caSunday, November 23 at 3 p.m. at the Unitarpable of running the full range of human emoian Universalist Congregation, 1 Edwin Place tions and he returned to the cello throughout in Asheville. ($20 for general, $15 for Church his life as he developed new methods of formembers, free for children). Discounts for mulating and unifying musical structures that advance reservations at www.amicimusic.org. would lead music into the more introspective Hailed in Strings Magazine for “style and Romantic period. elegance” and “lyrical expressiveness,” LawA discounted pass for $35 will be available rence Stomberg, cello, enjoys a wide-ranging for the entire weekend as well as individual career as soloist, chamber musician and pedaseats at each concert. For more information, or gogue. Since his debut at Weill Recital Hall at to purchase passes, visit www.amicimusic.org. Carnegie Hall in 1999, he has been a featured performer as faculty at the Eastern Music BEETHOVEN’S CELLO Festival and Texas Music Festival, and as a Friday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. at All Soul’s founding member of the ensembles Trilogy, Cathedral in Biltmore Village ($20 general, the Johannes Trio, and Brightmusic.

6 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

He currently serves as cellist of the acclaimed Serafin String Quartet, performing with them throughout the United States. His debut recording, The American Cello, was released in 2000, and he was a featured performer in two critically acclaimed CDs released in 2013, with music by American composers Jennifer Higdon and Kirk O’Riordan. He has served as Assistant Principal Cellist in the Oklahoma City Philharmonic and as a member of the Tulsa Philharmonic and Eastern Philharmonic Orchestras. An active and dedicated pedagogue, Stomberg served on the faculties at Truman State University in Missouri and Oklahoma State University before joining the music faculty at the University of Delaware in 2004, where he is currently Associate Professor of Cello. He lives in Delaware with his wife, cellist Jennifer Crowell Stomberg, and their three children. Mr. Stomberg plays a School of Testore cello, circa 1727, obtained with the generous assistance of Dr. William Stegeman.

Daniel Weiser, AmiciMusic founder and Artistic Director

AmiciMusic is a professional chamber music organization dedicated to performing the highest quality music in intimate venues and nontraditional spaces. For more information please visit www.amicimusic.org

fine art

Woozlemuffins in My Kitchen

DIFFERENT WAYS OF THINKING

In a recent discussion, I proposed a food analogy for different ways individuals process information. I got to thinking about buffets and desserts.

Layer cake in particular came to mind, because it is stratified, and demonstrates linear thought. It is intended to exemplify Listers and Outliners who think vertically and chronologically. Conversely, others process more in the fashion of a salad bar. There’s certainly a directional order, but also some Piling-On and Mixing. Both methods are progressions of sorts, with processes aiming toward some particular result.

“Cakes” build progressively on a particular concept, where new data, if any, “slots-in” to a particular place in the order. Those who have Cakily gone before us have done a lot of the work. Recipes have been tested a million times, the batter is the perfect consistency, and we rely upon the cookbook for how to best stack and frost. “Salads” have a looser regimen, adding and mixing along the way. Dash of salt? No problem! When a new need, like creating a glutenfree dish comes along, the spread-out scenario works well. Salads can drop-in different items at different spots in the process, testing things like baking times and temperatures. I’m sure there’s more to it, but I don’t

THE BUSINESS OF ART

Make Your Resume Shine

So, you’ve been making art for quite a while, have exhibited in a few small local shows, and are beginning to think seriously about upping your game. Most of the opportunities (juried exhibitions, festivals, galleries, etc.) will require you to submit a resume. When an artist is starting out, a brief bio and statement will suffice. To move up to the next level, begin by placing, at the very top of the page, all your contact information: name, address, phone, email and website. Your name should be in a larger font than anything else on the page. Next, organize everything you’ve accomplished to date under the standard headings. The most important include education, collections, awards, publications, and exhibitions. Because those reviewing your resume want to know what you’ve done most recently, the citations under each category should be listed in reverse sequence. That is, list what you’ve done this year first, followed by what you did last year (2014, then 2013, 2012, etc.). Don’t panic if your timeline has a big hole in it. Often artists have to put their artwork on the back burner while they are raising a family or caring for elderly loved ones. Whatever it is, don’t try to hide it. Your document just needs to show consistent progress, indicat-

WENDy H. OUtLaND

ing that when you were able to apply yourself, you did just that! It is imperative that you include the name, title and affiliation of any judge or juror that has given an award for your work. This can be a most convincing element when other arts professionals read your document and recognize the name of the juror and/or institution. Below is an example: National Award Winner, City Hall Women Artists Exhibition, Schoharie County Arts Council Gallery, Cobelskill, NY. Juror: Marjorie Frankel Nathanson, Curator, Museum of Modern Art, NYC. As your career progresses and you have a long list of exhibitions, include them on your resume under separate headings in order of significance: Solo Exhibitions, Two & Three Person Exhibitions, and Group Exhibitions. One final reminder, as your career grows you will want to delete the less important citations on the document that you present to the public. But for your own reference, you should retain a copy that lists every single thing you’ve ever done. An editor will want that when it’s time to write a book about you!

The Business of Art is written by visual arts consultant Wendy H. Outland. Contact her by email to imwhoknowsart@gmail.com. With more than 30 years of arts administration experience, WHO Knows Art provides visual artists with career development resources and helps galleries and arts organizations function more effectively. Wendy H. Outland (“WHO”) is a qualified juror and curator, also offering personalized consultations and workshops. www.whoknowsart.biz

gREg ViNEyaRD

cook much. For a reason. Just ask anyone who has tried anything I’ve ever brought to a potluck. (And this is partly why I go on about Star Trek food replicators: one of those would make my life SO much easier.) Anyway, some people enjoy expanding on the basics, exclaiming “So, there, Betty Crocker!” While people tend to be more one or the other, I also think we’ve each got a bit of inner Cake or Salad, relying on different skills as tasks change. So, we have recipe-followers, and rule-tweakers. But what about those who just come out of left field, whipping up edible meals out of fridge leftovers that no one else would even think of? These MacGyvers synthesize unrelated ingredients to make, oh, say, sweet potato cakes with apple-lemon zest with a coconut oil/banana pepper sauce. I shall call these “Woozlemuffins.” These could be concocted out of my humble kitchen right now. This scenario is slightly Cake because it’s creating something we recognize in a particular order, slightly Salad because of the array of ingredients, and a good bit Woozlemuffin, because one is entirely innovating. In relation to my illustration process, I can identify that my research and ideation phase is very Salad, with papers, books and sketches all around. Once I’m working on a larger drawing, I become a bit Cake, as the pastel layers need to go down on paper in a certain order. But there’s also a part of the visual arts that’s purely Woozlemuffin, with images and content just flowing as if out of nowhere. All these archetypes are interconnected: if I have a Woozlemuffin day, at some point those resulting sketches will need to go through a bit of Cake and/or Salad processing to see if they’re viable. Recognizing how one thinks and primarily solves problems can open the door to other methods one might also employ to tackle assignments, build business, and communicate with teammates, customers, and new prospects. Much of what we do in life is about ad-

Building a Recipe, 2014. Illustration by Greg Vineyard

dressing a topic, fulfilling a need, or servicing a customer. But it’s also about finding one’s way along the way. Addressing branding? Many of us have learned that being prudently Cakeminded before going all Woozlemuffin on something can help to successfully maintain a business vision. Well, this food analogy is pretty much chopped, diced, sliced and blended. I don’t know about you, but I’m fried. And more than a little hungry. I hope you seek, find, create, use and enjoy all the creative food you can today!

Greg Vineyard is a marketing professional, and an artist and writer living in Asheville, NC. ZaPOW Gallery carries his illustrations, prints and cards, www.zapow.com. www.gregvineyardillustration.com

Mountain Area Information Network Local News, Views and Music on the Air at 103.7 FM

main.nc.us • • • • •

Wireless Internet VOIP Web Hosting Mail Services Dial-up N

pg. 18

34 Wall Street #407, Asheville :: (866) 962-6246 :: (828) 255-0182 Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 7

Hiﬆoric HENDERSONVILLE & Flat Rock

ARTS & CULTURE IN HENDERSONVILLE

Surrounded by the beautiful mountains, Hendersonville is known as the “City of Four Seasons,” a place where one can be as idle or active as one wishes.

Hendersonville offers abundant cultural opportunities for residents and visitors of all ages. The Flat Rock Playhouse (the State Theater of NC), the Hendersonville Symphony Orchestra, festivals throughout the year, parks and hiking trails, all add to the diverse entertainment and recreational opportunities. Visit www.hendersonvilleartsdistrict.com

THE GREEN ROOM CAFÉ Hendersonville’s premier live dinner music venue, The Green Room Café, specializes in artisan crafted scrumptious food made fresh from local ingredients. The menu features signature dinner entrees, gourmet sandwiches, soups and salads, breakfast, and baked treats. The café offers beer & wine, Fair Trade, locally roasted, primo espresso and coffees, and an assortment of loose-leaf teas.

Live Dinner Music Friday and Saturday nights Saturday, November 1: The Woody & Johnson Duo. Pop & Blues.

Womansong Shines with “Light The Lamp’’

Womansong, Asheville’s longestablished women’s community chorus, brightens up these cool autumn days with their fall concert.

The concert features the title song, Light the Lamp, a beautiful choral piece for women’s voices penned by Asheville composer, Catherine Haas Riley. Riley based the song on the poetic verses of Miirabaii, a 16th century Hindu mystic. Other selections on this theme of light include Katy Perry’s Firework, a rousing rendition of the traditional gospel tune, This Little Light of Mine, and Where There Is Light in the Soul based on a well-known Chinese proverb. The concert will include Womansong’s light-hearted take on another composition written by member Sue Gladstone, Why Not Now? which urges us all to live in the present moment. Womansong enjoys supporting local songwriters by sharing their works with Asheville’s enthusiastic audiences. Strength and Unity is an arrangement being debuted at this concert, written by William Stanhope of Asheville. Proceeds from the concert will benefit Womansong and its New Start Program, which provides financial assistance and scholarships to women in transition.

by JaNE

kENNEDy

A Christmas Carol The Flat Rock Playhouse brings the words of the Dickens classic to life. This new, adventurous interpretation takes the famous story and infuses it with laughter, love and a brand new score that celebrates the holiday season. With more than a dozen new songs and exciting new characters, this world premier is a great event for the whole family. IF YOU GO: A Christmas Carol, Womansong Photo by Diane Hammar

IF YOU Womansong concert, Biltmore GO Methodist Church, 376 Hendersonville

November 20 - December 21. WednesdaySaturday at 8 p.m.. Matinees Wednesday, Thursday & Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission $40. Flat Rock Playhouse, 2661 Greenville Highway, Flat Rock

Road in Asheville on Saturday, November 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, November 9 at 3 p.m. General admission is $15 for adults and $7 for children 12 and under. Tickets are available from Womansong members, online at www.womansong.org, and at the door.

Friday, November 7: Americana by Carrie Morrison. Vocals and keyboard.

This Month in Hendersonville

Saturday, November 8: Lake

& Moore, acoustic guitar duo. Folk and Americana.

Saturday, November 14:

November 1 – 2014 Golden Retriever Club of America. National Specialty event. Golden

Lake & Moore

Jazz with Elise Pratt on vocals, Mike Holstein on guitar.

Saturday, November 22:

Elise Pratt, Mike Holstein Kevin Lorenz, guitar. Mix of jazz, pop, ragtime, bossa nova and classical.

Live music from 6-8 p.m. For hours, live music schedules, menus, and much more, please visit www. TheGreenRoomCafe.biz.

The Green Room Café

536 North Main, Hendersonville (828) 692-6335 www.thegreenroomcafe.biz

retrievers competing in conformation, obedience, and agility. Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, Fletcher.

November 1-2 – Hendersonville Little Theatre presents Sylvia. When Greg brings home

a stray dog named Sylvia (played by a woman), his wife Kate begins to feel their long-time marriage is being neglected. Thursdays, Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m., Sundays at 2 p.m. Adults $20; under 18 years $10. Hendersonville. (828) 692-1082.

November 1 - December 31 – Golden Age I & II, “Coming of the Railroad” exhibit. A

replica of the Saluda Mountain Grade, the steepest main-line standard gauge railroad in the US; the History of Laurel Park, when visitors crowded the area’s lakes and pavilions to swim by day and dance by night; and a replica of a general store. Henderson County Heritage Museum. Wed.-Sat. 10-5 p.m.; Sun. 1-5 p.m. Free. (828) 694-1619

8 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

Enjoy a guided tour of Carl Sandburg’s home.

November 14-16 – UKI US Open Dog Agility Show. Dogs jump hurdles, race through tun-

November 28 – Holiday Tree Lighting.

nels and climb over A-frames at high speed. Western North Carolina Agricultural Center, Fletcher. (828) 687-1414 or 864-634-2149

Historic Courthouse on Main Street. Live entertainment. Santa turns on the Christmas lights in historic downtown Hendersonville, 5:30 p.m. (828) 233-3216

November 20 – Oasis Shriners Circus,

November 29 – Ole Timey Christmas. Hen-

McGough Arena, WNC Agricultural Center, Fletcher. (828) 687-1414

November 21-23 – WNC Holiday Fair. Fri. &

Sat. 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. $5, Children under 12 free. Free Parking. WNC Agricultural Center, Fletcher. (828) 606-8680

November 28 & December 26 – Indoor Motocross. McGough Arena, WNC Agricultural Center, Fletcher. (423) 323-5497

November 28 - January 6 – Carl Sandburg Home National Historic Site. Decorated for

Christmas in the simple style of the Sandburgs with poinsettias and a traditionally decorated Christmas tree. House Tour Admission: Adults $5; Seniors 62 & Older $3; children 15 & under admitted free. Closed Christmas and New Year’s Day. Flat Rock. (828) 693-4178

derson County Curb Market, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Christmas wreaths, fresh greenery, crafts, demonstrations, music, carriage rides, and refreshments. Hendersonville. (828) 692-8012

November 29 & December 27 – Christmas at Connemara. Carl Sandburg Home. Music/ storytelling from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the garage adjacent to the Sandburg Home. Refreshments, holiday craft-making from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Flat Rock. (828) 693-4178 IF YOU Information is subject to change. GO Compiled by the Henderson County

Tourism Development Authority, 201 South Main Street, Hendersonville. Call (828) 693-9708, 800-828-4244, or visit www.historichendersonville.org

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Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 9

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10 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

R T

fine art

L T

Black Box Photography & Dot Editions

High-quality professional work, a passion for their respective crafts, and a commitment to the continued development of the fine arts in Asheville are just a few of the things photographer Steve Mann and fine art printer Rocky Kenworthy have in common.

A unique one-stop shop for Asheville artists.

passions of their own. Having spent the last decade in California, Ben is excited to be on board with Dot Editions and thrilled with the selection and availability of local hardwoods with which to craft his custom As of this summer, the two are frames. also working together in a two thousand Local artist Steve Mann first started square-foot studio in the Riverside BusiBlack Box Photography 14 years ago, ness Park in North Asheville. Though and has since worked with nearly three owning and operating separate businesses, hundred Asheville area artists in producing (Black Box Photography is owned by Steve, some of the finest digital captures available. Dot Editions is owned by Rocky) the two Steve has collaborated with artists workcollaborate to provide Asheville artists ing in a number of mediums, including with the best possible services from digital Steve Mann, owner of Black Box ceramics, glass, wood, fiber, jewelry and captures to fine art pigment prints. Photography, and Rocky Kenworthy, two-dimensional works. In addition to The setup couldn’t be better for area owner of Dot Editions. his studio space in the Riverside Business artists. Whether the project entails gearing Park, he also works on location, visiting up for an exhibition, creating a portfolio, sites such as Asheville’s downtown galleries and the Penland and/or archiving a body of work or individual pieces, artwork in School of Crafts. the hands of these two men is guaranteed to receive the personal Steve’s fine-tuned attention it deserves. With nearly forty years of experience Steve Mann captures have been used by between the two, having evolved alongside rapidly growing artists for graduate school industries based on photographic and printing technologies, the produces some applications, juried exhibitwo are well suited to engage with the artistic community of of the finest tions, ZAPPlication submisAsheville. sions, publications and fine Dot Editions was established in 2005 in New York City, digital captures art reproductions. Chances and for the past decade Rocky Kenworthy has worked with available. are good, if you’ve looked a demanding and eclectic array of national and international through any of Asheville’s artists printing for exhibitions, portfolios, unique art books and weekly or monthly publications, you’ve seen first-hand a bit of reproductions. Moving with his family from New York to the Steve’s work. With a mastery of lighting and background effects, Blue Ridge Mountains Steve utilizes his medium format digital camera to allow artists of Asheville, Rocky has to see their work, properly, on the digital screen. continued to work with Rocky Kenworthy Over the 25 years Steve has been involved with photohis New York clients provides digital graphing artwork, he also had the opportunity to work with while establishing himLark Books on over fifty of their book projects. In addition self as an experienced imaging/ to his busy schedule with Black Box, he finds time to teach fine art printer in his photography to craft students at Haywood Community College. retouching, new community. Steve’s exposure to the Asheville art community is perhaps The leading charproofing, and fine unsurpassed, and his personable ways and dedication to his craft acteristic of his work is are sure to keep him involved for years to come. art pigment prints. his steadfast attention Dot Editions and Black Box Photography work with the to detail, from digital finest equipment available, and more importantly, work with a imaging to the packagprofessional integrity that is consistently displayed in their work. ing of final prints. He perceives his studio as an extension of his The shared studio is a unique one-stop shop for Asheville artists clients’, whereupon an exchange of ideas and a continuation of from capture to final print. Both owners are always up for a the artistic process can fluidly develop. Post-production imaging good laugh as well, which makes working with them, no matter services include digital imaging/retouching, proofing, fine art which side of the studio you’re on, a true pleasure. pigment prints on a wide variety of papers, mounting, stretching, and museum-quality custom framing. Along with a comprehensive list of services, Rocky proIF vides his clients with a wealth of knowledge stemming from his YOU Rocky and Steve will be hosting an Open Studio on Friday, experience in the industry. To this point Rocky states, “Having GO November 14, beginning at 5 p.m., and Saturday, November lived in New York City for 25 years, working with some of the 15 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Put the dates on your calendar most highly respected photographers and artists, I’ve come to and take the opportunity to come meet Steve and Rocky and recognize the absolute need for perfection. There is no gray partake in food and beverages. area. It’s either right or wrong. I feel very fortunate to have found locals to work with who truly have an appreciation of the craft and the same attention to detail that I have.” Rocky approaches the studio as a collective experience, Black Box Photography and Dot Editions working alongside his staff and clients as a colleague, looking at 2004 Riverside Drive, Unit W, Asheville each new interaction as an opportunity to learn. Local brothers 828-275-7028 John and Ben Nixon have been a significant component of Dot www.blackboxphoto.info, www.doteditions.com Editions, both having a strong background in the arts and artistic

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Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 11

spinning discs

CD Reviews

As fall beckons there’s been a surplus of new and worthwhile releases. I cannot cover them all here so be sure to go to Rapid River Magazine’s website for more reviews, posted intermittently between print issues.

by James Cassara

Bonnie “Prince” Billy

Singers Grave A Sea of Tongues Drag City

The journey charted by Will Oldham — he of the unparalleled voice (equal parts heartbroken chirrup and defiant growl) — has never been a predictable one. Over the course of his extended and remarkably prolific career Oldham has consistently defied predictions and expectations; love his music or not (and I admit to being of two minds towards much of his output) you have to admire his spirit and ethos. There’s no one else quite like him. His songs contain bits of profound loss, absurdist humor, confounding wordplay and evocative imagery, often in the same line. Since his last proper album, 2011’s Wolfroy Goes to Town, Oldham has released an EP in which he radically reworked songs from his past, a collection of Everly Brothers covers, and other assorted via the internet odds and end.

This flurry of activity seems to have set the stage for Singers Grave - A Sea of Tongues; most of the eleven tunes found herein are a dramatic and puzzling (in a good way) reworking of Wolfroy, along with other tunes released during that period. It expands upon elements found in his recent recordings while pushing his music ever further in a new direction. “Night Noises,” “Quail and Dumplings,” and “We Are Unhappy” reemerge as full bore sing alongs — a fascinating compliment to the sparse and dimly confessional originals — while the previously released “No Match” is reborn as “Old Match,” exchanging the soft tempo of the former for a rollicking bass/drum with gorgeous gospel choir vocals courtesy of Angel Olsen. And while the differences seem at times forced — plied for no good reason other than to amuse the singer — they are no less fascinating than the artist himself. ***1/2

Jackson Browne Standing in the Breach

Inside Recordings

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By resurrecting a song written nearly 45 years ago (“The Birds of St. Marks”) and referencing one of his most beloved songs (“Leaving Winslow”) you might assume Browne to be stuck in nostalgic reverie, looking at his majestic past while resting on his laurels. Instead his first studio recording in six years is a giant step into the future, a lyrically dense and beautifully made effort that might just be his best since 1976’s The Pretender. Surrounded by the twin guitars of Val McCallum and Greg Leisz, Browne expands musically in ways he hasn’t in decades. His own piano playing and oft underrated guitar work are thrust to the forefront while his voice — no longer the tender innocent of 22 — has only grown better with age. He even takes on a previously incomplete song from Woody Guthrie (the stunning “You Know the Night”) transforming it from dust bowl daydream to powerful assertion of love and commitment. The result is a stellar collection of songs that only gets better with repeat listens, one that reminds us why we were so enamored of Browne in the first place; it’s a welcome return to form by one of the most influential and brilliant songwriters of our generation. ****1/2

Lloyd Cole Standards

Omnivore Records

pg. 36

828-575-9333

www.mymusicwarehouse.com • If we don’t have it, we can find it! 12 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

Even while Lloyd Cole spent much of the past decade making what he calls “folk music for adults” he’s always been a rocker at heart, albeit of the Brit pop va-

riety that avoids head banging for its own sake. Despite the title, which conjures up images of some God awful Rod Stewart-like excursion into maudlin disgrace, Standards is a calculated return to Cole’s early 1990s approach to record making. He’s even reassembled his studio band of drummer Fred Maher and bassist Matthew Sweet (with Will Cole taking the place of the late guitarist Robert Quine) to help things along. While the end product is a somewhat mixed bag — the record never rocks as hard as it promises and Cole’s voice has lost a bit of its edge — it’s a blast to hear him again having such a good time making music. The Byrd’s styled “Period Piece” gives Cole a chance to playfully sing in an unfamiliar key while the sardonic “Diminished Ex” is a kiss off worthy of Blood On the Tracks era Dylan. Like most of his best material, Standards overflows with Cole’s trademark wit and way with words; the songs rank among his most literate and clever and for the most part Cole sounds relaxed and revitalized. The result is vintage Cole, perhaps not quite up to the standard of his self titled debut or the majestic Don’t Get Weird On Me Babe but certainly his finest of the millennium. ****

Flow Tribe

Alligator White

This funk laden EP serves up a tasty plate of New Orleans gumbo pop at its best, a crackling five song set of high energy blues and rock. Alligator White brims with spirit and diversity, covering any number of genres while creating a sound that is both distinctive and familiar. Impeccably played and joyously arranged — and man oh man are the four part vocals a blast — Alligator White gives us just enough of a taste to leave wanting for more. And if the Latin tinged “Ooh Yeah” or crackling soul of “Gimme A Line” doesn’t shake your money maker than you’ve probably no business reading these pages. Highly recommended for those wanting to open wide the windows, turn up the volume, and dance around the room as if no one’s watching. ****

Foxygen

…And Star Power

Jagjaguwar Records

Foxygen have never shied away from their influences — everything from classic rock ala the Stones to Hipster College underground-and while that confluence of styles is a big part of their charm, in the case of their much hyped and anticipated third album, that commitment to genre sampling works against them. continued on page 13

sound experience

Dave Mason is Alive!

which hit number two in the UK. Mason was a major force in Traffic’s debut album Mr. Fantasy, It isn’t often that a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame but as it was being released in late 1967 plays Asheville, and even less so when it’s someone of the stature he abruptly left the of Dave Mason, a genuine member of what might be dubbed band. Britain’s Rock Royalty. He recorded a solo single, “Little by JaMEs CassaRa Woman,” in early In a career that has now spanned six 1968, and then redecades, Mason has been associated with, and joined Traffic. His an integral part of music that is historically cessful Deep Feeling. Looking ambivalence towards significant and has withstood the test of time. to earn a few extra dollars he the band, and the A child prodigy, Mason’s journey has been as took a job as road manager Catch Dave Mason live at the Orange success it was experistoried and unconventional as his music. for the Spencer Davis Group. Peel on November 8. encing, was summed Mason was born May 10, 1944, in That group, fronted by 15 up in his song “Feelin’ Alright?” Released as Worcester, England and began his professionyear old singer/keyboardist/phenomena Steve the first single off the self titled second album, al career, as part of the instrumental group Winwood, was headed towards greatness. the single did not chart, yet would go on to The Jaguars, by his mid teens. The group Mason would occasionally join them become Mason’s signature number, particureleased a locally distributed single, “Opus to onstage and in the studio, playing guitar and larly after it was covered by Joe Cocker in Spring,” in 1963, and it was then that Mason adding backup vocals. When Winwood, whose 1969. Mason left Traffic again, and it broke up met drummer Jim Capaldi. Capaldi invited popularity had come to far outshone that of the shortly afterward in the fall of 1968, as WinMason to join his band, The Hellions, and band, left Spencer Davis to form the psychewood joined Blind Faith. Meanwhile Mason, the group set about touring the U.K. and delic pop group Traffic he invited Mason to Capaldi, and Wood teamed with Mick Weaver Germany while cutting a few obscure and join him. Drummer Capaldi came along, as did in the short-lived Wooden Frog. highly collectible singles. flautist Chris Wood, giving the band a sound Dissatisfied with the British cultural In the spring of 1965 Mason quit The unique even for that highly experimental era. scene as well as its onerous taxation rates, MaHellions to enroll in art school but kept in The group’s first single was the Winwood/ son moved to Los Angeles and joined Delaney touch with Capaldi, occasionally playing gigs Capaldi composition “Paper Sun,” followed in & Bonnie & Friends, whom he had met during with Capaldi’s other band, the modestly sucAugust 1967 by Mason’s “Hole in My Shoe,”

AND COMING TO ASHEVILLE

‘CDs’ cont’d from pg. 12

…And Star Power is an oddity of the first degree, an album that exposes the greatest strengths and glaring limitations of the band. At 80 plus minutes there is a lot here to love — “You and I” and “Flowers” rank among their strongest tunes yet-but in between such highlights, are long passages of ambient dross, sound collages that aspire to the experimental era solo Todd Rundgren and Utopia but lack the sheer exuberance or grand scheme of either. “How Can You Really” comes closest but while A Wizard, a True Star which this album clearly imitates in both title and swaywas beautifully hinged together by a series of tightly woven narratives and aural delights, … And Star Power is unglued by seemingly unrelated passages of noise. It’s easy to give Foxygen points for trying, but as a listening experience, their third album feels listless and out of focus. What could have been homage, instead come across as a pale imitator. **1/2

Sallie Ford Slap Back

Vanguard Music

Sallie Ford is blessed with a powerful, triumphant voice, as well as a seemingly fearless desire to put it front and center where it belongs. There are precious few singers whose voice has quite the bite and impact as hers.

While Ford’s first two releases were solid and at times audacious, their adherence to retro mannerisms made them sound oddly restrained. With Slap Back she’s finally made an album worthy of her tremendous vocal talents. It’s her first without her previous band and as bold a statement as we might have hoped for. Her new backing trio — Cristina Cano on keyboards, Anita Lee Elliot on bass, and Amanda Spring on drums — punches with more force than The Sound Outside ever could while the songs are more spontaneous and ragged, giving Slap Back the sound of an enormously talented and seductively raw garage band. And while her voice is indeed a tremendous gift, it’s nice to hear Ford let the songs dictate their own directions; she sings between the rhythmic lines rather than over them, allowing the material to breath and the band to explore varying directions. The end result is an album that sounds fresh, bouncy, and snappy as heck. ****

Devon Allman Ragged & Dirty Ruff Records

While Derek Trucks is the Allman Brothers offspring who deservedly gets the most attention Devon Allman, son of Gregg, is a force in his own right. He’s released albums with the blues rock super group Royal Southern Brotherhood, his own jam band Honeytribe, and a trio of very solid solo records. For a guy who’s stayed pretty much in

his old man’s massive shadow, Devon has assembled quite the resume. While 2013’s Turquoise showcased his skills as a songwriter and guitarist–both of which are considerable–Ragged & Dirty takes a cue from his dad’s latest solo effort and heads north, straight to Chicago. It’s electric blues — none of that unplugged stuff thank you very much — throughout. Paired with producer/drummer/songwriter Tom Hambridge, this is no mere excursion into boogie land but rather a distinct exploration of the intersection where blues and rock and roll first collided. Much like his father, Devon is a brilliant but deliberate songwriter, often relying on others to provide material sympathetic to his style. Hambridge contributed four outstanding tunes herein, Allman wrote five, and there is a trio of smartly chosen covers, including the title track (originally a 1972 hit by Luther Allison) and a stunning remake of Otis Taylor’s “Ten Million Slaves.” Hambridge’s “Can’t Lose ‘Em All” sounds like vintage Allman Brothers while Devon’s own “Traveling” provides him with the opportunity to let loose on the Wah Wah peddle. And as one might expect there’s enough instrumental extrapolation to satisfy even the most hardcore blues fan. Some might argue that Devon Allman might be better off stepping entirely away from his roots, and the sound made famous by Gregg and his band mates, but I say thee nay. This is the music that is in his DNA and as long as he can make albums as good as this — even if it does sound like an Allman Brothers side project — he should go for it. ****

their acclaimed British tour. In 1970, he signed a solo contract with Blue Thumb Records and released his debut solo album Alone Together, which reached number 22 and went gold in the US, spawning the chart single “Only You Know and I Know.” Despite this success, he continued to work in group settings, serving temporarily as second guitarist in Derek and the Dominos; recording with both George Harrison and Jimi Hendrix; and forming a duo with singer Cass Elliot. He and Elliot recorded an album, Dave Mason & Cass Elliot, released in February 1971. The LP reached number 49, but they quickly went their separate ways. Mason rejoined a reunited Traffic for a few dates in the summer that resulted in the live album Welcome to the Canteen. He also stayed busy as a session player, adding his brilliant guitar work to albums by Graham Nash, Capaldi, and others. Meanwhile, Mason was preparing his follow-up to Alone Together, but a contractual disagreement with Blue Thumb led to the company’s assembling the half-studio, halflive Headkeeper, which was released over Mason’s objections. As the legal conflict continued into 1973, Blue Thumb released the tepid live LP Dave Mason Is Alive! also without the artist’s approval. The album, poorly packaged and horribly mixed, was met with lukewarm reviews. Mason found himself perilously close to becoming commercially unviable. After a settlement he signed to Columbia Records, which released It’s Like You Never Left in October of 1973; despite largely positive reviews it stalled at number 50 on the charts. Mason formed a new band and toured extensively, raising his profile enough that his self titled second Columbia LP reached number 25 and went gold. Split Coconut, released a year later, was another success, getting to number 27. Mason was soon headlining such major venues as New York’s Madison Square Garden and the Spectrum in Philadelphia. He released another live album-the comprehensive and expertly chosen Certified Live, and appeared to be reaching the commercial success his music deserved. However the worldwide success of Frampton Comes Alive, coupled with audience indifference to the ever growing number of live albums, sank that effort. Undeterred, Mason reached a new career plateau with his next studio album, Let It Flow, released in April 1977. It reached an early peak at number 37, but stayed in the charts 49 weeks and went platinum on the success of the single “We Just Disagree” (written by backup guitarist, Jim Krueger), which reached number 12. A pair of subsequent singles “So High [Rock Me Baby and Roll Me Away]” and “Let It Go, Let It Flow” also charted well. Mariposa de Oro, Mason’s next album, was released in June 1978, preceded by a cover of the King/Goffin classic “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” it reached number 41 and went gold. But Mason’s fortunes were to soon change. continued on page 36

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 13

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authors ~ poetry ~ books

The Poet’s Voice

BRAVO SOULSPEAK!

Soulspeak was happening at The Rainbow Mountain School auditorium on State St. the last Saturday of September.

There were too many empty seats! Where were you? This is a wonderful new venue for the Word. Congratulations to the school on their new performance space, and their invitation to Soulspeak. Kudos to Mel Kelley, VIP (very important person) director of Soulspeak. Mel tells me the next slam, a Cosmic Happy Slam, will take place November 1, at Odyssey Community School. Soulspeak’s Wordshops are free. Contact Mel at slamashevilleyouth. com, and on Facebook. These poets are passionate. They are brave. They are truth tellers. Nothing gets past their rocking syllables. I am glad they will be around to vote when I have passed on to my great reward in the sky. They are our future. Their subjects are my subjects, our subjects. Consider: guilt, absent fathers, visions, love, throwaway society, fear, anxiety, confidence to love oneself, baseball, animals (by a carnivore), Nicoli’s first line was, “I love animals.” It was one of my favorites of the evening. There were more male voices than female. Judges gave Hope the evening’s prize. Hope wrote, “To anyone who wishes there were less of themselves, you are a landscape. I love being a landscape!” In all honesty, words won the evening. There is freedom in the voices of these 12 to 21 year olds. There was a first time

Friday, November 7 at 7 p.m. Join us to celebrate Ron Rash’s new selected stories, Something Rich and Strange, which includes stories from his previous collections Nothing Gold Can Stay, Burning Bright, Chemistry, and The Night New Jesus Fell to Earth. Robert Morgan (Gap Creek, Boone) has called Rash “one of the most gifted and accomplished storytellers and poets of our time, or any time.”

Alena Hennessy

Saturday, November 1 at 7 p.m. Local artist and author Alena Hennessy shares more of her creative wisdom in The Painting Workbook: How to Get Started and Stay Inspired. She

14 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

CaROL pEaRCE bJORLiE – tHE pOEt bEHiND tHE CELLO

presenter who ragged on grief. Take heart, I wanted to tell him. Take heart! You are in charge. Liam Kelley Black, slam master, presented a poem on his grandfather’s dementia, another highlight of the slam. His poem told the story of destruction in slow motion, and death as change of season. Bravo, Liam! These poets took on guilt, race, yoga, speaking to trees, self destruction. As I said, these poems are our poems … when we have courage. Guest poet was Matthew Foley, a teacher from Charleston, S. C. His textbook is the world. I will never forget his presentation/ poem on his first day as a teacher. Oh, I wish he’d been there for me in middle school and high school! He is a hero! Matthew Foley is my teacher-god! Please elect him for President. Yes. We need a poet in the white house. (Believe me, Soulspeak could put him there!) Check out his work on Soul and Flowering, Poetry by Matthew Foley online. Read, We Could Be Oceans, published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2014. There were members of the WCU Truth Writers club telling their truth on stage and in the audience. They bragged on their professors. There were judges. There were also judges among the audience who clapped, snapped their fingers, hooted and hollered their approval (or disapproval of the judge’s decisions). We were a rambunctious bunch. I wish you’d been there.

Joanna Klink, Montana poet, writes:

“Poems are acts of attention. They return us to our capacity for awareness and changes.”

Malaprop’s Reads for November

Big Event for November: Ron Rash

encourages beginners to play, experiment, and discover their own personal style and offers simple step-by-step instructions, tips on tools and materials, and 50 beautifully illustrated creativity prompts. We will celebrate with a reception and a mini painting workshop. If you preorder from Malaprop’s you will get a signed, limited edition print!

The Compelling Reads YA Tour

Monday, November 3 at 7 p.m. Featuring local authors Beth Revis (The Body Electric) and Meagan Spooner (These Broken Stars), the Asheville leg of the Compelling Reads YA Tour also includes Martina Boone (Compulsion), Kimberley Griffiths Little (Forbidden), Claudia Gray (A Thousand Pieces of You), and S. E. Green (Killer Instinct). Throw in a wine tasting, southern sweet tea, and southern-style cupcakes in honor of the Compulsion launch, and it’s sure to be a fantastic party! continued on page 16

Up to now, I haven’t tried a slam poem. I do feel one coming on. Here is a mini slam the evening gave me: Word-arrows flung quivers of them stung the air. I was there. Maybe you won’t agree with me, but I believe there are slammers in poetry history. Walt comes to mind. Imagine Mr. Whitman with a microphone! Imagine him closing his eyes and letting loose:

For You, O Democracy Come, I will make the continent indissoluble, I will make the most splendid race the sun ever shone upon, I will make divine magnetic lands, With the love of comrades, With the life-long love of comrades. I will plant companionship thick as trees along all the rivers of America, and along the shores of the great lakes, and all over the prairies, I will make inseparable cities with their arms about each other’s necks, By the love of comrades, By the manly love of comrades. For you these from me, O Democracy, to serve you ma femme! For you, for you I am trilling these songs. Rave on as only you can, Walt! I chose this poem because it is short (for a Whitman poem.) His complete poems are a text of the world, (the one Matthew Foley studies) the world of a wound-dresser, runner, farmer. They include verses to a president, an astronomer, and life. Hear him roar! Soulspeak poets, you are paying attention. You are doing it with your wild and precious lives. Carry on! I want to meet you all, writers, dreamers, readers and listeners. We need each other. Contact Carol at thepoetsvoicerr@yahoo.com

POETRIO Sunday, November 2 at 3 p.m. Readings and signings by three poets at 3 p.m. This month features Megan Volpert (Only Ride), Libby Bernardin (The Book of Myth), and Jane Hicks (Driving with the Dead).

IF YOU GO: Malaprop’s Bookstore &

Cafe, 55 Haywood Street, downtown Asheville. Call (828) 254-6734, or visit www.malaprops.com.

authors ~ books ~ readings

Station Eleven: A Novel

I was reading this post-apocalyptic novel, Station Eleven, during the recent Ebola crisis, when some were wondering—what would happen if the virus went pandemic?

Such a thing happens in this dazzling, fantastical, scary, haunting tale by a young Canadian writer, Emily St. John Mandel. The story travels seamlessly through time. A famous actor dies of a heart attack while performing King Lear onstage in Toronto. His entourage includes his wife and lover, his agent, other actors, and the paramedic in the audience who tries to save him. The virus that quickly wipes out 99.9% of the world’s population begins that same night. Fifteen years later, some members of the entourage are

Losing Our Way AN INTIMATE PORTRAIT OF A TROUBLED AMERICA

I rarely say to someone else “You must read this book!” Well, that’s changed.

I think every American who cares about where the country is going should read Losing Our Way. After 18 years as a columnist for the New York Times, Bob Herbert set off on a trip across the country to look at places and talk to people who have been affected by the recent Great Recession and what our politicians and our citizenry have—and have not—done to make a difference. You don’t have to be a leftist to know potholes are everywhere in our aging roadways. Or a rightist to know that our bridges are falling apart. Your politics don’t matter to a war vet trying to walk again, to unemployed parents who are losing their homes, to children whose schools are closing. Herbert mixes U.S. history and his investigative skills with the heart-wrenching, unforgettable tales of real people who are putting one foot in front of the other and trying to stay on the American way. No one person, or one political party, is the villain in this story. But Herbert is clear who the heroes must be—each and every one of us. We must vote to get politicians who will take seriously the role of improving the country’s economy and infrastructure. More than that, we must be citizen activists—actually getting out of our complacency and doing something to make things right. Losing Our Way: An Intimate Portrait of a Troubled America, written by Bob Herbert, Doubleday (2014), 340 pages. Also in audio. Available at the library and local bookstores.

REViEWs by

MaRCiaNNE MiLLER

still alive, but they have survived in radically different ways. Mandel has created a fascinating variety of the ways societies form. The Traveling Symphony is a cluster of actors and musicians who caravan in horse-drawn wagons among the far-flung villages between Toronto and Chicago, performing concerts and Shakespearean plays. (These people are remarkably like the contemporary British gypsies featured in Ian McKell’s gorgeous photography book, The New Gypsies.) The Symphony is usually greeted warmly by the culture-starved communities. But in the one they are visiting now, a new leader has transformed the village with his self-centered religion, terrorizing the inhabitants, and demanding that the travelers leave one of their women to become his new wife. Miles away, the performers have heard, is a more compatible community and they sneak through the forest to find it. Over the years, a hundred or so survivors have found themselves in an abandoned airport, where they’ve set up a community that is so thriving, they will take in the occasional refugee. They gather food by hunting in the nearby woods and send out search parties to retrieve supplies from abandoned homes and stores. The former theatrical agent, following the habits of his dead boyfriend who was a curator, has set up a mini-museum in the former boarding area. Here he displays artifacts

NOVEMBER

PARTIAL LISTING

READINGS & BOOKSIGNINGS Tuesday, November 4 at 7 p.m. CHRIS GUILLEBEAU, The Happiness of Pursuit.

Emily St. John Mandel

from the pre-virus world, exotic treasures such as an iPhone, a driver’s license, a passport, and a laptop. Some of those who were alive in the earlier world fondly remember these treasures, grateful for having once lived in a world with so many luxuries. Others think that the children born in the post-virus society, who never knew a car or plane or the internet, should not be taught about such things because they make no sense anymore. As a reader, it’s amazing how you can appreciate the ordinary things of life when you imagine that they’ve disappeared overnight. There is always fear and the threat of lawlessness in this future world. There is a dearth of stability and a mountain of loneliness. But in Mandel’s magical story, there is also a fierce determination to hold on to life and remember what hope was like. Station Eleven: A Novel, written by Emily St. John Mandel, Knopf (2014), 352 pages. Also in audio. Available at the library and local bookstores.

Thursday, November 6 from 3 to 5 p.m. AMY REED, Damaged, YA novel. Friday, November 7 at 7 p.m. RON RASH, Something Rich and Strange. Saturday, November 8 at 7 p.m. WILLIAM POWERS, New Slow City. Monday, November 10 at 7 p.m. CHARLIE LOVETT, First Impressions, mystery. Tuesday, November 11 at 7 p.m. My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories. Thursday, November 13 at 7 p.m. TRADD COTTER, Organic Mushroom Farming. Friday, November 14 at 7 p.m. SMITH HENDERSON, Fourth of July Creek. Saturday, November 15 at 7 p.m. MICHELLE BAKER, The Canoe, love and loss. Monday, November 17 at 7 p.m. Hell: My Life in the Squirrel Nut Zippers, TOM MAXWELL. Wednesday, November 19 at 7 p.m. MAUREEN CORRIGAN, So We Read On. Free with purchase of the book. Thursday, November 20 at 7 p.m. NINA HART, Somewhere in a Town You Never Knew Existed Somewhere! Friday, November 21 at 7 p.m. RICHARD HOFFMAN, Love & Fury, memoir.

So We Read On

Saturday, November 22 at 7 p.m. PETER TURCHI, A Muse and a Maze, writing.

HOW THE GREAT GATSBY CAME TO BE AND WHY IT ENDURES

Sunday, November 23 at 5 p.m. PALOMA PAVEL, Random Kindness and Senseless Acts of Beauty.

I’ve just discovered my new favorite book on writing.

And no, you can’t borrow it, because I’ve highlighted it all over, written in the margins and typed up a long list of “things to remember” from So We Read On: How the Great Gatsby Came To Be and Why It Endures. This lively, informative, inspirational book was written by Maureen Corrigan, the book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air. I’ve read Gatsby several times, but I’ve never particularly liked it. My reaction, according to Corrigan, is not rare, in fact, she has a whole chapter entitled “I Didn’t Get It the First Time.” So We Read On is an exciting combination of biography, history, literary criticism, even autobiography— Corrigan has read Gatsby 50 times, so it’s a love story, too.

We host numerous Readings & Bookclubs, as well as Poetrio! Visit www.malaprops.com

We will close Wed., Nov. 26 at 6 p.m. and be closed all day Thursday for Thanksgiving.

55 Haywood St.

828-254-6734 • 800-441-9829 Monday-Saturday 9AM to 9PM Sunday 9AM to 7PM

Maureen Corrigan

pg. 18

Corrigan claims The Great Gatsby is the best American novel written in the 20th century. It was a hard-won struggle to attain that accolade—the book fizzled upon publication, and poor F. Scott Fitzgerald died penniless, convinced he was a failure. During WWII the book was chosen to be published in inexpensive paperback editions for American GIs and a great wave of appreciation began. All the movie versions of the book, including the latest (2013) starring Leonardo continued on page 16

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 15

1912. TWO PEOPLE. ONE OCEAN. TEN DAYS.

Her own personal story has sparked my curiosity about the creative writing process as well. Baker started the project as a creative outlet to aid in her own healing, a process she explored through journal writing and poetry. As the stories evolved and grew, Baker says at times they seemed to just write them-

Grief Workshop Sunday, November 2 Michelle Baker will lead ‘Riting Grief: Composing Grief’s Rite of Passage,’ a workshop for adults experiencing loss. 2-4 p.m. at the Women’s Wellness and Education Center, 24 Arlington St. in Asheville.

IF YOU GO: Tickets are available at www.

michellebakerproductions.com/lets-worktogether, or online at Eventbrite.

authors ~ books ~ readings

The Canoe by Michelle Baker

Michelle Baker has created a beautiful book that has caused me to consider these two simultaneous stories well after finishing the book.

selves. With the guidance of her writing coach, she eventually realized she had more than enough material for a book. As she began to explore relevance between the two stories, one story seemed to trigger the other and the project became this poetic “… portrait of love and loss.” Baker says she has always been intrigued by the form of parallel stories. In The Canoe the two main characters, Bernie and Katherine never meet but their separate stories are told in such a way that the reader will easily understand how their lives connect even though they are an ocean apart. As I read, I was caught up in the emotions that are so vividly depicted on each page and how their separate lives are impacted by the Titanic disaster. I love how there is so much to think about after reading Baker’s book. She has included at the back of the book, a list of 9 Topics for Discussion. One point of particular interest to Baker is the influence of our individual responses and how “… our lives are actually a collection of infinite parallel stories and that we are all impacting each other in every moment.”

‘Malaprop’s Reads’ cont’d from pg. 14

NaNoWriMo

Tuesdays in November from 6 to 8 p.m. National Novel Writing Month is this month, so in honor of the written word and those who create, Malaprop’s will be hosting NaNoWriMo every Tuesday evening at 6 p.m. Have aspirations of writing a novel? Well come write one amongst other writers, surrounded by coffee and books. You’ll have everything you need to get started, so do it!

YA Author Amy Reed Signing

Thursday, November 6 from 3 to 5 p.m. Poised to become the YA author capital of the world, Asheville adds another—the fabulous Amy Reed—to the crew! We hope you’ll come join us to warmly welcome Amy to Asheville and check out her wonderful books. Her latest novel is Damaged, which was preceded by Beautiful, Clean, Crazy, and Over You.

Writers at Home Reading Series

Sunday, November 16 at 3 p.m. Tommy Hays hosts this monthly series featuring work from the Great Smokies Writing Program at UNCA.

Tom Maxwell

Monday, November 17 at 7 p.m. In his new book, Hell: My Life in the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Tom Maxwell recounts the journey he and the band took from jam buddies, through major success, to his decision to leave the band

16 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

pREViEW by

katHLEEN COLbURN

All around the Asheville area we see bumper stickers pronouncing All One. I believe for humanity to suffer less, we have to choose, in every moment, to experience ourselves as us rather than “me” and “them.” Baker believes that “Everything we experience contributes to our individual stories, which in turn contribute to the stories of our communities, of our culture and ultimately the story of what it is to be a human being on this planet. “The Canoe reminds us that history is a collection of parallel and simultaneous stories – some remembered and some forgotten.” Michelle Baker is an author, artist, playwright and contributor for Huffington Post. She works with individuals and conducts workshops on the business of writing, marketing for writers, and creative memoir writing. For more information visit www.thecanoebymichellebaker.com. IF YOU Michelle Baker reading and GO booksigning, Saturday, November 15

at 7 p.m. Malaprop’s Bookstore & Cafe, 55 Haywood Street, downtown Asheville. For more details, please visit www.malaprops.com, or call (828) 254-6734.

in 1999. The stories behind some of their favorite tunes, like Put a Lid On It, are included here along with an intimate look at what rapid fame meant to the group. He also has a new album, Tom Maxwell and the Minor Drag.

Indies First & Small Business Saturday

Saturday, November 29. Now in its second year, Indies First is a program created by author Sherman Alexie as a way for authors to give back to their local bookstores. We are thrilled and honored to welcome our local volunteer authors who will help you with recommendations, gift wrapping, and more! Visit our website later this month for a list of participating authors and other details.

Coming in December: Rick Bragg

Wednesday, December 10 at 7 p.m. Rick Bragg, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of All Over But the Shoutin’ and other favorites, comes to Malaprop’s to discuss his new biography, Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story. Free and open to the public. IF YOU Malaprop’s Bookstore & Cafe, 55 GO Haywood Street, downtown Asheville.

For more details please call (828) 2546734, or visit www.malaprops.com.

‘So We Read On’ cont’d from pg. 15

Anyone planning to write a novel would do well to first read “So We Read On.” DeCaprio (directed by flashy Aussie director Baz Luhrmann), increase the number of fans of the book. It doesn’t hurt that the novel is short, making it popular in high school English classes. It’s the story of a self-made millionaire, Jay Gatsby, who lives alone in a mansion on one side of a bay off Long Island. He’s obsessed with dreams of his former lover, a high society southern belle who is now married and living on the other side of the bay where he can see the flashing green light on her dock every night. A quick reading of Gatsby tells us that it’s about the materialism of America, the excessive hedonism of the 1920s. Well, yes, that it is. But closer examination, as Corrigan points out, Gatsby is a merciless depiction of something we don’t like to admit—that America was, and is, a class-stratified society. Believing the American dream, we are addicted to illusion, longing for love, for riches, for acceptance, for reinventing ourselves. Corrigan also examines the book as a literary accomplishment, the way the beginning is mirrored in the end, its metaphors, such as the eyeglasses on the roadway billboard, its recurring images of water (rain, drowning, the bay) and how Gatsby pays homage to the pulp fiction crime novels that preceded it. Anyone planning to write a novel would do well to first read So We Read On. I’m just about to read Gatbsy again, but this time I’ll read it out loud, a few pages at a time, in order to luxuriate in its exquisite poetry. I recommend the authorized text, with notes and preface by Fitzgerald scholar, Matthew J. Bruccoli. So We Read On: How the Great Gatsby Came To Be and Why It Endures, by Maureen Corrigan; Little Brown & Co. (2014), 352 pages. Also in audio. Available at the library and local bookstores. IF YOU Maureen Corrigan reading GO and booksigning, Wednesday,

November 19 at 7 p.m. Tickets are free with the purchase of “So We Read On.” Malaprop’s Café & Bookstore, 55 Haywood St., downtown Asheville. For more information call (828) 254-6734 or visit www.malaprops.com. Marcianne Miller is a local writer and critic. You can reach her by email to marci@ rapidrivermagazine.com

“Real knowing comes up when we stand in the appropriate place. But usually we don’t. First we want to understand something according to individual knowledge, prejudice, customs and habits. This means we are standing up in our individual place, not the universal perspective. This egoistic behavior makes it very difficult to see the overall picture. But buddhas and ancestors recommend that we first stand up in the appropriate place. Just stand up, be present in the Universe itself.” ~ Dainin Katagiri

There is little that is more challenging in life than shifting one’s attitude. This secret reveals itself, however, only when a radical shift in attitude toward our lives and toward Life itself occurs (that is, away from our unquestioned conditioning into mental and behavioral traits such as separateness, anxiousness, indifference, callousness, anger, depression, pride, shame, guilt, selfishness, etc.). It is this shift that Zen meditation and its supportive koanic philosophy open for the dedicated student – and the adjective “dedicated” is very important – for there is little that is more challenging in life than shifting one’s attitude. Attitude is so deeply ingrained and imbedded within a personality that to achieve a radical shift in attitude requires dedication motivated by an understanding of how central to the quality of our life-experience such a shift is. Buddhism emphasizes that we live in “egoic delusion,” a state in which we fail to experience Life (the vast and perfect balance of the Universe unfolding and evolving) because we are mesmerized by our life – what becomes expressed as our attitude toward Life. Our life is what we are accustomed to; what we experience and express according to our prejudices, customs, habits and beliefs. Our life is, in a sense, a hologram in our minds, a virtual real-

artful living

Just Stand Up in the Universe

Zen Master Katagiri (1928-90) was an important figure in bringing Zen to the United States, arriving in Los Angeles from Japan in 1963, then moving on to San Francisco in 1965, assisting Shunryu Suzuki to establish the Zen community there, and then, in 1972 establishing in Minneapolis the Minnesota Zen Center. In reading his books, Returning to Silence, You Have to Say Something, and Each Moment is The Universe, we encounter a deeply mystical presentation of Zen. In these books we experience a simultaneity and paradox of earnestness and humor, of ferocity and gentleness, of logic and intuition that is the mark of Zen, for this simultaneity and paradox is what Life is, and Zen is Life. To know this is to stand in the Universal perspective, and it will open us into realizing that the mystical is actually and only to be found in the interconnected and interdependent everything of everyday life. This is the true secret to Zen, to enlightenment and to a truly rich life of heart, sane mind, and spirit.

ity, unique to each individual, and from that perspective it is difficult to have a truly wholesome and holistic perspective. How can we know what Life is? “Be present in the Universe itself.” This requires a radical shift in attitude and perspective. Katagiri speaks to us of “Real knowing” and what he is referring to is the realization that within us, at a level deeper than thought, is a “knowing” of a pure way of living as a human being that transcends our family, religious, cultural, national, ethnic and personal conditioning to be a personality – our “individual place.” Our individual place, “this egoistic behavior,” as Katagiri tells us, makes it “very difficult to see the overall picture,” the non-deluded experience of being “present in the Universe itself,” in all its thick simultaneity and paradox. In teaching meditation, I often see people approaching meditation from their individual place, and this makes the liberation from egoistic behavior that meditation is intended to realize very difficult. Posture and energy are very important to this process but this is a great challenge for Americans who are taught to value their individuality above all else. Katagiri tells us in Returning to Silence, “Realize the truth that all beings are buddha.” Note that in this quote, “buddha” is not capitalized. If it were, it would refer to the historic Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama, and this is not what Katagiri is saying. We have great difficulty wrapping our minds around the idea of being buddha, the perfect harmony and uncorrupt nature of our deepest Being, a Being that naturally intuits and experiences its non-dualistic oneness with Life. But this too, does not compute. It’s just an esoteric idea, just words that the ego can flatter itself with by believing the words are something special. The real thing is outside the realm of ego, and cannot be known except when ego, and the belief and experience of

biLL WaLZ

separate self as our only experience, drop away. So, I see people sitting as themselves, in their individual place - in their attitude. Little (or sometimes rather big) statements about being their individual self is broadcast in their posture, their facial expression, and their energy. “buddhas and ancestors recommend that we first stand up in the appropriate place. Just stand up, be present in the Universe itself.” Allow me to make a technique suggestion: find a statue or picture of Buddha meditating (such a picture is included in this column). Use this as what is called an external object of meditation. Look at the Buddhaimage and concentrate on it to steady the mind. Experience the qualities that are expressed by the posture, the facial expression, the energy. See it as illustrating what it means to just stand up and be present in the Universe – while sitting. Now to the best of your ability, mirror what you see. (You don’t have to sit in lotus position unless you are completely comfortable with it – chair-sitting will do just fine.) What is important is the verticality, the balance, the relaxed alertness, the dignity, serenity and total acceptance of the moment-as-it-is that the image projects. No slumping, no tilting, no wobbling. Release unnecessary tension. Be relaxed while also brightly alert. Steady your capacity for relaxed concentration while you simultaneously focus awareness on the Buddha-image and the gentle rhythm of your breathing. This should naturally begin to quiet your mind and relax your body. Let any mental activity that arises be noted only for what it is – your egoic mind telling its story. Watch the mind-activity as it arises and passes without being pulled into it. Realize that the mind-activity arises and passes in a quiet, still, unchanging field of mental awareness. That which sees the activity, this quiet, still, unchanging field of mental awareness is buddha-mind, and the intention of meditation is to realize that we are awareness, that which sees, senses and knows the moment. In our culture, if awareness is noted at all it is that we have awareness and not that we are awareness, while in reality, both are true. Again, simultaneity and paradox. Awareness is not egoistic, colored by “individual knowledge, prejudice,

customs and habits.” It is clear and universal. To realize that we are awareness is to realize we are that unprejudiced clarity beneath all the prejudiced, reactive and clouded thinking and emotion of mind-activity. Continue to concentrate on the Buddhaimage until it is very clear and steady, and then close your eyes, internalizing the image, holding the image in the mind. When the image is very steady and clear, and your body statement reflects and mirrors the image, create a quantum repositioning of the sense of self from looking at the Buddha to looking out from inside the Buddha. Become Buddha’s vision. You may now experience awareness seeing awareness. This is buddha. There is no object of meditation. You have become meditation. It is not what you are doing. It is what you are – awareness. In opening your eyes, everything becomes the object of meditation. This is Mindfulness. There is simply awareness realizing the objects in life (including what is experienced as your separate self, and the separate selves of others, and the trees and the birds and the earth and sky, everything) as all connected in the arising field of awareness. There is just the energy of continued on page 36

SSSSSS SSSSSSSSSS IIIIIIIII IIII PPPPPPP/MMMMMM MMMMJJ MMMMM 1 DDD WWWWWWWW, SSSSSSSS FFFFFFFF 7, 2015 10:00-5:00 PM BBBBBBBB RRRR CCCCCCC III SSSSSS AAAAAAAAA, NC $105.00 RRRRRRRRRRRR JJJJJJJ 10, 2015 AAA ................ Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 17

R A P I D

U L B

R I V E R

Downtown Shops, Galleries & Restaurants

Art of Jason Rafferty

An exhibit of recent drawings and paintings by Jason Rafferty opens this month.

The solo show will feature the best of his works created in Asheville and in Painting by Jason Rafferty Argenton-les-Vallées, France. An opening reception will be held Saturday, November 8 at Metro Wines in Asheville. The show will run from November 1-30, 2014. Thanksgiving will mark Rafferty’s one-year anniversary as a full time artist. Over the next several months he will be expanding his offerings of artwork and prints through his website, www.jasonrafferty.com.

www.SusanMPhippsDesigns.com

IF Jason Rafferty opening recption, Saturday, YOU GO November 8 from 6-8 p.m. at Metro Wines

Asheville, 169 Charlotte St. Open daily 11-7 p.m. (828) 575-9525.

15 11-14 AOM-j_desonier_Rapid River Layout 10/5/14 10:53 AM Page 1

“Skies Over Appalachia”

Get More out of Looking at Art by Hal Boyd

How, you may ask, can I get more out of looking at art? By doing more looking.

Works by Jane Desonier

“But just what,” you ask, “do I look for?” Look for what you find. Every communication requires a receiver as well as a sender. The painter sends, and it’s up to the viewer to receive.

Reception November 7, 2014

5:00 - 8:00 pm Show runs Nov 1 - 30, 2014 Monday - Saturday 10:00 am - 5:30 pm Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 pm Asheville Gallery of Art 16 College St. Asheville, NC 28801 18 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

What grabs you at first glance and what grabs you after that first glance? What excites you? What makes memories pop up? What stimulates feelings? Effective “receiving” prompts thoughts not specifically part of what is viewed. Shapes, colors, lines, and marks take on an exciting life of their own. Try it. The Asheville Gallery of Art is a great place to get more out of art. Take my word.

Asheville Gallery of Art

16 College Street Asheville, NC 28801 828-251-5796 www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com

pg. 18

R T

L T

Fabulous Downtown Asheville More of What Makes Asheville Special

The Best Shops, Galleries & Restaurants

The Asheville Cinema Festival 2014

The Asheville Cinema Festival is thrilled to present films that are currently receiving awards at some of the top film festivals around the country.

The Asheville Cinema Festival 2011 screened The Artist; the 2012 festival screened Silver Linings Play- The Face of Love, starring Anette Benning and Ed Harris, is a grown up look at grief, book and Quartet; and, in love and aging. 2013 August: Osage County and Mandela: A Long Walk to Freedom were shown. Benedict Cumberbatch and Kiera The Asheville Cinema FesKnightley, to the screen on opening tival (ACF) was founded by Tom night, November 6 at 7 p.m. at the and Sandi Anton in 2011. The Fine Arts Theatre. duo first established the Asheville The film will be followed by an Cinema Society in 2010 and the after party at the Century Room of festival was born out of the film Pack’s Tavern where complimentary society. Tom and Sandi are filmappetizers will be offered along with makers in their own right, having a cash bar. produced, written and directed The ACF 2014 closes with The two feature films, At Last, and Face of Love, starring Annette BenThe Pardon. ning, Ed Harris and Robin Williams. It is through Tom’s connecThe film, Robin Williams’ last, is tions within the industry that he about love wrapped in mystery. It is able to secure Academy Award will screen on Sunday, November winning films for the festival. 9 at 7 p.m. at Asheville Community ACF’s goal is to bring beautifully Theatre. All the films slated for this crafted independent films to the year’s festival, whether documentary, area, films that otherwise may not animation, narrative drama, short have been shown in Asheville. films, student films, or comedy, ACF 2014 is proud to bring promise to make you laugh, make The Imitation Game, starring

Discover our feel-good gifts from around the world

saNDi aNtON

you cry, scare you, or make you think. The Jury Awards will be given on Saturday, November 8, after the last show. The party will be held at Strada Restaurant at 9 p.m. Strada will supply complimentary appetizers and a cash bar. The awards ceremony is always exciting, as filmmakers receive their one-of-a-kind awards, created this year by JP Sullivan.

Receive 25% off one item with this coupon *

*Offer valid at participating stores until 11/30/14. Not valid with other discounts, gift card, Oriental rug or Traveler’s Find purchases.

10 College St. in Asheville 828-254-8374 www.tenthousandvillages.com

pg. 18

Use this logo for reductions only, do not print magenta. Do not reduce this logo more than 35%. Magenta indicates the clear area, nothing should print in this space. You may reduce the logo to 30% without the tag and strap lines. Color of Wood Block Motif critical match to Pantone 1805. Letters print Pantone Process Black.

IF YOU The Asheville Cinema Festival GO 2014, November 6-9. Tickets

and more information available at www.ashevillecinemafestival2014.com

pg. 18

Jce Schlapkohl Works on Display at: Asheville Gallery of Art, Downtown 5. 18

“After the Storm”

Seven Sisters, Black Mountain

Porchoir painting by Rick Hills with handmade bark frame

pg. 36

Cedar Hill Studios, . 22 Waynesville pg

1 Page Avenue ~ Historic Grove Arcade pg. 18

Suite 123 ~ 828.350.0307

MtnMade807@aol.com

www.MtnMade.com

pg. 18

www.joycepaints.com joyce@joycepaints.com ~ 828-456-4600

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 19

Studio Stroll

CHERYL KEEFER

PLEIN AIR ~ LANDSCAPES ~ CITYSCAPES

SOLI DEO GLORIA STUDIO/GRACE C BOMER FINE ART

& Art SAle November 8-9th 10-6pm

“The Scepter Shall Not Depart from Judah Until Shiloh Comes”

Christ-Centered Christmas Gifts

Giclee Prints & Original Paintings

www.gracecarolbomer.com

•

140 D Roberts St. in Asheville’s River Arts District “View from Patton Mountain, En Plein Air“

Wedge Studios 129 Roberts Street River Arts District By appt.

Asheville Gallery of Art 16 College Street . 18 Downtown 5

Seven Sisters Gallery Black Mountain

pg. 41

Photo: Ray Matta

828-450-1104 • www.Cher ylKeefer.com

Rg RJ Rt

ride the trolleyS Free! www.riverartsdistrict.com

Artwork by Pat Phillips, Judy Levine, Julia Fosson, Barbara Fisher, Jeff Pittman, Holly de Saillan, Mark & Julia Goldthwaite and Karen Weihs.

20 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

More information on the River Arts District is available by calling (828) 280-7709, or visit www.riverartsdistrict.com.

v Fine Arts & Crafts v Unique Restaurants & Breweries Warehouse Studio Spaces

Jonas Gerard: Creative Energy Fuels Eclectic Expression

When we encounter someone well-versed in creating in a wide variety of styles and genres, we’re often led to wonder how this can be possible.

Chris Stack

How can one person make these radical shifts? Different types of painting, Rainbow Ridge, acrylic on canvas by Jonas Gerard. music or any other form of creative acthe process itself is the important element. tivity can often seem like isolated islands Throughout his long career, Jonas to the casual observer. In reality, they Gerard has visited many artistic islands. are all deeply connected by a bedrock of In addition to decades spent as a detailed soul expression. portrait painter, his artistic spirit has travThe percepeled widely through realms of abstract, tual oceans that landscape and mixed media painting, seem to separate sculpture, dance and mime. these outlets are What ties it all together and fuels really as insubthe inspiration is the powerful work he stantial as water. has done below the surface, exploring the When you look very nature of creativity itself. In addition deep beneath the to years of self-study, he has participated surface, it becomes in countless deep learning opportunities very apparent that like Stewart Cubley’s Painting Experience the process is the workshops, EST seminars and many other same; these islands Pablo, acrylic forms of inner cultivation. are all outcropon canvas by pings of the same Jonas Gerard. continued on page 38 creative spark and

RIVER ARTS DISTRICT FALL STUDIO STROLL

November 8-9 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Getting to the River Arts District is easy, you The Artists of Ashecan find a map and more ville’s River Arts District details by visiting www. open their doors for a full riverartsdistrict.com. Take weekend in the Fall Studio advantage of ample parking Stroll and Art Walk, weland hop aboard one of coming the public to see and our free trolleys running collect amazing art in their throughout the Studio Free trolleys will run studios and galleries. Stroll Weekend. throughout the weekend. The River Arts Come be inspired, District consists of a vast shop, meet the artists and array of artists and working studios in 22 watch live demonstrations. The River Arts former factories and historical buildings District is located along the French Broad nestled along the French Broad River. River, just minutes from downtown Asheville. More than 180 working studios, many with showrooms and galleries, are open IF every day, all year round. Artists work in YOU The Studio Stroll is produced by the paint, pencil, pottery, metal, fiber, glass, GO River Arts District Artists. For more details, visit www.riverartsdistrict.com wax, paper and more.

Rob Amberg’s ShatterZone

An exhibition of Rob Amberg’s photographs will be displayed at Pink Dog Creative, in Asheville’s River Arts District. Rob is a significant and highly revered regional photographer. His body of work will be increasingly viewed as one of the seminal works of late 20th and early 21st century American photography, and also as a sensitive and unsparing look at a regional culture in transition Photo by Rob Amberg This exhibition at Pink Dog, titled ShatterZone, offers Asheville and WNC an exciting opportunity to see this new and extensive iteration/ collection of Rob’s work, in one place and within shared context.

pg. 22

IF YOU GO

ShatterZone, photographs by Rob Amberg. Opening Reception Friday, November 7, from 5-8 p.m. On display November 7 through January 11, 2015 at Pink Dog Creative, 348 Depot Street, Asheville.

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 21

WILD ABOUT

Massie Furniture Company 45 N. Main Street, Waynesville 456-3311 • 452-5792 • M-Sat 8:30am - 5:30pm

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The leaves are falling, and it’s a perfect time to explore the beautiful mountain town of Waynesville.

The Waynesville Gallery Association presents the perfect opportunity with Art After Dark, happening Friday, November 7, from 6-9 p.m. Enjoy a stroll through working studios and galleries on Main Street and Historic Frog Level. Festive Art After Dark flags denote participating galleries, such as Haywood County Arts Council’s Gallery 86, Burr Studios, Earthworks, Jeweler’s Workbench, Twigs and Leaves Gallery, TPennington Art Gallery, Grace Cathey Sculpture Garden and Gallery, Art on Depot, Cedar Hill Studios, The Mahogany House, and the Village Framer.

pg. 22

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Live Webcam www.downtownwaynesville.com

22 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

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Art After Dark

Let Us Help With Any of Your Gift Needs

by JEaNNiE

sHUCkstEs

Art After Dark offers a relaxed atmosphere for enjoying art, music and laughter. Our vibrant community of art galleries and businesses stay open late on this special night, and many fabulous restaurants are all within walking distance. Kristen Munoz of Marshall, NC Glass ornaments will be demonstratby Kristen Munoz ing glass blowing at Twigs and Leaves Gallery during Art After Dark, Friday evening, November 7, from 6-9 p.m. Kristen’s ornaments dance with color having used Spruce Pine quartz silica, the purest in the world. Friday evening, as you stroll Hand crafted jewelry by through the gallery’s Terri Lefler. 145+ primarily regional artists, enjoy piano music by Waynesville’s Dr. Bill Stecher and delight in the savory hors d’oeuvres. The gallery is filled with creative ideas for everyone on your gift list. Open Monday through Saturday 10-5:30 and Sunday 1-4. Twigs and Leaves Gallery, 98 North Main Street, Waynesville. Find them on Facebook or call (828) 456-1940, and visit www.twigsandleaves.com. Earthworks Gallery is excited and proud to be hosting Asheville Jeweler, Terri Lefler from Lefler Design Studio. Her hand crafted metal work in sterling silver, copper, brass and gold is exceptional, and her choice of stones is always perfect. Rings, including her special spinner rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces and bracelets will all be included in this Art After Dark Jewelry Trunk Show! Meet Terri, and select your favorite one of a kind, hand crafted jewelry. Stop by Grace Cathey’s Sculpture Garden and Gallery to talk about “Timeless Sculptures Created for your Home”. Bring your own photos for a consultation. Burr Studio is pleased to feature Rebecca Hellman’s exquisite jewelry during Art After Dark, Friday, November 7. Rebecca creates her beautiful necklaces and earrings using baroque pearls, semi-precious stones, Argentium silver and more. Rebecca will be in the gallery for Art After Dark to demonstrate her work. Join us for refreshments and a meet and greet from 7 to 9. For more information call (828) 456-7400. IF YOU Call Twigs & Leaves Gallery at (828) 456-1940, GO or visit the Waynesville Gallery Association at

www.waynesvillegalleryassociation.com for additional information.

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A RTIST

HART presents Macbeth

OF THE

BLUE RIDGE

HART theatre will close out it’s 2014 main stage season with an elaborate production of William Shakespeare’s Macbeth.

The play will feature professional actor David Sebren in the title role, Kirsten Daniel as Lady Macbeth, and New York actor Adam Kampouris as Macduff. Kampouris is returning to HART after a five year absence. He was last seen at HART as Hamlet. The production is under the direction of HART Executive Director Steven Lloyd, and David Sebren as Macbeth and Kristen is being traditionally staged, Daniel as Lady Macbeth. set in the 12th Century, with elaborate costuming, an original The production will also feascore by David and Sean Bruce, ture Alison Young, Michael Beadle, set design by UNC-A School Art Moore, Italo Medalius, David of the Arts design student Tony Hopes, Tom Dewees, John WinDebernardo, and broadsword fight field, Brian Segraves, Jacob Hunt, choreography by Kampouris. Amy Hunt, and Ellery Neil. For those not familiar with theater superstitions, Macbeth is considered a cursed play and many IF YOU HART presents Macbeth actors feel that even saying the GO Saturday, November 1 at 7:30 name of the title character outside and Sunday, November 2 at 3 of the production is bad luck. The p.m. Tickets are available online at play is usually referred to as “The www.harttheatre.com and from the Scottish Play” and the title characHART Box Office at (828) 456-6322, ter as Mackers. Ironically the play Tues. - Sat. 1-5 p.m. HART Theater, was and continues to be one of the 250 Pigeon St. in Waynesville. Visit www.harttheatre.com. Bard’s most successful.

Featured Artist for November Kristen Munoz ~ Glass Blowing Demonstration on Friday, November 7 from 6-9pm during Art After Dark

A Gallery Where Art Dances with Nature

98 N. Main Street, Waynesville

828-456-1940 www.twigsandleaves.com

“Into the Smokies” A colored pencil drawing by Teresa Pennington. 30th Anniversary Commemorative Drawing.

Movies

$6 Adults $4 Kids $3 Matinee

Movie Showtimes

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Friday: 7:45pm Saturday: 2pm, 5pm, 7:45pm Sunday: 2pm

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Live at The Strand Theater

Catch Psycho, Alfred Hitchcock’s classic mystery thriller, on the big screen. A Phoenix secretary steals $40,000, goes on the run and checks into a remote motel run by a young man under the domination of his mother. Screenings Saturday, November 1 at 2, 5, & 7:45 p.m.; Sunday, November 2 at 2 p.m.; Tuesday & Wednesday, November 4 & 5 at 7 p.m.

Saturday, November 8 – Gurf

Morlix: storied producer, one-man roots band. Morlix can write, sing, produce, and play nearly every instrument (mostly stringed). He has distinguished himself with his innate musicality, exquisite taste, keen creative instincts, and wellhoned ear for songwriting.

Thursday, November 13 - Live music by Juan Holliday of The Secret B-Sides, 7:45 p.m.

Saturday Morning Cartoons – Every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Cereal, milk, orange juice, continental breakfast goodies, plus coffee, LOTS of coffee, at the concession stand. PJs welcome. A fun, free, laid-back way to start the weekend! The Lounge at 38 Main – Come

early for your show to avoid the rush and stake out your seats. Buy your popcorn and beverage 23 minutes or more before your showtime and get 10% off if you mention the code phrase: “Early Bird!

IF YOU GO: The Strand Theater, 38

N. Main Street, Waynesville.

Custom Engineered Sound System for True Movie Sound – Better Than Your Home Theater System!

Serving Local Craft Beer and Wine, Local Ice Cream from The Hop, Organic Popcorn, and Local Sodas. HOURS: Tuesday-Wednesday 11-6pm Thursday-Saturday 11-10pm; Sunday 1-5pm

828-283-0079 • www.38Main.com 38 N. MAIN STREET • DOWNTOWN WAYNESVILLE

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Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 23

1 7 TH A NNUAL

Books make great gifts – they provide hours of escape and discovery.

Holiday Gift Market Open November 1st through January 5th

“Fall Cluster” by Jane Voorhees

89 WOODWARD AVE., ASHEVILLE

www.voorheesfamilyart.com

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give the gift of art

VOORHEES FAMILY ART SHOW Saturday & Sunday November 22-23

pg. 36

10 Great Holiday Gifts

(PLUS A COUPLE OF EXTRAS)

Great books from Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café Mr. Tall* by Tony Earley, new stories and a novella, hardcover Something Rich and Strange* by Ron Rash, selected stories, hardcover Wayfaring Strangers: The Musical Voyage from Scotland and Ulster to Appalachia* by Fiona Ritchie and Doug Orr, hardcover with CD Neverhome* by Laird Hunt, novel set during the Civil War, hardcover Nora Bonesteel’s Christmas Past: A Ballad Novel* by Sharyn McCrumb, hardcover This Dark Road to Mercy* by Wiley Cash, novel, hardcover Familiars* by Fred Chappell, poems, softcover My Accidental Jihad* by Krista Bremer, memoir, hardcover Buckminster Fuller: Poet of Geometry by Cole Gerst, nonfiction, hardcover

Located inside Omni Grove Park Inn

Presented by the Swannanoa Valley Fine Art League at the Historic

Now in our 30th year of supporting American handmade gM

Pendant by Niki Fisk

Gallery of the Mountains

290 Macon Avenue TOLL - FREE

Isla and the Happily Ever After* by Stephanie Perkins, young adult novel, hardcover.

$10 - $20 - $30 and more

Local and Regional Handmade Crafts

pg. 36

What I Came to Tell You* by Tommy Hays, middle grade novel, softcover

Artist Made Gifts!

•

(800) 692-2204

Asheville, NC

(828) 254-2068

www.galleryofthemountains.blogspot.com

For the Sports Fan on Your Gift List

KIRK’S COLLECTIBLES & Custom Framing

Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story* Story by Rick Bragg, biography, hardcover

Red House Gallery

* Indicates that signed copies may be available.

in Black Mountain, NC

pg. 39

~ Hours: Tues.- Sat. 11-3PM ~

310 West State Street 828-669-0351

www.SVFALarts.org

Malaprop’s Bookstore/Café 55 Haywood Street in downtown Asheville Call (828) 254-6734 or visit www.malaprops.com

Your Jersey and Shadowbox Custom Framing Experts

Skies Over Appalachia

Western North Carolina landscape painter Jane Desonier is the Asheville Gallery of Art featured artist for November.

WE HAVE IT ALL! SIGNED AND UNSIGNED HELMETS, FOOTBALLS, JERSEYS, BASKETBALLS, BASEBALLS AND MORE!

“In a departure from my usual landscape paintings,” writes Jane, “this new show Purple Mountains focuses on the vagaries of color by Jane Desonier and design in the mountain skies, with the terrain playing a secondary role. It has been a wonderful opportunity for me to explore new shapes and color combinations not readily available in the traditional landscape.”

We’ll Beat Any Advertised Price on Custom Framing! Mention this ad to receive 25% OFF

IF YOU GO: “Skies over Appalachia” will run November 1-30.

140 Airport Road, Arden, NC 1 mile East of I-26, across from IHOP on left, next to Subway 1-770-757-6814

emkkom@hotmail.com

Mon-Sat 11-8

24 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

Sunday 12:30-6

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Opening reception Friday, November 7, 5-8 p.m. Asheville Gallery of Art, 16 College Street in downtown Asheville. Hours are Tue.Sat., 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Sun. 1-4 p.m. For more information, call (828) 251-5796 or visit www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com.

DaViD VOORHEEs

Three of Edwin and Mildred’s six children plus one The sale takes place grandchild and a in a renovated historic daughter-in-law will Arts and Crafts style be showing their home located in the Norwork at this event: Fall Cluster, watercolor and pen wood Park area of North Susan Voorhees, oil by Jane Voorhees. Asheville. This weekend and pastel paintings; show and sale is free and open to the public. Jane Voorhees, watercolors, pastels, prints, This year’s annual event will feature new cards and calendars, and letterpress artwork; work created by five Voorhees family members David Voorhees, wood-fired stoneware and along with two guest artists. Hosted in cousin porcelain pottery; David’s wife, Molly Sharp Marien Bradsher’s circa 1916 house with its Voorhees, sterling silver jewelry, some incormajestic American Elm, the event will again be porating natural beach stones; and David’s featured in a family home in Norwood Park. daughter Elizabeth Voorhees Becker, color Meet this extraordinary family of artists known photography. Also exhibiting are guest artists throughout North Carolina and the Southeast. Chad Alice Hagen, felted art and handmade A portion of the proceeds will be donated to books and Cheryl Stippich, stained glass. MANNA FoodBank and to Kiva, helping others locally and globally. IF The arts legacy began with Edwin VoorYOU The 17th Voorhees Family Art Show hees, (1919-1999) known for his NC coastal GO and Sale, Saturday, November 22 from watercolor seascapes; and Mildred Voorhees 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, November and now their children and grandchildren. 23 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. 89 Woodward Mildred, (1924-2007) was best known for her Avenue in the Norwood Park area of North Asheville. For more information and map visit colorful, patterned watercolors and rich oil still www.voorheesfamilyart.com lifes and landscapes. Reproductions of Edwin and Mildred’s artwork will be available.

Season’s Greetings!

MiCHELLE MiLLER

The new owners of Double Exposure are offering a 5% discount on all print orders from now until December 15, 2014.

There is no gift more meaningful than something created by our own hand and talents. Every artist has a painting or photograph that they know “sings” to someone they care about. What better present could you give them, but a museum quality giclee print? Double Exposure would like to solve your holiday shopping dilemma! Make your list and give us a call! The best part for us will be getting to introduce ourselves to more of Double Exposure’s seasoned patrons – and maybe meet some new ones!

Randy and I wish you a Blessed Holiday!

Randy and Sally Frazer, the new owners of Double Exposure, with Michelle Miller and her husband, Shannon Lackey.

Double Exposure (828) 299-8180 www.DoubleExposureArt.com Michelle can be reached at michellebydesign@hotmail.com For Double Exposure orders and inquiries email info@DoubleExposureArt.com

Like Us on Facebook We’re Hyper Local & Super Social! Discount Coupons ✿ Contests

Marshall Handmade Market

Marshall High Studios hosts Marshall Handmade Market Saturday, November 22, “on the island” across the river from downtown Marshall. This one-day market showcases some of the region’s finest handmade and homemade art, craft, wearables, and edibles in a relaxed atmosphere where holiday shoppers can buy local and buy slow. Now in its sixth year, the popular holiday market extends the slow food concept to handmade crafts—offering one-of-a-kind objects made by local artists and craftspeople through slow, labor-intensive processes in studios, barns, and back rooms across the region. In the laid-back but lively atmosphere of the market, held in the historic and beautifully renovated 1926 Marshall High School building on Blannahassett Island in the French Broad River, shoppers can talk with artists, visit many of their studios, enjoy live music, and stop for lunch. Marshall High Studios’ artists work together to organize all aspects of this independent, volunteer-run craft market. A select

give the gift of art

Voorhees Family Art Show & Sale

The 17th Voorhees Family Art Show and Sale will be held on Saturday & Sunday, November 22 & 23.

Keep up with Local Arts, Events, Performances, and Festivals. www.facebook.com/ rapidrivermagazine

Handmade journals by Beth Shaible.

group of invited artists represent the best art and craft from throughout the region, and this year’s market boasts many new faces and wares. Come out and enjoy the creative work of makers whose distinctive objects make unusual one-of-a-kind gifts. IF YOU Marshall Handmade Market, Saturday, GO November 22 from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at

Marshall High Studios, 115 Blannahassett Island. Just up the river from Asheville, Marshall is on NE 25/70, between Weaverville and Hot Springs. For directions and a list of exhibitors visit www.marshallhandmade.com.

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www.pinkdog-creative.com

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 25

Reel Take Reviewers:

 - Fantastic  - Pretty darn good  - Has some good points  - The previews lied  - Only if you must

CHIP KAUFMANN is a film historian who also shares his love of classical music as a program host on WCQS-FM radio. MICHELLE KEENAN is a long time student of film, a believer in the magic of movies, and a fundraiser for public radio.

For the latest REVIEWS, THEATER INFO and MOVIE SHOW TIMES, visit www.rapidrivermagazine.com

Illustration of Michelle & Chip by Brent Brown.

Questions/Comments?

BRENT BROWN is a graphic designer and illustrator. View more of his work at www.brentbrown.com.

A Walk Among the Tombstones 

Short Take: Grim, powerful crime drama about a private investigator and the unusual serial murders that he is trying to solve. Contains several strong performances especially from Liam Neeson.

REEL TAKE: The transformation of Liam Neeson from leading man to solid character

M- Forget entirely

You can email Chip or Michelle at reeltakes@hotmail.com

actor to aging action hero has been an interesting one to follow. He’s gone from someone who enhances the films he appears in to being a box office draw all by himself. While I’m happy for him, it cannot be denied that he has been coasting of late in such vehicles as the two Taken movies. This is definitely not the case with A Walk Among the Tombstones. What was advertised in the trailers as another Liam Neeson badass saga turns out to be anything but. Yes, Neeson is tough but he

THE MONTHLY REEL

An Array of Films

The good Professor Kaufmann and I had schedules that kept us away from the theatre more than we’d like this past month. That said, we’ve still covered an array of films, so we hope you’ll find something that strikes your fancy. Without a doubt there are a couple of titles this month that are not for everyone. Those who can’t quite stomach extreme violence may want to steer clear of Fury and The Equalizer. The performance driven, by-the-book family drama, The Judge, or the Bill Murray comedy-drama St. Vincent may be more suited to the squeamish. Other reviews for your consideration are Among the Tombstones (a Liam Neeson action flick that may have left theatres by the time this issue comes out, but a film that Chip thinks is worth renting when it comes out on DVD), and Laggies (which opens November 7), a comedy directed by Lynn Shelton (Your Sister’s Sister) about “learning to act your age and other adult decisions.” Unfortunately not reviewed by press time but right up the alley of some of our readers is Pride, a Brit comedy-drama about a bunch of gay activists who set out to help a group of striking coal miners in 1984 Great Britain. Bill Nighy and Imelda

MiCHELLE kEENaN

Staunton lead a great cast. The film promises to be one of the most uplifting, crowd-pleasers of the year. See it at the Fine Arts Theatre while you can. Other smaller titles coming soon to a theatre near you include Whiplash, Birdman and Foxcatcher. This month’s bigger titles include Interstellar, The Theory of Everything and Mockingjay Part 1. The Asheville Film Society (AFS) and the Hendersonville Film Society (HFS) have some great offerings this month as well (see the schedules on pages 28 & 29). AFS kicks off on November 4 with David Lynch’s The Elephant Man, a film that rocked my world when it came out. It was the first time artistry and empathy combined cinematically to make a profound impact on my young teenage mind. AFS continues the month with The Magic Christian, Fritz Lang’s Ministry of Fear and John Ford’s Judge Priest. I’ll be heading down to Hendersonville on November 9 to see HFS’s presentation of The Red Pony; I’ve been smitten with Aaron Copland’s beloved score since I was a kid, and I’ve never seen the John Steinbeck classic on the big screen. It’ll be an all-American treat. HFS will also present Dante’s Inferno, Joyeux Noel, The Day Carl Sandberg Died and Gigot in November.

Until next month, enjoy!

26 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

is also flawed and Writer-director vulnerable underScott Frank whose previneath the toughness. ous work includes The As he broods and reLookout with Joseph calls a tragic incident Gordon-Levitt has in his past it’s hard crafted a genuinely chillnot to think of the ing story which keeps real life counterpart you on edge throughout. involving the tragic If you enjoy character death of his wife driven urban crime draNatasha Richardson mas and don’t mind the in a skiing accident occasional burst of overin 2009. the-top violence then Unlike the you will find A Walk Taken series where Among the Tombstones Liam Neeson examines some evidence in he’s dealing with an absorbing experience A Walk Among The Tombstones. terrorists giving that will stay with you him carte blanche long afterwards. to settle the score Rated R for strong violence, disturbing images, in true action hero style, in Tombstones he is language and brief nudity. dealing with a pair of psychopaths who enjoy Review by Chip Kaufmann mentally and then physically torturing their victims before killing them even after the The Equalizer 1/2 ransom is paid. The interesting twist is that all the women are related to upscale drug dealers Short Take: Director Antoine Fuqua’s who have money but obviously don’t want stylish remake of the 1980s TV series is publicity. overlong and over-the-top violent but it Neeson is a former cop turned private inis solid entertainment thanks to Denzel vestigator who is brought in by a “respectable” Washington. drug dealer to find the murderers of his wife REEL TAKE: Once again we are in retread so that the dealer can exact revenge. At first he territory as the old 1980s CBS television series refuses to take the case but the brutal nature The Equalizer with Edward Woodward has of the crime and an emerging pattern intrigue been completely revamped and tailored for the him and so he does. What he uncovers is dark, talents of Denzel Washington who is basically twisted, and very frightening. reprising his role in Man on Fire with just a A movie of this type needs to have a few modifications. worthwhile villain and in Tombstones we have If you remember the TV show, Robert two of them. David Harbour and Adam David McCall was a retired intelligence agent turned Thompson are the most stylishly twisted private detective who people called on when psychopaths to come along since Anthony they had no one else to turn to. If he took your Hopkin’s Hannibal Lecter and Ted Levine’s case, you knew what the final result would Buffalo Bill in The Silence of the Lambs. In be. After all, it was network TV. The same is fact the movies are similar in that extremely true of the movie although it takes over twice unsavory material is handled with taste and as long and the bad guys are disposed of in comparative restraint. graphically violent ways (a corkscrew underHelping out Liam is Brian “Astro” Bradneath the chin for example). ley who plays a street kid with an artistic bent The new spin is that McCall has put his and with sickle cell anemia. He also wants to violent past behind him and is quietly and hapbe a private detective ala Sam Spade or Philip pily working in a home improvement store. Marlowe. In a real departure, Dan Stevens of He is methodical to the point of obsession, Downton Abbey fame plays the drug dealer timing out everything he does, trying to read a who engages Neeson and sets the plot in mobook a week from the library of his dead wife, tion. Also noteworthy is Olafur Darri Olafsson and eating at the same late night diner. as a frightened bystander who knows more than he is willing to say. Movies continued on page 27

Denzel Washington is about to teach some Russian mobsters a very thorough lesson in The Equalizer.

Denzel Washington is obviously having a great time and why not? He’s John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, and Charles Bronson all rolled into one and he doesn’t need a gun. Throw in a little of Robert Downey Jr’s Sherlock Holmes (his ability to envision how something will play out before it does) and you have an unstoppable fighting machine. Director Antoine Fuqua (Training Day) moves things along with a nice but calculated neo-noir style. Be advised that this film comes by its R rating honestly. It is extremely violent as nameless Russian bad guy after nameless Russian bad guy is killed in the most gruesome manner possible. This didn’t bother the older audience I saw it with one bit. In fact some of them actually cheered. Rated R for strong, bloody violence and language throughout. Review by Chip Kaufmann

film reviews

Movies continued from page 26

One night a young Russian hooker (Chloe Grace Moretz) he has been conversing with at the diner is severely beaten up by her “employers”, a gang of Russian mobsters who control Denzel’s area of New York City. He tries to buy her from them and when they refuse, cross a few mobsters off the list as they are singlehandedly dispatched by McCall in just a few seconds using their own weapons. Back in Moscow the head of the organization is none too pleased so he brings in a brutal enforcer (Marton Csokas) who is sent to get McCall and to restore order. His arrival results in an ever increasing body count of gangsters and bystanders until there is an epic final confrontation inside Denzel’s home improvement store (think of what you could do with the wide variety of tools there). The Equalizer has the pace, the episodic structure and the basic incredulity of the TV show as McCall is always ahead of the game, dispatches whoever needs dispatching, and has everything all wrapped up neat and tidy by the movie’s end. What it doesn’t share with the TV show is length as it’s over twice as long and the violence quotient has been upped considerably.

Brad Pitt leads a battle hardened tank crew through the last days of WWII in Fury.

Fury 

Short Take: A violent and gritty WWII drama about a battle-hardened, war weary tank crew in Germany in the last days of the war.

REEL TAKE: David Ayer’s Fury is not for the

faint of heart. Its violence suits the story, but I assure you, you’ve never seen the horrors of war painted quite like this. Earlier this year George Clooney gave us The Monuments Men, a WWII drama that was a cinematic throw-back to the era of the story – patriotic and sentimental. Ayer’s Fury is also old school, but in a different vein – unsentimental, disillusioned stories born from the carnage of war. The difference between those films (see my DVD pick on page 28) and Fury is that it’s 2014, and we are now so desensitized to depictions of violence, we can show the brutal ravages and vulgarity of war in an unfiltered lens. It’s April of 1945 in Germany. The war is almost over. Brad Pitt stars as Don “Wardaddy” Collier. The role is reminiscent of his character in Inglorious Basterds, but sans the Tarantino-esque character quirks and eccentricities. He is a skilled and battle hardened tank commander and it’s been a long war. His crew is equally hardened: Boyd “Bible” Swan (Shia LaBeouf), “Gordo” Garcia (Michael Pena) and “Coon-ass” Travis (Jon Bernthal). At the start of the film they’ve lost a member of the crew and his replacement is a fresh out of boot camp, misappropriated paper pusher, named Norman (Logan Lerman). No sooner does Norman clean the fractured remnants of his predecessor from the tank and they are back in action. It should be noted that this story takes place post D-Day. As Collier says to young Norman, “The war will end soon, but a lot more people have to die first.” Norman is horrified by the inhumanity of war. But when his sense of humanity causes other Americans to die, he learns quickly. There is very little character development or story arc in Fury. The film is more of an episode or an experience. Pitt’s Collier is clearly more intelligent and educated than his weathered crew. In the film’s only real momentary respite from battle we see his longing for civilized normalcy, but can also see how alien it has become in their world. Said scene also allows Collier and Norman to bond a bit. This is about as deep a character dive as we get.

The rest of the character development is implied. LeBeouf’s “Bible” comes by his nickname naturally, spouting proverbs and psalms and spiritual conversation at every turn. He may be the most interesting character in the film, even though he is secondary to Pitt and Lerman. Pena is ok, but not given a lot to do. As for Bernthal’s aptly-named “Coon-ass,” I’d have fed him to the Nazis. That said, I guess you could say he wasn’t afraid to get ugly on the inside and out. While the film has a few missteps (and it could definitely have been a bit shorter), the battle sequences do not. Ayer crafted them masterfully and they are riveting and brilliantly executed. The dance between tanks in combat is something to behold. And the climatic scene is gut wrenchingly suspenseful, even in its seeming inevitability. If war is hell, then Fury may be one of the best depictions of hell to date. Rate R for strong sequences of war violence, some grisly images, and language throughout. Review by Michelle Keenan

The Judge 1/2

Short Take: A by-the-book. father/son family drama saved by the merits of its lead actors, Robert Downey, Jr. and Robert Duvall

REEL TAKE: The Judge is the kind of film

that will fare better with its audiences than it will with critics. And at the end of the day, a happy audience is what it’s all about. As for this critic, I confess I was annoyed by the contrivances of the by-the-book father/son family drama plot, but the performances by Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall, though not revelatory, keep the film afloat.

From there the story trods on familiar territory. What happened to drive Hank and Joe apart? Is Hank guilty? Will Hank and Joe be able to put aside their difference? The only vaguely grey area here is Hank’s guilt or innocence. Otherwise, the story unfolds predictably, including Hank’s rekindled connection with his high school sweetheart and his hometown. Downey Jr and Duvall play well off of one another. Each brings what’s needed to the role including, in RDJ’s case, good comic timing for the lighter moments of the film. The supporting cast, including Vera Farmiga as Hank’s high school sweetheart and Vincent D’Onofrio and Jeremy Strong as Hank’s older and younger brothers respectively are all spot on as well. This ensemble compensates for the film’s missteps. The Judge marks a departure for Director David Dobkin, who helmed The Wedding Crashers and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. The good news is Dobkin made a beautiful film. The bad news is he doesn’t know how to edit or how to direct his editors, and the film’s running time at 2 hours and 22 minutes is too long and seems longer. For me what really holds this film back is the paint-by-number, cliché riddled story by Nick Schenk (Gran Torino and RoboCop) and first time screenwriter Bill Dubuque. There’s nothing wrong with familiar territory. After all, there’s a reason why father/son Movies continued on page 28

Theatre Directory Asheville Pizza & Brewing Company Movieline (828) 254-1281 www.ashevillepizza.com

Beaucatcher Cinemas (Asheville) Movieline (828) 298-1234

Biltmore Grande

1-800-FANDANGO #4010 www.REGmovies.com

Carmike 10 (Asheville)

Movieline (828) 298-4452 www.carmike.com

Carolina Cinemas Robert Downey, Jr and Robert Duvall make an otherwise rote family drama worthwhile in The Judge.

(828) 274-9500 www.carolinacinemas.com

Downey plays Hank Palmer, a big city lawyer, renowned for successfully defending the truly guilty. When he returns to the Indiana hometown he left decades ago for his mother’s funeral, things go as expected with his estranged father. Joe Palmer (Robert Duvall) is a respected circuit court judge with more than 40 years on the bench. Father and son have scarcely talked in more than 25 years. But when Joe suddenly finds himself as the primary suspect in a hit and run murder case the only person who can help him is Hank.

Movieline (828) 883-2200

The Falls Theatre (Brevard) Fine Arts Theatre (Asheville) Movieline (828) 232-1536 www.fineartstheatre.com

Flat Rock Theatre (Flat Rock) Movieline (828) 697-2463 www.flatrockcinema.com

Four Seasons (Hendersonville) Movieline (828) 693-8989

The Strand (Waynesville)

(828) 283-0079, www.38main.com

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 27

HENDERSONVILLE FILM SOCIETY If you think they don’t make them like they used to, you’ll enjoy these great classic films. Coffee and wonderful flicks are served up on Sundays at 2 p.m. at Lake Pointe Landing in Hendersonville. For more information call (828) 697-7310. HFS ends 2014 with five films that run the gamut from a beloved American classic to the trenches of World War I at Christmas time. We also have Jackie Gleason as a Chaplin like tramp and two rescheduled films. November 2: Dante’s Inferno (1935) The tale of an unscrupulous carnival barker who gets his comeuppance. The film is famous for its re-creation of Hell as envisioned by Dante. Spencer Tracy stars. Directed by Harry Lachman. November 9:

The Red Pony

(1948) John Steinbeck did the screen adaptation of his short story about a boy and the red colt he becomes attached to during his family’s domestic crisis. The movie’s famous score is by Aaron Copland. Myrna Loy and Robert Mitchum co-star. Directed by Lewis Milestone. November 16: Joyeux Noel (2005) This award winning French film recounts a true story about a Christmas Eve truce during the early stages of World War I. Scottish, French, and German troops get together for one night to celebrate each other before resuming hostilities. In French & German with subtitles. Directed by Christian Carion. November 23:

The Day Carl Sandburg Died (2011) This locally made documentary first aired on PBS in 2013. The story of Carl Sandburg is told in pictures, recordings and interviews with the poet who died in 1967. Directed by Paul Bonesteel. November 30: Gigot (1962) Jackie Gleason wrote and stars in this story of a Chaplinesque French mute who tries to take care of a little girl he comes across on the streets of 1960s Paris. She had been abandoned by her prostitute mother. He composed the music for the film as well. Directed by Gene Kelly.

film reviews

Movies continued from page 27

stories live on generation after generation. Bottom line, The Judge is likeable mediocrity, but for me it’s aggravating to see something be mediocre when it could be so much more. Oh – and one last petty grievance – Shelbourne Falls, Masschusetts is a lovely shooting location, but it doesn’t look remotely like Indiana. Rated R for language including some sexual references Review by Michelle Keenan

Laggies 1/2

Short Take: Slight but winning romantic comedy is a lot better than it should be thanks to the performances of its three leads.

Chip Kaufmann’s Pick: “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

Chloe Grace Moretz and Keira Knightley discuss life and love in Laggies.

REEL TAKE: Laggies is a textbook example of a movie that consists of shopworn material that is elevated by the performances of its principal leads. In this case there are three… Keira Knightley, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Sam Rockwell. Each brings something to the

November DVD Picks

A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1969)

November is the month that features Thanksgiving so it seems quite logical to select a DVD that I am giving thanks for finally having made its appearance in a quality version. This new MGM Limited Edition DVD-R blows away the previous version which was simply copied from a muddy VHS transfer. I first saw this version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream on commercial TV as a special presentation before I went off to college. I then saw it there and that only reinforced my love for it. I didn’t see it again for over 20 years until it first appeared on VHS. That version was a rather sad affair with sound issues and poor picture quality but that’s all there was until now. In addition to being one of Shakespeare’s most accessible plays (filmed many times including the 1999 Michelle Pfeiffer version), this version features a once-in-alifetime cast from the Royal Shakespeare Company just starting out on their careers. There’s Ian Holm, Helen Mirren, Diana Rigg, Ian Richardson, David Warner and a young and robust Judi Dench wearing little more than a fig leaf. The fashions and the make-up are contemporary (for 1969) although the settings are traditional. What makes this version so remarkable, aside from the incredible cast, is the way they handle the dialogue. There’s nothing highbrow or stuffy about it. It’s spoken like everyday conversation with an ear to Shakespeare’s rhyme scheme (film versions often forget that Shakespeare was a poet as well as a playwright). This is one Shakespeare DVD that doesn’t need subtitles

28 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

which is good because it doesn’t have any. So fans of Shakespeare and this incredible group of British actors who have so enhanced so many movies of the past 40 years give hearty thanks. This is truly A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the ages and it’s great to have it available at long last looking like it was just released.

A Walk in the Sun (1945)

Fury was a bit of a throw back, an oldschool, battle weary war drama. I heard several people say it was the kind of film you could picture William Holden in back in the day. I don’t disagree with that, but as I thought about hard core WWII dramas, one kept sifting to the top. So, in tandem with Fury and in honor of Veteran’s Day this November, I’m recommending Lewis Milestone’s film adaptation of Harry Brown’s novel, A Walk in the Sun. A Walk in the Sun was released to a war-weary nation in 1945. It was critically acclaimed, but it didn’t really find a home with audiences until years later. The film stars Dana Andrews (who starred the very next year in 1946’s wildly popular post-war drama, The Best Years of Our Lives), Richard Conte, John Ireland, George Tyne and Lloyd Bridges.

table to make Laggies (a terrible title by the way) a surprisingly enjoyable movie experience. Keira Knightley, taking a well deserved break from period pieces, is delightful as Megan, a 28 year old who has never moved on with her life since high school despite the best efforts of her family and friends. When her boyfriend of 10 years (Mark Webber) proposes, she freaks out and winds up staying in the home of a sensitive teenager (Chloe Grace Moretz) whom she has recently befriended. Knightly hangs out with Moretz and her teenage friends acting as a sort of mentor while being able to relive her high school days. In classic rom-com fashion, Moretz has a world weary father (Sam Rockwell) who just happens to be divorced. After a series of get togethers and misadventures, Movies continued on page 29

Michelle Keenan’s Pick: “A Walk in the Sun” A Walk in the Sun came on the heels of a lot of flag waving, morale-boosting, sentimental WWII stories. This was a departure from all of that. Like Fury, the characters in A Walk in the Sun are battle fatigued and broken. They are shown honestly, as fallible, ordinary men doing what they have to do to survive as soldiers. The film is decidedly unsentimental but entirely engrossing. Andrews plays Sgt. Tyne. It’s 1943 in Salerno Italy. After arriving on the beach under the cover of night, his platoon is to hoof it several miles inland to a farmhouse being held by the Nazis. Through a long series of casualties, Tyne finds himself in the unlikely position of being in charge of his infantry unit and in charge of taking the farmhouse. As one can surmise the walk to the farmhouse is no cake walk. Along the way the characters reveal more and more about their true selves, and it’s not necessarily pretty. With the exception of Andrews and Bridges, most of the cast will be relatively unknown to most people today, but it’s no less of a cast even if they are forgotten. Andrews, who I think was rather under-rated in his day, turns in one of his finest performances. Like Pitt’s unit in Fury, Andrews’ unit tries to live by a ‘nobody dies’ mantra, but it is war and no one escapes unscathed. Because A Walk In the Sun was made in 1945 it is very PG, even if it is unsentimental. Had it been made today, it would likely be a much bloodier beast of a film. For my money I’m glad it wasn’t made today. It shows the power of character, banter and the true nature of man and war.

Movies continued from page 28

Megan has to face reality and get on with her adult life. Will it be with the old boyfriend or with the slightly older father? Something tells me you can probably guess the answer to that question. Director Lynn Shelton, whose previous credits include Your Sister’s Sister (2011) and Humpday (2009), moves the film along at a good pace (it’s only 99 minutes w/credits) which helps to not only keep things moving but keeps us from focusing on how familiar the story is. Most of the blame for that goes to first time screenwriter Andrea Seigel. She tries to inject some fresh air into the stale plot and manages to for a while, but she runs out of steam a little over halfway through. That being said, it should also be noted that the predictability of the final act of Laggies is where its appeal will lie for the vast majority of people. We seem to be resurrecting more positive endings to mainstream movies now which, I confess, doesn’t bother me one bit. I’ve already talked about how good Knightley is playing against the type of roles she has become associated with but I also want to mention the contributions of Chloe Grace Moretz and especially Sam Rockwell. Moretz, who is all of 17 and has already racked up 51 film credits including star turns in Kick-Ass, Let Me In, and Hugo, is basically playing herself but she has enough personality to keep her character interesting. Sam Rockwell, on the other hand, is pretty amazing. While this role isn’t much of a stretch for him considering some of his recent work, he invests it with an effortless charm

The 20th annual Cucalorus Film Festival includes more that 240 independent and international films, including a hefty list of world premieres, U.S. and regional premieres, award-winning international films, and original debuts from both wellknown and up-and-coming filmmakers. This year the festival will honor the immeasurable legacy of filmmaker Dino De

and grace and he has us in his corner after his first scene. Nobody can focus their eyes on you the way Rockwell can. Long story short, Laggies is a predictable, feel good movie that is made more than watchable by the chemistry of its three leads. In fact it’s the kind of solid well made movie that we’ll be watching years from now when other, heavier, more critically acclaimed movies have been forgotten.

Short Take: Predictable, cliché ridden movie is raised a couple of notches by a strong supporting cast and the one and only Bill Murray.

REEL TAKE: St. Vincent is barely a step above a Hallmark Channel special or a Lifetime movie-of-the-week, take your choice. Just about every cliché’ you can think of can be found here…the grumpy old man, the precocious kid, the single mother, the hooker with the heart of gold, and the ending where everything works out. In spite of all that or perhaps because of it, the movie mostly worked for me and I’m sure it will work for you as well. The primary reason for this is, of course, Bill Murray and I say this as someone who hasn’t cared much for Murray over the years. The movie opens with Murray indulging in his trademark obnoxious, loutish character only older. Think Caddyshack or especially Stripes but with a different set of circum-

See Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightley in The Imitation Game during the Asheville Cinema Festival 2014.

Laurentiis, the father of the North Carolina film industry. Outdoor film screenings of the De Laurentiis-produced Flash Gordon and King Kong take place November 14 and 15 at 7 p.m. at Riverfront Park in downtown Wilmington.

IF YOU GO: Cucalorus Film Festival, November 12-16 in downtown Wilmington, NC. For more information and a complete list of films visit www.cucalorus.org.

The Asheville Film Society will show the following films on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. in Theater 6 at the Carolina Cinema on Hendersonville Road. Tuesday night screenings are free, but membership dues for the society are only $10. Membership gets you into any special members-only events and screenings.

Review by Chip Kaufmann

St. Vincent 1/2

ASHEVILLE FILM SOCIETY

Rated R for language, sexual material, and teen partying.

Asheville Cinema Festival 2014

Cucalorus Film Festival

film reviews

Innovative Film Festivals

The Asheville Cinema Festival, founded by Tom and Sandi Anton in 2011, takes place November 6-9 in various locations in downtown Asheville. Highlights include the festival’s opening night film, The Imitation Game, a highly anticipated drama about Alan Turing, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Keira Knightly. The closing night film is The Face of Love, starring Annette Benning, Ed Harris, and Robin Williams in what is sadly his last role. For more information about the Asheville Cinema Festival see page 19.

Bill Murray and his young friend (Jaeden Lieberher) groovin’ together in St. Vincent.

stances. Melissa McCarthy as the single mom holds her own against him but then she knows a thing or two about being obnoxious and how to react to someone being it. Naomi Watts as a pregnant Russian prostitute is saddled with the worst fake Russian accent since Natasha of Rocky & Bullwinkle fame. I realize that it was meant to be broad but sometimes she overdoes it. The accent, coupled with the fact that she really has nothing to do, made me wonder why Watts took on the project other than to work with Murray which I guess is reason enough. Murray plays Vincent McKenna, a loud mouthed, drunken Vietnam veteran who seems to have no redeemable qualities whatsoever. Of course as the film unfolds we are given his back story so that we realize that there are several reasons for his behavior being what it is including a secret sorrow. This gives Murray a chance to actually act and to create a character with some depth. Newcomer Jaeden Lieberher, who plays Oliver the precocious kid next door, is more than a match for Murray and gives a very fine performance, possibly the movie’s finest. He isn’t cute and is never annoying and his small size adds to his stature as we watch him evolve before our eyes from a bullied, introverted geek into a confident young boy who is more than able to take care of himself. First time writer-director Theodore Melfi takes a remarkably predictable story and turns it into a variation of Hugh Grant’s About A Boy. It works more often than not although some facets like Terrence Howard’s loan shark seem little more than a plot device. Irish actor Chris O’Dowd is very engaging as a hip Catholic priest which is miles away from the character he played in Calvary. Next to Murray he gets the best lines. In the end St. Vincent is an unashamedly manipulative movie that cashes in on the popularity of Murray and the strength of the cast surrounding him. Audiences should love it especially older members who will embrace its feel good qualities. It may be maudlin and mundane but that is of no consequence when it’s done this well. Rated PG-13 for sexual content, alcohol and tobacco use and for language. Review by Chip Kaufmann

Nov 4: The Elephant Man (1980) A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous facade, there is revealed a person of intelligence and sensitivity. Stars Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt and Anne Bancroft. Directed by David Lynch. November 11:

The Magic Christian

(1969) Sir Guy Grand, the richest man in the world, adopts a homeless boy. Together, they set out to prove that anyone – and anything – can be bought with money. Stars Peter Sellers, Ringo Starr and Isabelle Jeans. Directed by Joseph McGrath. November 18:

Ministry Of Fear (1944) Ray Milland stars as a man who has just been released from an asylum during World War II in England when he stumbles on a deadly Nazi spy plot and tries to stop it. Directed by Fritz Lang.

November 25: Judge Priest (1934) Judge Priest, a proud Confederate veteran, uses common sense and considerable humanity to dispense justice in a small town in the Post-Bellum Kentucky. Stars Will Rogers, Tom Brown and Anita Louise. Directed by John Ford.

Carolina Cinemas, 1640 Hendersonville Rd. (828) 274-9500. For more information go to www.facebook.com/ashevillefilmsociety

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 29

Now Accepting Reservations for your Holiday Party

L T

LOCAL FOOD & DINING GUIDE

Your Passport to Discovering Excellent Food

Bogart’s Restaurant and Tavern

Between the Great Smoky Mountains and the Blue Ridge Mountains, lies the town of Waynesville, NC.

sUsaN DEVitt

Bogart’s is the local steak house and family restaurant. It’s a large cabin, built for that warm and This gem of a town is known for .9 Hg comfy experience. The main its epic views, scaling mountain ridges, dining area and bar are on and endless sky, as yet untouched by the Breakfast • Lunch • Dinner the first floor with lots of onslaught of viral development of our Artisan Crafted Scrumptious Food extra seating upstairs in the beloved Asheville. Made Fresh with Local Ingredients wrap around loft, providLike Asheville, Waynesville is a destiGourmet Sandwiches & Wraps • Desserts ing a view of half a dozen nation to visit for its character and charm, Homemade Soups large stuffed bears lying on delivering that “mountain town” feel. Salads • Kids Menu upper beams, and the acRight on the edge of town sits Bogart’s, as Seafood • Steak Chicken • Pasta tion below (no worries, the authentic a mountain town restaurant as Pork Tenderloin Gluten-Free bears aren’t real). We sat up you’ll find anywhere. Named for the origiVegetarian Bogart’s dining areas create a warm and in the loft and were served nal owner’s dog, not the actor, it opened Espresso • Coffee Teas • Beer • Wine comfy experience. by Judy, an employee of 23 37 years ago and it’s still going strong. Daily Food Specials years. Although the Outdoor Dining restaurant was full, the service saw that a popular choice was a Bogart’s 828.692.6335 was steady and the place was ‘Favorite,’ the Prolific Sweet Potato, Breakfast: Tues-Sat 8:30-10:30 am • Lunch: Everyday 11 am - 3 pm amazingly quiet. served as an appetizer or a meal; it’s stuffed Dinner: Friday & Saturday 5:30 - 8:30 pm We did have a few minutes with pulled pork BBQ, bacon, jack and Live Dinner Music Fri & Sat Nights before we were seated so we sat at cheddar cheese, creamy chipotle sauce and 536 N. Main Street • Hendersonville the bar, which has about 15 seats, chives. People were digging it! and overlooks the flaming grill. Judy offered us a choice of desserts, Bogart’s has six taps and about 35 and we wanted to pick a house-made bottled beers. We had Asheville’s one. We split the blackberry cobbler with local Greenman IPA on tap and a vanilla ice cream. The cobbler was more CK Mondavi Merlot. The wine blackberries than crust, nice! It was also Top-10 Cities for Best Restaurants selection is all CK Mondavi, a not too sweet, and large enough to split Bogart’s serves steaks, chicken, seafood, burgers, and Healthy Eating Establishments good American wine maker, and easily. But it was a tough choice, since they sandwiches, wraps, soups and salads. 1. New Haven, Conn. they do a very generous pour. also had homemade bread pudding. 2. Scottsdale, Ariz. The menu is succulent and wide with Bogart’s has a warm and happy vibe, We drove into town about 4 p.m. on 3. Boston, Mass. many choices in steaks, chicken, seafood, a real destination spot, where we felt we a Friday to walk around and have dinner 4. ASHEVILLE, NC. burgers, sandwiches, wraps, soups and were one of the family, even though we – driving past the restaurant we saw the 5. Traverse City, Mich. salads. were out-of-towners. I think they’re proud parking lot was full. We shopped Main St 6. Berkeley, Calif. Dinner entrees start with a warm of that, they can welcome everyone and and returned for dinner, to a full house. 7. Boulder, Colo. basket of fresh baked home-style brown anyone to have a great meal and a lovely And we noted later, as we were leaving, 8. Burlington, Vt. bread with whipped butter. We ordered the visit, whether they’re passing through the line was out the door. Welcome to 9. Omaha, Neb. house signature dish, Angus filet mignon, town, or will come back again and again. Bogart’s, where the locals eat, where every10. Washington, DC. wrapped in bacon, flame kissed and meone eats. dium rare. As expected the filet was cooked from www.Livability.com as requested and as tender as any filet. The Bogart’s Restaurant bacon wrap was an accent and did not over and Tavern power the beef. We also ordered the lightly breaded 303 South Main St. Bring in this Ad and fried shrimp, a generous portion and Waynesville, NC 28786 and We’ll Take blessedly not greasy! Cooked ‘just right,’ (828) 452-1313 the shrimp tasted fresh and tender. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m. Entrees come with a side salad, Caesar Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. or house, and a nice selection of sides, including flame-roasted apples, sweet or regular potatoes, veggies, rice pilaf, and Excluding Alcohol more. We chose sweet potato fries and Susan Devitt is co-owner 1 Coupon Per Table of Asheville food company the roasted apples with cinnamon sugar, BelloLea Artisan Kitchen, perfect for those fall food cravings. (828) 236-9800 which makes delicious, For vegetarian choices, Bogart’s has fun Pizza Kits. She Open 7 Days a Week a Chipotle Black Bean Burger, a Grilled Hoagies & Pretzels and husband Tom are Portobello Mushroom burger, and a Vegconfessed foodies and therefore won’t be Fresh-Baked Calzones gie Philly. For the meat lovers they have 50 Broadway ~ Asheville, NC leaving Asheville, unless they’re dragged a nice selection of 1/3 lb. burgers, cooked out, kicking and screaming. Contact her Specialt y Pizzas • Spring Water Dough • Salads Wireless to order, with an assortment of toppings at SusanBelloLea@gmail.com Internet Access! . 18 Vegan Soy Cheese, and other Vege tarian Options! to please. Glancing at the other diners, we b pg

ASHEVILLE IN TOP 10

15% Off Your Order

Delicious

30 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

R T

LOCAL FOOD GUIDE

Your Passport to Discovering Excellent Food

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza

Asheville prides itself on restaurants, beer, locals, beer, outdoors and beer.

sUsaN DEVitt

Eclectic Homemade Cuisine Mon - Fri 11:30am - 2am Sat & Sun 10:30am - 2am Kitchen open until 1am Daily

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza fits in nicely and I’ll tell you why. A locally owned pizzeria, with a terrific brew selection, a large outdoor seating area and an incredibly original pizza menu, Brixx in south Asheville should be your The wood-burning oven enhances the natural flavors next go-to for all of of the restaurant’s pizzas. the above! This neighborhood pizzeria is Brixx is definitely very friendly, and a franchise that started in Charlotte family oriented. They’ve gone the extra and when you try their pizza you’ll creative mile with an entire wall of booths understand their success. Being lothat have a continuous chalk board — it’s cally owned, they have the freedom to ok and encouraged to write on those walls. source local foods such as the pimento They offer kid-sized pizzas and even let cheese for their pimento cheese pizza, them make their own dough shape to be and the mozzarella is made fresh incooked in their wood fired oven. house. If you avoid gluten, Brixx has a gluten We headed to Brixx on a Monday free pizza and if you’re vegan you’ll be glad night, which happens to be $1.95 to know they use Daiya, the most popular draft beer night. Pizza, plus a special vegan “cheese.” The menu has loads of on draught beers…plan your Monveggie options too. day around that. They have 24 taps, a What we loved about the menu was GREAT selection of local beers, and they offered so many fantastic combinarevolving taps from Sierra Nevada, tions of toppings on their signature pizzas. Beer Nerd, New Belgium and Sweet Nothing run-of-the-mill, they ranged Water. They also have wine and mixed from the simple to the exotic. With over 2 drinks. Not surprisingly it was packed, dozen pizzas to choose from, it would be with a fun and festive atmosphere. I impossible to not find one to amaze you! love the big patio, perfect for AsheI frequently hear around town that ville’s long seasons of mild weather there’s a shortage of thin-crust pizza spots. and passion for hanging outdoors with friends and families. continued on page 33

777 Haywood Road, Asheville

Bar & Grill · Pool & Billiards

pg. 36

(828) 225-9782

www.westvillepub.com

pg. 36

Monday-Friday only. One coupon per check. Pizza of least value is free. Not valid with other coupons or discounts. Asheville location only. Expires 11/30/2014.

1st

Visit

FREE DESSERT! With Purchase of Entrée

2nd FREE APPETIZER! Visit

3rd

Visit

2155 Hendersonville Road Arden F 828.687.7980

www.blackforestasheville.com

pg. 36

With Purchase of Entrée

1/2 OFF ENTREE! Equal or Lesser Value, with Purchase of Entrée

One coupon per table. Coupon must remain intact. Expires 12/31/14

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 31

Advertise in Our Dining Guide

L T

DINING & RESTAURANT GUIDE

Your Passport to Discovering Excellent Food in Western North Carolina

~ Free Web Links ~ Free Ad Design

Thanksgiving Food Tasting

Call now for a great deal! (828) 646-0071

Check out the amazing list of Thanksgiving dishes the West Village Market will be preparing this year.

Stop in on Saturday, November 8 to taste them, and enjoy a sample of organic Beaujolais wine. The dishes will include: • No Evil Foods Vegan Roast

Vegan Roast from No Evil Foods

• House-made Chorizo Stuffing • Sweet Potato and Sage Butter Casserole • Fresh Cranberry Relish • Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts • Bacon Pecan Pie • Apple Butter Pumpkin Pie • Double Layer Vegan Pumpkin Cheesecake No Evil Foods (www.noevilfoods.com) is a local meat substitute business with delicious vegan sausages and roasts. The market will be carrying No Evil’s Vegan Roast this year for Thanksgiving. Come out and try a sample along with their other delicious menu items on Saturday, November 8.

Is your mouth watering yet? IF YOU Thanksgivng food tasting, Saturday, November GO 8 from noon to 6 p.m. West Village Market &

pg. 22

145 Wall Street

Downtown Waynesville

828.550.3610

Deli, 771 Haywood Rd., Asheville. For more information please visit www.westvillagemarket.com, or call (828) 225-4949.

pg. 22

pg. 18

pg. 36

a Culinary Gi Shop 8 Town Square Blvd. Asheville, NC 28803 828-676-1678

asheville.oilandvinegarusa.com 32 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

noteworthy

This Farmer’s Market is Open Year-Round – Right On Your Doorstep!

Upstate South Carolina and Western North Carolina boast a wide variety of vibrant, varied, and entertaining farmers’ markets. But now, many are closed for the season.

Discerning cooks with a penchant for organic and locally-sourced produce and edibles need not despair: Mother Earth Produce (MEP) is one virtual farmer’s market that operates year-round, offering the best the Carolinas have to offer with respect to produce, eggs, meats, cheeses, nut butters, local honeys, coffee, tea, and a slew of other edibles. Best of all, this farmer’s market is very convenient, regardless of your location: As long as you’re in MEP’s service area, you can get everything you need, delivered right to your doorstep, on a weekly basis. Routes run Thursday-Sunday. A majority of the produce and other foodstuffs offered by MEP is locally-sourced, meaning these items offer both paramount quality and unsurpassable freshness. Selections from outside the area, such as bananas and pineapples, are sourced from the finest organic providers to guarantee the highest quality, commensurate with that provided by the dedicated local farmers who have been partnering with MEP for years to deliver quality, taste, variety and convenience—regardless of the season. “We take great pride in constantly cultivating the relationships we hold with our suppliers,” says Andrea DuVall, owner, Mother Earth Produce. “By putting a great deal of due diligence and legwork into selecting the farmers with whom we collaborate, we’ve built a network of regional, sustainable

‘Brixx Pizza’ cont’d from page 31

If your idea of a perfect crust is thin then you’ll be happy. Wood fired, thin, and you can choose either a traditional white or a whole wheat crust. The standard pizza is a thin-crust 10” pie. We had half-and-half’s to widen our sampling. The night’s special was a Pesto Margherita, which was simple but super fresh with basil and tomato. I consider myself an expert on unusual pizza toppings and I’d never had a Thai pizza until now. Sweet Thai Chicken, which was savory, yet a bit sweet with the sweet chili sauce, goat cheese, pistachios and satay dressing. Ok, I loved it. We also had their two most popular pizzas — The Bronx Bomber (spicy Italian sausage, proscuitto, gorgonzola…yum) and the Chicken Florentine (wood-roasted chicken, bacon, romas, spinach, feta, mozzarella) on whole wheat crust. I wanted the Pear and Gorgonzola pizza with toasted walnuts, but opted for that as an arugula salad instead, (eat your greens), along with the Fig and Proscuitto Flatbread -

produce and the top-quality meats, cheeses, eggs, and everything else Mother Earth Produce’s they select to the attention with weekly deliveries provide which all the food items are packed and cooled.” the best edibles available, Additionally, customers no matter the season. enjoy all these benefits without any membership and/or delivery fees, and no contract is necessary— shoppers can elect to order on a DuVall. “There’s no need to resort to substanrecurring basis, or simply weekdard produce when the plethora of wonderful to-week. farmers’ markets in our area close. It’s such “Even though there’s no a blessing to live in a region that provides an long-term commitment with outstanding abundance and variety of seasonal Mother Earth, we order every crops, which we augment with scrupulously week,” Bowen says. “The quality selected meats, cheeses and other foodstuffs, Mother Earth Produce offers friendly and flexible is consistently amazing, and it’s as well as out-of-market organic fruit and vegdelivery service. such a huge time-saver basically etable alternatives, to ensure that our customhaving at least 90% of what I’d spend goodness ers have everything they need to make healthy farms and food producers that enables us to knows how much time shopping for each eating the easiest choice possible, rather than a deliver not only the highest quality product, week simply delivered to my door—and I’m challenge.” but also the most extensive range possible to also supporting local growers and providers at Bowen is outspoken in her support of our customers. the same time. Plus, the ability to personalize the company. “Call Mother Earth today and “Plus, our convenient, friendly and flexmy order is invaluable. Mother Earth provides arrange for just one bin. There’s no question ible delivery service makes all this possible a weekly menu, but then since I order the in my mind that you’ll be hooked – on the by allowing the customer to place their order customizable bins, I can tailor my selections quality, variety, convenience, health benefits, from their laptop or smartphone, day or night, to what my family will particularly enjoy. All and the ability to support the local business within the order window, even in their proverin all, both the product and the service are community. Need I say more?” bial pajamas, and then enjoy the fruits—and top-notch. It’s like having a food concierge, Mother Earth Produce currently delivers vegetables—of our labors just a few days later and with a busy family and an overbooked to customers in Asheville, Arden, Biltmore when they get a delicious delivery right to schedule of activities, we look at Mother Earth Lake, Black Mountain, Candler, Fletcher, their door.” as a partner in household management, one Swannanoa, and Weaverville, North Carolina; “It’s like Christmas every Saturday that truly enhances our life with the services and Greenville, Boiling Springs, Greer, Lywhen I open my bin,” says Cindy Bowen, a and products they provide.” man, Moore, Simpsonville, Spartanburg, and customer since 2012. “Even though I know Now entering its third year of business, Traveler’s Rest, South Carolina. Routes run what’s coming, it’s always a delight to sort Mother Earth Produce, a family-owned comThursday – Sunday, depending on location. through my order. The care and thought put pany based in Asheville, NC, works with more into the edibles that Mother Earth provides than 25 farms and regional food producers. shines through in everything from the robust Based in Asheville, NC, Mother Earth Delivery by their “veggie van” is free and orProduce (MEP) delivers to customers ders placed online are customizable by size and throughout Western North Carolina and contents. Starting at just $27 per bin, shoppers Upstate South Carolina. can choose a recurring weekly delivery, pause For more details on MEP, please visit caramelized onions, gorgonzola and walnuts, delivery based on personalized need, or order www.motherearthproduce.com, or contact spread with house-made fig jam and drizzled week-by-week. Julie Peck at (864) 237-4302 or by email with honey. It’s big and very sharable, deli“We’re proud to provide our customers at jpeckmktg@gmail.com. ciously wood fired! with organic produce all year round,” says Clearly we didn’t have room for desert, but our server tempted us with house-made Tiramissu and we felt compelled to comply. Some restaurants make Tiramissu with a layer of cinnamon on top which tends to be dry. Brixx does it the way we do at home, flaked chocolate on top of both layers. I love pizza. The only way I get truly amazing, creative pizza is if I make it at home. I have seriously never found a pizza menu that challenges the imagination (and the taste Let Asheville Brewers show you how buds) like Brixx. Go. Bring others to share, Mon-Sat 10-6 aﬀordable, enjoyable and delicious order halfsies and try many! What are you Sun 11-4 homebrewing can be! waiting for? Plenty of Parking!

Brixx Wood Fired Pizza

712-B Merrimon Ave

• Asheville, NC • (828) 285-0515 .AB. • S’ F • S 

Biltmore Park Town, 30 Town Square Blvd. (828) 654-0046 Mon-Sat 11 a.m. - 1 a.m.; Sun 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.

pg. 36

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 33

Saturday, November 1

November 1 - December 5

Paintings by Michael Phillips

Crimson Laurel Gallery

Solo exhibition of bird and wildlife paintings. Reception from 3-5 p.m. At the Hilton Biltmore Park, 43 Town Square Blvd. On display through midJanuary. Call (828) 209-2700.

Saturday, November 1

Variety Show Fundraiser

Storytellers, singers, magicians, and jugglers. 7 to 9 p.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 337 Charlotte St. in Asheville. Tickets are $10, $5 for children. Purchase at the door and online at www. VanishingWheelchair.org. Seating is limited. 100% of the money goes to the ALS Association. For more details call Magic Central, (828) 645-2941.

Saturday, November 1

Posada: Marigolds & Skulls

Limited edition prints by Jose Guadalupe. Opening from 6-9 p.m. Lecture at 7 p.m. by Volker Frank, Latin American Studies professor at UNCA. At the Pump Gallery, 109 Roberts Street on the main floor of the Phil Mechanics Building/Flood Fine Arts Center. For more information call (828) 273-3332.

How to place an event/ classified listing with Rapid River Art Magazine Any “free” event open to the public can be listed at no charge up to 30 words. For all other events there is a $14.95 charge up to 35 words and 12 cents for each additional word. 65 word limit per event. Sponsored listings (shown in boxes) can be purchased for $18 per column inch. Deadline is the 19th of each month. Payment must be made prior to printing. Email Beth Gossett at: ads@rapidrivermagazine.com Or mail to: 85 N. Main St, Canton, NC 28716. Call (828) 646-0071 to place ad over the phone. – Disclaimer – Due to the overwhelming number of local event submissions we get for our “What to Do Guide” each month, we can not accept entries that do not specifically follow our publication’s format. Non-paid event listings must be 30 words or less, and both paid and non-paid listings must provide information in the following format: date of event, title, description and time, cost, location, and your contact info. Any entries not following this format will not be considered for publication.

what to do guide

Featured artists: Lynn Duryea, ceramics; figurative sculptural work by Lisa Clague and David Robinson; sculptural and functional works by ceramicists Shadow Justin Rothshank May, Justin Rothshank, and Jerilyn Virden. Opens November 1. On display until Dec. 5. (828) 6883599, www.crimsonlaurelgallery.com.

Sunday and Monday November 2 & 3

Auditions for A Christmas Carol

Directed by Mark Jones, original score by Ann Rhymer Schwabland. Singing and non-singing roles for all ages. Professionals should come with a prepared monologue, head shot, and resume. Others read cold from script. 6:30 p.m. in the Feichter Studio of the HART Theatre, 250 Pigeon St. in Waynesville. Performances Dec. 11 & 12 at 7:30 p.m., Dec. 13 at 11 a.m. & 2 p.m., and Dec. 14 at 3 p.m.

Sunday, November 2

Lye Soap Demonstation

Linda Stewart will demonstrate her traditional technique for making lye soap at the Cades Cove Visitor Center from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., weather permitting. Stewart has been making soap using the traditional method for 15 years. For more information visit www.SmokiesInformation.org; or call 1-888-898-9102.

Tuesday, November 4

Legendary Locals of Asheville

Reading and book signing by Kevan Frazier. 12 p.m. in UNC Asheville’s Karpen Hall, Laurel Forum. Free. (828) 251-6140, www.olliasheville.com

Tuesday, November 4

Chris Robinson Brotherhood

Farm to table psychedelic rock band promotes their new realease, Phosphorescent Harvest. Quirky, trippy, soulful, and downright magnetic. Doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m. Tickets: $20 adv.; $22 d.o.s. 18+. Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave, Asheville. (828) 398-1837, www.theorangepeel.net.

Friday, November 7

White Horse Black Mountain 6th Anniversary Celebration

All-star performances by BJ Leiderman, Kat Williams, The Belfast Boys and more. Doors open at 7 p.m. Music at 7:30 p.m. $15 advance/$18 door. White Horse, 105c Montreat Road, Black Mountain. (828) 669-0816, or www.whitehorseblackmountain.com

Asheville Symphony Orchestra Saturday, November 8 - Asheville Symphony Chorus Concert: The Mass - Past & Present. Arden Presbyterian Church, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, November 11 - Behind the Notes with Chip Kaufmann. Deerfield Community Center, 4 p.m. Friday, November 21 - Symphony talk with Daniel Meyer: Reuter Center, 3 p.m. Saturday, November 22 - ASO Concert: Tchaikovsky’s 4th. Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, 8 p.m. Pre-concert lecture at 7 p.m. Tickets: $22 for adults; $11 for youth, available through the ASO office or the U.S. Cellular Center ticket office. Call (828) 254-7046 or visit www.ashevillesymphony.org

Friday, November 7

Asheville Playback Theatre

Invite your family and friends, share a story, and allow us to transform your ordinary stories into extraordinary events. No scripts. No elaborate sets or costumes. Stories are provided on the spot by random audience members. Jubilee Center Garden Room, Patton Ave. 8 p.m. $10; $5 youth. For more information: call Robert at (828) 2730995; visit www.ashevilleplayback.org

Friday & Saturday, November 7 & 8

Prague’s Cirk La Putyka

Transcending acrobatics, contemporary dance, puppetry, concert, and sport, Prague’s Cirk La Putyka: Slapstick Sonata will have you on the edge of your seat. Mainstage Special Attractions

Odyssey Cooperative Art Gallery Tuesday, November 4 – New show celebrating the work of Adele Macy, Margaret Kleiber, Anna Koloseike, and twenty-five other gallery members. Saturday, November 8 – River Arts District Second Saturday Event. Demonstrations, refreshments, and a showcase of ceramic arts. Odyssey Cooperative Art Gallery 238 Clingman Ave., Asheville. (828) 285-0210 www.odysseyceramicarts.com

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Series, Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place. 8 p.m. Tickets: $38, Student $33; Children 12 and under $15; Student rush day-of-show (with valid I.D.) $10. (828) 257-4530, www.dwtheatre.com.

Saturday, November 8

Tryon Beer Fest

Noon until 6 p.m. in the Tryon Depot Plaza. An array of craft beers and authentic German food. The Oyster Roast starts at 12:30. Live Bavarian music during the day then rock out with a live band in the afternoon. Admission gets you unlimited beer and wine samples. 21+. Rain or shine. Visit www.tryonbeerfest.com

Saturday, November 8

Appalachian Pastel Society

Presentation and workshop by Karen Margulis on “Expressive Pastels: Loosen Up and Add Some Spice to Your Paintings.” Meeting and demonstration 10 a.m. to 12 noon; workshop 1-4 p.m. At Grace Community Church, 495 Cardinal Road, Mills River. Call Sparky Nelson at (828) 696-8074, or visit www.appalachianpastelsocietyy.org.

Tuesday, November 11

Classic Hike of the Smokies

Hike along Deep Creek Trail. Views of the 80 foot Toms Branch Falls. 9 mile, moderately difficult hike led by hiking guide and author Danny Bernstein. $35 per person, includes membership to Friends of the Smokies. Carpools leave from Asheville and Waynesville. To register, contact AnnaLee@friendsofthesmokies.org or (828) 452-0720. Visit www.friendsofthesmokies.org.

Friday, November 14

The Morning After

An eclectic Motown sound, fueled by bluegrass, dripping with soul with just a touch of latin and jazz. All ages. 8 p.m. $5 adv., $7 d.o.s. Altamont Theatre, 18 Church St., Asheville. For more details call (828) 270-7747 or visit www.myAltamont.com.

November 14-16

The Wizard of Oz

Join Dorothy and Toto as they travel through the world of Oz and meet the Scarecrow, the Tinman, the Cowardly Lion, a host of Munchkins, and the wickedest witch of all! Performed by students ranging in age from 5 to 15. Friday, November 14 at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, November 15 & 16 at 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $5, available at www.ashevilletheatre.org, by phone at (828) 254-1320 or in person at the ACT Box Office. Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St., Asheville. For more details call (828) 254-1320, or visit www.ashevilletheatre.org

Saturday, November 15

Red June

Dynamic, refined sound Red June Photo: Bobby Amoroso featuring delightful three-part harmonies, electrifying instrumental work, and honest, soulful songwriting. Special guests Shannon Whitworth and Barrett Smith. Diana Wortham Theatre, 8 p.m. Tickets: $30, Student $25, Children 12 and under $15; Student rush day-of-show (with valid I.D.) $10. Diana Wortham Theatre at Pack Place. (828) 257-4530 or visit www.dwtheatre.com.

Saturday, November 15

3rd Annual Yart Sale

Area artists will be clearing their studios of paintings, pottery, older works, unsold artwork (framed and unframed), and unneeded art supplies. Wide variety of art and vintage items at yard sale prices. 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the First Congregational Church Hall, 1735 5th Avenue West, corner of White Pine Drive and 5th Avenue West in Hendersonville. For more information contact the Arts Council of Henderson County at (828) 693-8504.

Sunday, November 16

Concert to Benefit the Victims of War

3:30 p.m., violinist Michael Dabroski will perform music by Bach and original works based on Palestinian melodies in a concert to benefit the victims of war in Gaza. Sponsored by Western Carolinians for Peace and Justice in the Middle East. At the Rainbow Community School concert hall, 58 State Street in West Asheville.Call (828) 505-7336 or visit www.mepeacewnc.com.

Saturday, November 22

Farm Dreams

Entry level, exploratory workshop on sustainable farming and how to move forward. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Buncombe County Extension Office, 94 Coxe Ave., Asheville. Bring a lunch. Cost: $55. www.organicgrowersschool.org

Saturday, November 22

Reading and Silent Auction

Literary reading exploring the tangled relationships between non-human and human animals. 6 p.m. at LenoirRhyne University. Auction proceeds benefit NC sanctuaries.

Saturday, November 22

Asheville Holiday Parade

68th annual parade rolls, marches and dances its way down Biltmore Ave. in downtown Asheville beginning at 11 a.m. Following the parade, JingleFest, a family-friendly celebration, will be

NOVEMBER EVENTS ~ ANNOUNCEMENTS ~ OPENINGS ~ SALES 34 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

The Altamont Theatre

what to do guide

Best in Show

by Phil Juliano

Pan Harmonia Local, Authentic, World-Class Chamber Music Haen Gallery Concerts: Flutist Kate Steinbeck and percussionist Byron Hedgepeth, play compelling sounds of Asia, mid-century American song masters, jazz, tango, and even JS Bach’s Goldberg Variations.

Wednesday, November 12 – An Evening with Kevn Kinney, Founder/Front-man of Drivin’ N’ Cryin’. Doors 7 p.m.; show: 8 p.m. Tickets: $15

Callie & Cats

by Amy Downs

Monday, November 3 at 6:30 p.m. Haen Gallery Asheville, 52 Biltmore Avenue.

Friday, November 14 at 8 p.m. – The Morning After. Eclectic/Rock/Fusion. $5 adv., $7 d.o.s. All ages. High energy, eclectic mix of soul, rock, jazz, Latin and bluegrass.

Friday, November 7 at 6:30 p.m. Haen Gallery Brevard, 200 King Street. $24 in advance; $26 at the door; $8 Students.

The Altamont Theatre 18 Church Street, downtown Asheville For tickets and more details call (828) 2707747 or visit www.myAltamont.com held at the US Cellular Center from noon to 5 p.m. For more information please visit www. ashevilledowntown.org

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Sunday, November 2 at 7:30 p.m. – Hip Harp: Deborah Henson-Conant. Electric harp, vocals, spoken word & humor. $27 adv., $32 day of show. All ages.

Thursday, November 13 at 8 p.m. – Standup comedy with Tim Northern. $7 adv., $10 d.o.s. 18+. Guest appearances by Tom Scheve and Cary Goff.

Corgi Tales

by Phil Hawkins

Sunday, November 9 – ELEGY: 6th Annual Holocaust Remembrance Concert. Music of Leo Smit and Vítzslava Kaprálová performed by Kate Steinbeck, flute, Fred Lemmons, clarinet, John Ravnan, viola, Ivan Seng, piano. 5 p.m. at UNC Asheville, Manheimer Room. Free. For more information please visit www.pan-harmonia.org

Saturday, November 23

Art & Craft Bazaar

20 local craftsmen and artists offering woodworking, fiber art, paintings, pottery, and jewelry. Food truck on premise. 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. at The Art House Gallery & Studio, 5 Highland Park Rd., E. Flat Rock. www.arthousegalleryandstudio.com

November 28 & 29

Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

Sunday, November 23

Billy Jonas Band

CD release show for Build It Back Again. Songs that engage all ages with funky rhythms and thoughtful lyrics. 4 & 7 p.m. at the Grey Eagle, 185 Clingman Ave., Asheville. (828) 2325800. Tickets at www.thegreyeagle.com.

Dragin

by Michael Cole

Arrowhead Artists and Artisan League Every Sunday, 2-4 p.m. For those interested in painting, drawing, pastels, or other media. Materials provided free of charge for the first two sessions. To continue, join the league for $25 per year. At the Arrowhead Gallery & Studios, 78 Catawba Ave., in Old Fort. Contact Helen Sullivan at helensullivan@wildblue.net for more details.

November 23 & 24

Auditions for A Chorus Line

Seeking singers who can dance and dancers who can sing. No previous experience required. Be prepared to sing 16 bars of music. Bring sheet music. Accompanist provided. Directed by Chanda Calentine with musical direction by Gary Mitchell and choreography by Tina Pisano-Foor. November 23 from 12 noon – 3 p.m.; November 24 from 6-9 p.m. Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St., Asheville. Call (828) 254-1320, or visit www.ashevilletheatre.org.

Ratchet and Spin

by Jessica and Russ Woods

Medical Guardian

Top-rated medical alarm and 24/7 medical alert monitoring. For a limited time, get free equipment, no activation fees, no commitment, a 2nd waterproof alert button for free and more – only $29.95 per month. 1-800-892-4631.

Are you in BIG trouble with the IRS?

Stop wage and bank levies, liens and audits, unfiled tax returns, payroll issues, and resolve tax debt FAST. Seen on CNN. A BBB. Call 1-800867-6028.

Versatile actor Jeremy Webb has re-envisioned this classic by creating a 25 character, familyfriendly, one-man play with puppets for ghosts. A definitive holiday experience. Diana Wortham Theatre. Friday, November 28 at 7 p.m.; Saturday, November 29 at 2 & 7 p.m. Tickets: $30, Student $25, Children 12 and under $15; Student rush day-of-show (with valid I.D.) $10. (828) 257-4530, www.dwtheatre.com.

The Tax Doctor

Reduce your past tax bill by as much as 75 percent. Stop levies, leins and wage garnishments. Call The Tax DR now to see if you qualify. 1-800-764-0725.

CLASSES ~ AUDITIONS ~ ARTS & CRAFTS ~ READINGS Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 35

Find It Here

Interactive Maps are on our website! www.RapidRiverMagazine.com/maps A-1 Music Warehouse www.mymusicwarehouse.com

Jewels That Dance www.jewelsthatdance.com

Andrew Charles Gallery (828) 989-0111

Jonas Gerard Fine Art www.jonasgerard.com

Appalachian Survival Gear www.AppalachianSurvivalGear.com

Joyce Schlapkohl www.joycepaints.com

Ariel Gallery, arielcraftgallery.com The Art House www.arthousegalleryandstudio.com

Kirk’s Collectables,(770) 757-6814

Art on Depot, (828) 246-0218

Massie Furniture Company, Inc. www.massiefurniture.net

Asheville Brewers Supply www.AshevilleBrewers.com

Malaprops Bookstore/Cafe www.malaprops.com

Mellow Mushroom, (828) 236-9800

Asheville Gallery of Art www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com

Mountain Area Information Network main.nc.us

Asheville Symphony Orchestra www.ashevillesymphony.org

Mountain Made, www.MtnMade. com Mountain Top Appliance www.mountainviewappliance.com

B & C Winery, (828) 550-3610 BlackBird Frame & Art www.blackbirdframe.com

O’Charley’s, www.ocharleys.com

Black Box Photography www.blackboxphoto.info www.doteditions.com

Octopus Garden, www.theOG.us

Black Forest www.blackforestasheville.com

On Demand Printing www.ondemandink.com

Black Mountain Swannanoa Chamber of Commerce www.exploreblackmountain.com Blue Ribbon Frame Shop (828) 693-7967 Bogart’s Restaurant www.bogartswaynesville.com Brixx Pizza www.brixxpizza.com Grace C. Bomer Art www.gracecarolbomer.com

Oil & Vinegar Asheville asheville.oilandvinegarusa.com

Pink Dog Creative www.pinkdog-creative.com Soapy Dog www.thesoapydog.com Southern Highland Craft Guild www.craftguild.org Starving Artist www.StarvingArtistCatalog.com The Strand www.38main.com

Cafe 64 www.cafe-64.com

Susan Marie Designs www.susanmariedesigns.com

The Chocolate Fetish www.chocolatefetish.com

Cottonmill Studios www.cottonmillstudiosnc.com Dad’s Collectibles www.dadscats.com Double Exposure Giclee www.doubleexposureart.com Frugal Framer www.frugalframer.com Gallery of the Mountains galleryofthemountains.blogspot.com Great Smokies, (828) 452-4757 The Green Room Café www.thegreenroomcafe.biz HART Theater www.harttheatre.com

Ten Thousand Villages Asheville www.villagesasheville.org

Twigs and Leaves Gallery www.twigsandleaves.com VaVaVoom www.vavavooom.com Visions of Creation www.visionsofcreation.com

BILTMORE VILLAGE BG

WEST ASHEVILLE

BX HA

MERRIMON AVE.

GROVE PARK INN

Hearn’s Bicycle, (828) 253-4800

GG MB

artful living

REYNOLDS VILLAGE

TUNNEL ROAD

Voorhees Family Art www.voorheesfamilyart.com Westville Pub www.westvillepub.com

Two years passed before he released New Crest of an Old Wave. While a solid effort, it lacked the spark of its predecessors; more importantly new wave and punk were taking over the rock world leaving even the most revered 1960s artists considered relics of a past not worth resurrecting. Mason continued to tour and released a slew of modestly successful albums – “Dreams I Dream,” a duet with Phoebe Snow reached number 11 in the adult contemporary charts, but Mason had clearly lost his focus. He briefly joined a new lineup of Fleetwood Mac, appearing on the dismal 1995 album Time, but left soon after. After a period of reflection, in which he released no new material and toured only sporadically, Mason reteamed with Jim Capaldi for a tour that produced the 1999 album Live: The 40,000 Headman Tour. Buoyed by its modest success, Mason began to embrace his past in ways he’d previously ignored. During the 1970s he rarely performed any Traffic material, but his renewed association with Capaldi, who unfortunately passed away in January of 2005, seemed to reawaken his creative flow. In 2008 he released 26 Letters 12 Notes, his first studio album in nearly two decades. Highly praised in Rapid River, it was an unexpected return to form, a reminder that Dave Mason was and remains a central force in British rock. While he once seemed apathetic or even hostile to his legacy, Mason has in recent years embraced it, feeling comfortable about his contributions to music and where it has taken him. He’s currently fronting his Traffic Jam band, a tribute to his early roots with a hit laden set list that covers all aspects of his amazing career.

Town Hardware & General Store www.townhardware.com TPennington Art Gallery www.tpennington.com

‘Dave Mason’ cont’d from pg. 13

Swannanoa Valley Fine Arts League Red House Gallery www.svfalarts.org

Cheryl Keefer www.CherylKeefer.com

L T

His touring band – drummer Alvino Bennett, keyboardist Tony Patler, and guitarist Johnnie Sambataro – are all seasoned vets who bring their own talents to the stage. After 60 years in music, Dave Mason is still feeling alright, a man at peace with his past, who looks eagerly into the future. IF YOU Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam, Saturday, November 8. Doors GO open at 7 for this limited seating 8 p.m. show. Tickets

are $28 in advance. The Orange Peel, 101 Biltmore Ave., Asheville. (828) 398-1837, www.theorangepeel.net.

‘Stand Up in the Universe’ cont’d from page 17

Life appearing as energy-beings that have form and varying degrees of sentience. There is also the sense of intuited connection with that which is beyond the range of physical senses, ultimately, with an intuited sense of the Universe. You are now standing up being present in the Universe. This is realizing buddha. With this comes a radical shift in attitude, both toward our meditation and toward our experience of Life, shifting from our individual posture, attitudes, beliefs, prejudices and behaviors to an increasingly universal perspective and expression. From here, with dedication, we can carry this way of being – as the individual we are and as the Universe – into everyday life. And then, everything begins to change. Increasingly, everyday life becomes imbued with the mystical, with buddha, and all the balance, reverence, compassion, perspective, equanimity and sanity that this implies right in the middle of our otherwise mundane activity. Increasingly we see how we get pulled into our conditioned attitudes, behaviors and reactions, and in seeing, in becoming that which sees, we can let this conditioning fall away, leaving – buddha. Just as every flower, leaf, bird and snowflake expresses universal qualities, each, as an expression of Nature and Life simultaneously express their unique individuality with sparkling authenticity and spontaneity. And so can we. Just stand up in the Universe and be the simultaneity and paradox of self and buddha that is our true nature. Bill Walz has taught meditation and mindfulness in university and public forums, and is a privatepractice meditation teacher and guide for individuals in mindfulness, personal growth and consciousness. He holds a weekly meditation class, Mondays from 6:30-7:30 p.m., at the Friends Meeting House, 227 Edgewood in Asheville. By donation. Information on classes, talks, personal growth and healing instruction, or phone consultations at (828) 258-3241, e-mail at healing@billwalz.com. Learn more, see past columns and schedule of coming events at www.billwalz.com

PATTON AVE.

WNC OVERVIEW

NORTH ASHEVILLE

GET ON THE MAP, CALL

(828) 646-0071

HENDERSONVILLE RD.

RC A HF HB

BD WA

RIVERSIDE DRIVE RB

36 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

Advertising Sales Representatives Needed Rapid River Magazine is Seeking Motivated Sales Personnel to cover Black Mountain and the River Arts District Help us promote local arts, organizations, and businesses. Great for earning extra income. Set your own hours. Potential earnings are up to you! Seniors are encouraged to apply. INTERESTED? Call (828) 646-0071, or e-mail info@rapidrivermagazine.com

Last week, the biggest rain ever fell on the General Store.

The wind whipped around the corners of every home, cottage, or business, yet nothing quite measured up to the entry of Curmudgeon on this beautiful fall day when the leaves were turning (not to the perfection expected), and Old Sol shone about in a truthful Carolina blue sky. “I have had it!” Curmudgeon cried out with enough force to fluff up the top pages (as if they were not fluffed enough already) of the pile of Asheville papers that sat next to a new display of Little Debby snacks that beckoned to all those present with a

artful living

THE CURMUDGEON Who’s Calling?

BY PETER LOEWER

my house will be safer than a five-foot-high one-armed bandit in the middle of a room full of kinder-gardeners; or three, tinny voice from teeny hidden ‘Don’t hang up! We’re here to speaker that said: “I’ve got great send you a pre-paid call-alert snacks!” remote so that when I trip over “I don’t think that new the rug in the hall, I can press display is going to work,” said a button and the ambulance Storekeep to Mrs. Storekeep. will be at my front door in five They both turned their full atIllustration by Peter Loewer minutes to take me in for meditention to the Curmudgeon, and cal repairs! These are offered services using asked, together: “What’s wrong today?” AT&T equipment.” “I pay,” he said, “for call-waiting, not to “Too, true,” said Cityfella who had make one friend wait while I talk to another quietly entered the store and heard Curmudfriend but to find out who’s calling, especially geon at top roar. when it’s one of the three worst examples of “And?” asked Mrs. Storekeep. shoddy salesmanship exhibited today. The “Do you know how many calls you are three being: one, the deal that interest rates are allowed to block using call-waiting? I can tell going up and I’m going to be hit with more you never checked it out so I’ll tell you that costs unless I hire the caller; and two, the a subscriber is allowed six numbers—that’s chance to get such a great burglar alarm that SIX NUMBERS—” speaking the last words in upper case. “But the final indignity happened this morning when that little screen with the caller BY JUDY AUSLEY display came up with my OWN NAME!” “Your own name,” they all said at once. “Yep,” continued Curmudgeon, “they ing me – reminding call it spoofing and it means that unscrupume of the news jobs I lous businesses have discovered how to rent had in this state before your own phone number and program their I retired and began computers to call in your name so you infreelancing around 10 nocently pick up ‘cause you can’t understand years ago. what’s happening. One of my black “And when I called the business office and white photos is yesterday, I found out that the only way to of rows of pine trees growing and standing block a few more numbers is to give up your almost as though “saluting the day.” Taken land line and go digital, which I do not want somewhere along a roadside in Chapel Hill, to do. And, as for spoofing, the salesman said the image was selected as one of the best in the it’s getting to be a bigger and bigger problem black and white photos category by the Sierra every day!” Club in the 1980s. “So what did they recommend?” asked I am inviting those who read Southern Storekeep. Comfort in Rapid River Magazine each month “They told me to write to Congress and to send me an email suggesting which avenue I tell them what’s happening to the great Amerishould take in writing a book. Should it be crecan phone system. To tell those men, who are ative prose, a collection of Southern Comfort sitting around doing nothing while the country columns, or a book of B&W photos from my literally goes down the proverbial drain, about years of news reporting? spoofing calls! Imagine, asking General Dolt You do not have to be a writer or phoand his team of little Dolters to enact needed tographer to send me an email with your suglegislation thus stopping phone pirates from gestions. However, if you are, that would be using my own phone to call me and sell somehelpful. At least I would have an idea of what thing that I don’t need.” you would enjoy reading. “Did they suggest anything else?” they In return, I will personally interview you asked. about your plans on writing or photography in “Yes, I could always change my phone one of my future Southern Comfort columns number, especially since I’ve had the numin Rapid River Magazine. Think about it, perber we now use for close to 48 years!” haps you might need to kick-start your writing “Make Curmudge a good cup of cofor photography career in Asheville. Perhaps I fee,” said Storekeep to Mrs. Storekeep, “and can inspire you to get busy. break open a couple of packs of Little Debbies and let’s have a communication wake, and celebrate the passing of Ma Bell.” Which is what they all did for most of Writer Judy Ausley has been the morning. a reporter with newspapers

SOUTHERN COMFORT

Help Me Decide My Next Step

Having moved in June from my home after 10 years of contentment there, the road for me has not been easy.

I have so many boxes filled with story ideas and notes gathered over my 43 years in news reporting in North Carolina. Until now, I have not been able to unpack – until last evening. While searching for notes, I accidently opened an unidentified box that held my old journalism school writings. “My God,” I said to myself, as I rummaged through my notebook from college, “It has been 56 years.” The stories and assignments that I typed on my manual typewriter in those days have faded with time, but, I can still read the words I wrote. There is a book in me, yes. I have heard that from various people during my years in North Carolina as a journalist/reporter with newspapers scattered over the state. Now that I am 74, I have begun to have some doubts and second thoughts about my future. I am in a dilemma about whether to take Southern Comfort and turn it into a cute little book of stories about people, or do a book of prose and free verse (which I love writing). Or, maybe I could just do a book of all the photos that accompanied my interviews with people in the western North Carolina mountains and the High Country in and around Boone. The photos were packed tightly in a box, until last night when I opened yet another box while searching for something I had packed in June. I found hundreds of black and white news photos from the past 43 years of my career in North Carolina. The images are haunt-

in NC for 40 years. She retired in 2005 and continues to freelance.

She can be contacted by e-mail at Judyausley@aol.com.

Peter Loewer has written and illustrated more than twenty-five books on natural history over the past thirty years.

Advertise with Rapid River Magazine Easy Monthly Billing Free Web Links & Ad Design Call (828) 646-0071

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 37

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James Daniel’s approach to learning the fundamentals of all aspects of painting and drawing is based on the acquisition of knowledge. “Studying and learning from the Great Masters of the past is the best way to create a work of art that embodies beauty, expert craftsmanship, and that magical chemistry that holds your attention. “The one defining factor is that I am skilled at the technique of figurative oil painting and drawing on a variety of media and levels. As a diversified artist, my craft is well developed and internationally refined.”

iPad, Nook, & Kindle Friendly!

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A WORLDWIDE STORYTELLING EVENT

Seeing through the eyes into the soul.

Rapid River Arts & Culture Magazine

Tellabration!

PORTRAITURE

fine arts & crafts

James Daniel

pg. 36

Thousands of people around the world will gather in small towns and big cities this month to celebrate storytelling.

Chelsea in Turquoise by James Daniel

~ James Daniel

James Daniel

The international celebration of storytelling known as Tellabration! serves to build grassroots community support for the age-old art of storytelling. The Asheville Storytelling Circle hosts the local event for the seventeenth year on Sunday, November 23 at 3 p.m. at the Folk Art Center on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

2002 Riverside Drive, Asheville (828) 335-2598 www.artistjamesdaniel.com Portraits of children by James Daniel

‘Jonas Gerard’ cont’d from pg. 21

Minton Sparks Photo by Gina Binkley

Seeds of Life II, acrylic on canvas by Jonas Gerard.

Visitors to either of his two River Arts District galleries are immediately struck by the diversity of styles, colors, sizes and textures employed in his art. Whether in his new Plein Air Landscape painting series, his Flow series and other abstracts, mixed media, sculpture or other creations defying classification, there is a common thread of creative energy tying them all together. In the same way that a wall outlet can power a variety of machines, when you are tapped fully into the creative source it can fuel a tremendous outburst of art. Two locations in the River Arts District:

Jonas Gerard Fine Art 240 Clingman Avenue Open every day 10-6 p.m.

Jonas Gerard at Riverview Station pg. 18

191 Lyman St. #144 Mon.-Sat. 10-6; Sun. by appointment. (828) 350-7711 www.jonasgerard.com

38 November 2014 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — Vol. 18, No. 3

The outstanding and diverse line-up showcases accomplished storytellers, headlined by Tennessee’s nationally known storyteller and author Minton Sparks. Fusing music, poetry, and her intoxicating gift for storytelling, Sparks paints word pictures of the rural South that put you square in the middle of the people and the places she knows like the back of her hand. The line-up also includes outstanding Asheville Storytelling Circle tellers Pete Koschnick, Zane Chait, Daphne Darcy, and MC Karen-eve Bayne. Tellabration! is sponsored in partnership with the Southern Highlands Craft Guild and the National Storytelling Network. The Asheville Storytelling Circle holds monthly meetings on the 3rd Monday of each month, except August and December, 7 p.m. at Asheville Terrace Apartments Community Room, 200 Tunnel Road. New members and guests are welcome to attend. Call (828) 484-8371 or (828) 274-1123. IF YOU Tellabration!, Sunday, November GO 23 at 3 p.m. at the Folk Art Center

on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Tickets are $10 and are available at the door on the day of the event. For more details please call (828) 667-4227 or (828) 274-1123. The Folk Art Center is located at Milepost 382 of the Blue Ridge Parkway, just north of the Hwy 70 entrance in east Asheville.

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BLACK MOUNTAIN SWANNANOA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE PRESENT

THE CHAMBER TOURS Tours open to the public. Great Britain & Ireland Tour

May 9-18, 2015 • $2078 per person London, Stonehenge, Bath, Chester, Grasmere, Gretna Green, Edinburgh, York, Stamford, Cambridge

Holiday Gift Market and Mixed Media Show at the Red House

The Red House Studios & Gallery in Black Mountain is presenting a Holiday Gift Market and a mixed media show beginning Saturday, November 1. The market will feature artist made gifts that include photography by Ray Mata; turned wood by David Kaylor; fiber art by Lyn Krauss and Judy Kaufman; jewelry by Sylvia McCollum, Alan Kaufman, and Kathleen Cantwell; handmade journals and tin shadow boxes by Jane Reeves; altered art bottles by Karen Paquette; clay ornaments, tiles, wall pieces, and vases by Erin Campbell and Cathy Babula; small art prints, cards and original works by Barbara Frohmader, Meryl Encaustic art by Meyer, Helen Michelle Hamilton Sullivan, Denise Geiger, Eileen Ross, Patricia Michael, Nancy Clausen, Judith Williams, Martha Raines, Susan Shaw, Marianne Reninger, Ann Whisenant, and Pat Cotterill. “There will be many more items, all priced from $10 to $100 ,and our inventory will be replaced through December as popular items sell. This is a great way for people to buy local, unique gifts directly from artists,” says Ray Mata, coordinator of the market.

“Dimensions of Mixed Media” will also open Saturday, November 1, with a reception for the artists on Friday, November 7 from 5-7 p.m. Works will include creations using two or more distinct mediums in one integrated piece of art. This can allow for great versatility and a rich viewer experience as the eye uncovers the multiple layers and dimensionality that often characterizes mixed media art. This character of mixed media contributes to its popularity within the contemporary art world, as it can blend well with “conceptual” visual formulation. “Viewers will see art that uses combinations of painting, encaustic, cold wax, collage, assemblage, paper, textiles, found objects, metals, clay, fiber, wood and more,” says curator Karen Paquette. Both shows will run through January 5, 2015.

Romantic Rhine River Cruise

Sept. 19-27, 2015 • $3871 per person Amsterdam, Cologne, Rudesheim, Mainz (Heidelberg), Strasbourg, Breisach (Black Forest), Basel

For more information, contact Black Mountain Travel

(800) 393-7804 or (828) 357-8335 susan.donnelly@avoyatravel.com Black Mountain Travel is an Independent Affiliate of Avoya Travel

Altered art bottles by Karen Paquette

BLACK MOUNTAIN - 28711

MV MS

Jewelry by silversmith Sylvia McCollum

IF YOU Holiday Gift Market and mixed media show. Opening GO reception Friday, November 7 from 5-7 p.m. The Red

House is located at 310 West State Street. Gallery hours for November – December are Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information go to www.svfalarts.org or call (828) 669-0351.

MB MK MR

Learn To Make Your Own Jewelry

Taught by designer, Roberto Vengoechea.

Hand fabricate a sterling silver ring in our fully equipped studio. You will go home with your hand crafted ring. No experience necessary. Classes are small (two students in each), enabling you to master skills and techniques. Students will learn Create a sterling a variety of jewelry and metal silver ring. working techniques including but not limited to forming, sawing, piercing and stone setting. This class can be completed in one full day or two half-days. Course fee of $350 per person includes all supplies plus one colored stone; Amethyst, Blue Topaz, Citrine, Garnet, or Peridot. $100 deposit reserves your seat. To schedule your class call (828) 669-0065, (828) 2757835, or visit www.visionsofcreation.com.

Vol. 18, No. 3 — RAPID RIVER ARTS & CULTURE MAGAZINE — November 2014 39

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Enjoy and Give the Best ™ We Ship Nationwide Order Online Now www.chocolatefetish.com pg. 36

36 Haywood Street

Voted Best Chocolate Shop in Western North Carolina Twelve Consecutive Years!

Great Chamber Music in Intimate Venues and Non-Traditional Spaces Contact Daniel Weiser, Artistic Director, (802) 369-0856, or e-mail daniel@amicimusic.org for performance details.

www.amicimusic.org

“

We were eager to advertise our new ownership of Bogart’s Restaurant in Waynesville. While we kept all the original menu items, we were excited about trying out new, homemade original dishes as well. Rapid River Magazine has been a great value for getting our message out to their readers. After running a coupon, we were pleasantly surprised at how well it was received. A big THANK YOU to all our awesome Bogart’s customers and to Rapid River Magazine!

”

~ Shelly Sneed, Co-Owner of Bogart’s Restaurant

Bogart’s Restaurant, 303 S. Main St., Waynesville, NC (828) 452-1313, www.bogartswaynesville.com

Advertise with Rapid River Magazine Free Web Links, Ad Design, Easy Monthly Billing (828) 646-0071 • www.rapidrivermagazine.com

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