Calendar of Events
Upcoming events and things to do in Asheville, NC. Below is a list of events for festivals, concerts, art exhibitions, group meetups and more.
Interested in adding an event to our calendar? Please click the green “Post Your Event” button below.
Support Students And Families
There are three simple ways you can support local students to ensure they’re prepared to enter the classroom in August.
- Shop Online! Purchase supplies or a fully stocked backpack at Roonga for less than $32.
- Make a donation and we’ll shop for you:
- Donate online (follow the prompts in the form below)
- If making your donation from a mobile phone click HERE
- Mail your check to:
- United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County
50 S. French Broad Avenue Ste. 100
Asheville, NC 28801
*Please write 2023 School Supply Drive in the memo.- Call our office with your credit card information, 828.239.1153
- Host your own virtual drive by creating a team on Roonga and encouraging your coworkers, friends, and family to get involved. Watch this short video tutorial on how to create your own drive.
*PLEASE NOTE: To ensure each student receives the same quality supplies, we are not accepting loose supplies.
Questions? Contact Audrey Blackburn, 828.239.1123.
Fifteen percent of all drink sales will be donated to a local nonprofit organization, with a Mosaic broker and partner of that organization matching the donation.
Support Students And Families
There are three simple ways you can support local students to ensure they’re prepared to enter the classroom in August.
- Shop Online! Purchase supplies or a fully stocked backpack at Roonga for less than $32.
- Make a donation and we’ll shop for you:
- Donate online (follow the prompts in the form below)
- If making your donation from a mobile phone click HERE
- Mail your check to:
- United Way of Asheville and Buncombe County
50 S. French Broad Avenue Ste. 100
Asheville, NC 28801
*Please write 2023 School Supply Drive in the memo.- Call our office with your credit card information, 828.239.1153
- Host your own virtual drive by creating a team on Roonga and encouraging your coworkers, friends, and family to get involved. Watch this short video tutorial on how to create your own drive.
*PLEASE NOTE: To ensure each student receives the same quality supplies, we are not accepting loose supplies.
Questions? Contact Audrey Blackburn, 828.239.1123.
Save a Life. Donate Blood. Giving blood is a simple thing to do, but it can make a big difference in the lives of others. Asheville Outlets is teaming up with the American Red Cross to host a mobile blood drive on Friday, July 21, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the parking lot located behind the food court. Donors are asked to register in advance by visiting RedCrossBlood.org/give and entering the sponsor code AshevilleOutlets. For more information, visit AshevilleOutlets.com.

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.
The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.
No RSVP needed, just drop by!
Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.
The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.
No RSVP needed, just drop by!
Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.
The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.
No RSVP needed, just drop by!
Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.
The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.
No RSVP needed, just drop by!
Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.
The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.
No RSVP needed, just drop by!
Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.
The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.
No RSVP needed, just drop by!
Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.
The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.
No RSVP needed, just drop by!
Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.
Our mission is to bring together, in small, intimate settings, authors, readers of all ages, novice writers, listeners, and learners. We are a festival of readers who appreciate discussing the ideas in literature.
We do not see ourselves as an academic festival, thou
Telling Our Own Story: Cherokee Self-Representation in Contemporary Media
Historically in film, literature, galleries, and textbooks, Native stories have been told by non-Native voices. In this panel, we’ll hear from citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), North Carolina’s only federally recognized tribe, who are contributing to the international movement for Indigenous self-representation in media through writing, podcasting, visual art, and cultural perpetuation.
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle (Eastern Band Cherokee)
Award-winning Author of Even as We Breathe
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle (Eastern Band Cherokee) lives in Qualla, NC and is the author of Even As We Breathe. She sits on the Board of Directors for the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and is President of the North Carolina Writers Network. She is also an Appalachian Futures Series editor for the University Press of Kentucky.
Shana Bushyhead Condill (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Museum of the Cherokee Indian Executive Director
Shana Bushyhead Condill (Eastern Band of Cherokee) has worked in the museum and cultural field for over twenty years. As Executive Director of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Condill furthers a career-spanning commitment to cultivating Native representation and self-representation in public spaces, advocating for the intentional combining of mainstream best practices with Native best practices in cultural preservation.
Nola Pina (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Museum of the Cherokee Indian Lead Cultural Specialist
Nola Pina (Eastern Band Cherokee) grew up and still currently resides in the on the Qualla Boundary. As a Lead Cultural Specialist at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Nola enjoys demonstrating and teaching finger-weaving (she is a first-generation finger weaver herself), as well as storytelling and leading tours through the permanent exhibit.
Rhiannon ‘Skye’ Tafoya (Eastern Band Cherokee and Santa Clara Pueblo)
Visual artist
Rhiannon ‘Skye’ Tafoya (Eastern Band Cherokee and Santa Clara Pueblo) employs printmaking, digital design, and basketry techniques in creating her artist’s books, prints, and paper weavings. Both of her Tribal heritages, cultures, and lineages are manifested in her two- and three-dimensional artworks that range in size from a few inches to a few feet.
Sheyahshe Littledave (Eastern Band Cherokee)
Writer/podcaster
Sheyahshe Littledave (Eastern Band Cherokee) is passionate about storytelling and writing to highlight the Indigenous experience. Her work includes publication in National Geographic, NPR, and writing children’s books. In 2021, she became the co-host of “We are Resilient: An MMIW True Crime Podcast,” dedicated to telling the untold stories of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women.gh we seek to advance authors of literary quality. Nor are we a book fair in which the primary objective is to sell books.
One of our goals is to raise awareness of works of literary significance from smaller presses. We do focus on regional writers, though not exclusively. But overall, our aspiration is to create a little literary community which is in dialog with readers, aspiring writers, and established authors about craft and ideas of sustaining merit.
Another goal is to make sure our authors are having good time. In the best scenario, authors leave the festival feeling renewed and rededicated to their work. So frequently when an author writes in isolation, it is hard to believe that his/her work is making an impact on people and society. But situating authors and readers together in close quarters, as our festival does, it is possible for authors to hear stories of how their work has influenced people. It’s not just signing a book, it’s making a human connection.
We hope the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival inspires people to read more, write more, and contribute positively to society through the literary arts.
Our Pecularities
No outside vendors have booths at our festival. In fact, we don’t even sell any litfest paraphernalia. In an attempt to support our quaint downtown, attendees are encouraged to buy souvenirs at the many local shops that host readings. Authors are not tied down to a table all day, but are free to roam the town, attend other sessions, or gab with other authors in more sequestered areas. Some authors spend a full two days attending others’ readings. As festival planners, we thoroughly enjoy this contribution. However, some chose to leave after their sessions, which is equally acceptable.
Our events are spread all over our small town— in galleries, small stores, the Town Center, library, nearby churches, and other various venues. Only a few used primarily for workshops are not within walking distance.
Events are scheduled simultaneously. As many as five different events may be occurring at any one time. (We know that it can be difficult to choose, but we make every attempt to have each author present at least twice during the weekend.) We have a festival bookseller (Malaprop’s) who sells all festival author books – authors do not sell their books on their own. (Therefore, if book sales are high on your list of priorities or you enjoy pitching your books, you may not find this event to your liking—and vice versa.)
Authors gather for morning and afternoon-session book-signings as a group. No individual authors will have their own signings. Author presentations are limited to two consecutive years. Exceptions may be made if an author has a new, significant work. At the same time, we welcome past participants as attendees, or to assist us as session moderators or introducers if they wish.
FOR WORKSHOPS: 2023 Schedule – cmlitfest.org
Our mission is to bring together, in small, intimate settings, authors, readers of all ages, novice writers, listeners, and learners. We are a festival of readers who appreciate discussing the ideas in literature.
We do not see ourselves as an academic festival, thou
Telling Our Own Story: Cherokee Self-Representation in Contemporary Media
Historically in film, literature, galleries, and textbooks, Native stories have been told by non-Native voices. In this panel, we’ll hear from citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), North Carolina’s only federally recognized tribe, who are contributing to the international movement for Indigenous self-representation in media through writing, podcasting, visual art, and cultural perpetuation.
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle (Eastern Band Cherokee)
Award-winning Author of Even as We Breathe
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle (Eastern Band Cherokee) lives in Qualla, NC and is the author of Even As We Breathe. She sits on the Board of Directors for the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and is President of the North Carolina Writers Network. She is also an Appalachian Futures Series editor for the University Press of Kentucky.
Shana Bushyhead Condill (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Museum of the Cherokee Indian Executive Director
Shana Bushyhead Condill (Eastern Band of Cherokee) has worked in the museum and cultural field for over twenty years. As Executive Director of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Condill furthers a career-spanning commitment to cultivating Native representation and self-representation in public spaces, advocating for the intentional combining of mainstream best practices with Native best practices in cultural preservation.
Nola Pina (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Museum of the Cherokee Indian Lead Cultural Specialist
Nola Pina (Eastern Band Cherokee) grew up and still currently resides in the on the Qualla Boundary. As a Lead Cultural Specialist at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Nola enjoys demonstrating and teaching finger-weaving (she is a first-generation finger weaver herself), as well as storytelling and leading tours through the permanent exhibit.
Rhiannon ‘Skye’ Tafoya (Eastern Band Cherokee and Santa Clara Pueblo)
Visual artist
Rhiannon ‘Skye’ Tafoya (Eastern Band Cherokee and Santa Clara Pueblo) employs printmaking, digital design, and basketry techniques in creating her artist’s books, prints, and paper weavings. Both of her Tribal heritages, cultures, and lineages are manifested in her two- and three-dimensional artworks that range in size from a few inches to a few feet.
Sheyahshe Littledave (Eastern Band Cherokee)
Writer/podcaster
Sheyahshe Littledave (Eastern Band Cherokee) is passionate about storytelling and writing to highlight the Indigenous experience. Her work includes publication in National Geographic, NPR, and writing children’s books. In 2021, she became the co-host of “We are Resilient: An MMIW True Crime Podcast,” dedicated to telling the untold stories of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women.gh we seek to advance authors of literary quality. Nor are we a book fair in which the primary objective is to sell books.
One of our goals is to raise awareness of works of literary significance from smaller presses. We do focus on regional writers, though not exclusively. But overall, our aspiration is to create a little literary community which is in dialog with readers, aspiring writers, and established authors about craft and ideas of sustaining merit.
Another goal is to make sure our authors are having good time. In the best scenario, authors leave the festival feeling renewed and rededicated to their work. So frequently when an author writes in isolation, it is hard to believe that his/her work is making an impact on people and society. But situating authors and readers together in close quarters, as our festival does, it is possible for authors to hear stories of how their work has influenced people. It’s not just signing a book, it’s making a human connection.
We hope the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival inspires people to read more, write more, and contribute positively to society through the literary arts.
Our Pecularities
No outside vendors have booths at our festival. In fact, we don’t even sell any litfest paraphernalia. In an attempt to support our quaint downtown, attendees are encouraged to buy souvenirs at the many local shops that host readings. Authors are not tied down to a table all day, but are free to roam the town, attend other sessions, or gab with other authors in more sequestered areas. Some authors spend a full two days attending others’ readings. As festival planners, we thoroughly enjoy this contribution. However, some chose to leave after their sessions, which is equally acceptable.
Our events are spread all over our small town— in galleries, small stores, the Town Center, library, nearby churches, and other various venues. Only a few used primarily for workshops are not within walking distance.
Events are scheduled simultaneously. As many as five different events may be occurring at any one time. (We know that it can be difficult to choose, but we make every attempt to have each author present at least twice during the weekend.) We have a festival bookseller (Malaprop’s) who sells all festival author books – authors do not sell their books on their own. (Therefore, if book sales are high on your list of priorities or you enjoy pitching your books, you may not find this event to your liking—and vice versa.)
Authors gather for morning and afternoon-session book-signings as a group. No individual authors will have their own signings. Author presentations are limited to two consecutive years. Exceptions may be made if an author has a new, significant work. At the same time, we welcome past participants as attendees, or to assist us as session moderators or introducers if they wish.
FOR WORKSHOPS: 2023 Schedule – cmlitfest.org
Our mission is to bring together, in small, intimate settings, authors, readers of all ages, novice writers, listeners, and learners. We are a festival of readers who appreciate discussing the ideas in literature.
We do not see ourselves as an academic festival, thou
Telling Our Own Story: Cherokee Self-Representation in Contemporary Media
Historically in film, literature, galleries, and textbooks, Native stories have been told by non-Native voices. In this panel, we’ll hear from citizens of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI), North Carolina’s only federally recognized tribe, who are contributing to the international movement for Indigenous self-representation in media through writing, podcasting, visual art, and cultural perpetuation.
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle (Eastern Band Cherokee)
Award-winning Author of Even as We Breathe
Annette Saunooke Clapsaddle (Eastern Band Cherokee) lives in Qualla, NC and is the author of Even As We Breathe. She sits on the Board of Directors for the Museum of the Cherokee Indian and is President of the North Carolina Writers Network. She is also an Appalachian Futures Series editor for the University Press of Kentucky.
Shana Bushyhead Condill (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Museum of the Cherokee Indian Executive Director
Shana Bushyhead Condill (Eastern Band of Cherokee) has worked in the museum and cultural field for over twenty years. As Executive Director of the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Condill furthers a career-spanning commitment to cultivating Native representation and self-representation in public spaces, advocating for the intentional combining of mainstream best practices with Native best practices in cultural preservation.
Nola Pina (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians)
Museum of the Cherokee Indian Lead Cultural Specialist
Nola Pina (Eastern Band Cherokee) grew up and still currently resides in the on the Qualla Boundary. As a Lead Cultural Specialist at the Museum of the Cherokee Indian, Nola enjoys demonstrating and teaching finger-weaving (she is a first-generation finger weaver herself), as well as storytelling and leading tours through the permanent exhibit.
Rhiannon ‘Skye’ Tafoya (Eastern Band Cherokee and Santa Clara Pueblo)
Visual artist
Rhiannon ‘Skye’ Tafoya (Eastern Band Cherokee and Santa Clara Pueblo) employs printmaking, digital design, and basketry techniques in creating her artist’s books, prints, and paper weavings. Both of her Tribal heritages, cultures, and lineages are manifested in her two- and three-dimensional artworks that range in size from a few inches to a few feet.
Sheyahshe Littledave (Eastern Band Cherokee)
Writer/podcaster
Sheyahshe Littledave (Eastern Band Cherokee) is passionate about storytelling and writing to highlight the Indigenous experience. Her work includes publication in National Geographic, NPR, and writing children’s books. In 2021, she became the co-host of “We are Resilient: An MMIW True Crime Podcast,” dedicated to telling the untold stories of Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women.gh we seek to advance authors of literary quality. Nor are we a book fair in which the primary objective is to sell books.
One of our goals is to raise awareness of works of literary significance from smaller presses. We do focus on regional writers, though not exclusively. But overall, our aspiration is to create a little literary community which is in dialog with readers, aspiring writers, and established authors about craft and ideas of sustaining merit.
Another goal is to make sure our authors are having good time. In the best scenario, authors leave the festival feeling renewed and rededicated to their work. So frequently when an author writes in isolation, it is hard to believe that his/her work is making an impact on people and society. But situating authors and readers together in close quarters, as our festival does, it is possible for authors to hear stories of how their work has influenced people. It’s not just signing a book, it’s making a human connection.
We hope the Carolina Mountains Literary Festival inspires people to read more, write more, and contribute positively to society through the literary arts.
Our Pecularities
No outside vendors have booths at our festival. In fact, we don’t even sell any litfest paraphernalia. In an attempt to support our quaint downtown, attendees are encouraged to buy souvenirs at the many local shops that host readings. Authors are not tied down to a table all day, but are free to roam the town, attend other sessions, or gab with other authors in more sequestered areas. Some authors spend a full two days attending others’ readings. As festival planners, we thoroughly enjoy this contribution. However, some chose to leave after their sessions, which is equally acceptable.
Our events are spread all over our small town— in galleries, small stores, the Town Center, library, nearby churches, and other various venues. Only a few used primarily for workshops are not within walking distance.
Events are scheduled simultaneously. As many as five different events may be occurring at any one time. (We know that it can be difficult to choose, but we make every attempt to have each author present at least twice during the weekend.) We have a festival bookseller (Malaprop’s) who sells all festival author books – authors do not sell their books on their own. (Therefore, if book sales are high on your list of priorities or you enjoy pitching your books, you may not find this event to your liking—and vice versa.)
Authors gather for morning and afternoon-session book-signings as a group. No individual authors will have their own signings. Author presentations are limited to two consecutive years. Exceptions may be made if an author has a new, significant work. At the same time, we welcome past participants as attendees, or to assist us as session moderators or introducers if they wish.
FOR WORKSHOPS: 2023 Schedule – cmlitfest.org

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.
The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.
No RSVP needed, just drop by!
Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.
The oldest and most common advice poets hear is “show don’t tell.” But what does that mean, exactly? What is the difference between showing and telling? Why is “showing” better? Most of us write poems to tell readers something, to share our ideas. Many poets—from as far back as John Donne to as recent as Stephen Dunn–do a lot of telling in their poems. So why are we always advised not to tell? In this workshop we will discuss these questions. In the process, we will look at a few well-known poems to see how–or if—they show rather than tell, and we will do some writing exercises that may help us arrive at some conclusions about this persistent advice.
This workshop is open to writers of all skill levels and is a fun way to find inspiration from a new prompt or revise current work. It is hosted by the Friends of Carl Sandburg at Connemara and will use Microsoft Teams for the virtual connection. Sign up to attend the workshop at workshop link
Eric Nelson’s most recent poetry collection, Horse Not Zebra, won both a Da Vinci Eye Award for cover art and an Honorable Mention in Poetry from the 2023 Eric Hoffer Book Awarda. His poems have appeared in many journals, including Poetry, The Sun, The Oxford American, and The Missouri Review. Among his awards are the 2014 Gival Press Poetry Book Award for Some Wonder; the 2004 X.J. Kennedy Poetry Award for Terrestrials, chosen by Maxine Kumin; the Arkansas Poetry Award for The Interpretation of Waking Life (1991); the Split Oak Press Chapbook Award for The Twins (2009); the Georgia Author of the Year Award (2005), and fellowships to the Hambidge Center for the Arts and the Virginia Center for Creative Arts. He taught writing and literature courses at Georgia Southern University for twenty-six years before retiring in 2015 and moving to Asheville, where he lives with his wife, Stephanie Tames, and teaches in the Great Smokies Writing Program. www.ericnelsonpoet.com.
Poet Donika Kelly and memoirist Melissa Febos will present a reading at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14 in UNC Asheville’s Highsmith Union, Blue Ridge Room.
Donika Kelly is the author of “The Renunciations,” winner of the Anisfield-Wolf book award in poetry, and Bestiary, the winner of the 2015 Cave Canem Poetry Prize, a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award, and a Kate Tufts Discovery Award. A recipient of a fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts, she is a Cave Canem graduate fellow and founding member of the collective Poets at the End of the World. Her poems have been published in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The Paris Review, and elsewhere. She is an assistant professor in the English Department at the University of Iowa, where she teaches creative writing.
Melissa Febos is the bestselling author of four books, including “Girlhood,” which won the National Book Critics Circle Award in Criticism and has been translated into seven languages; and “Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative.” Her fifth book, “The Dry Season,” is forthcoming from Alfred A. Knopf. Her work has recently appeared in The Paris Review, The New Yorker, The Sun, The New York Times Magazine, The Best American Essays, Vogue, and New York Review of Books. Febos is a professor at the University of Iowa.

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.
The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.
No RSVP needed, just drop by!
Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.

Great news for poets and poetry lovers: Dark City Poet’s Society is returning to the Black Mountain Library. DCPS is a completely free poetry group that is open to poets of all ages and experience levels. Join us at the Black Mountain Library from 6-7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month for our (respectful) critique group. DCPS will meet at BAD Craft from 6-7 p.m. on the third Tuesday for our monthly open mic Poetry Night. Find out more on Instagram @darkcitypoetssociety or contact the Black Mountain Library.

TFAC invites all artists: painters, sculptors, writers, performers & more — to a casual weekly drop-in gathering on Saturday mornings at 9 AM to share your works in progress, alert others, and chat about art and what’s happening in your community.
The first weekly Coffee is Saturday, August 20 at 9 am.
No RSVP needed, just drop by!
Free parking available on Melrose Avenue, behind and alongside TFAC.
NEEDED ITEMS:
wet food
dry food
treats
toys
litter
donations
Did you know MANNA FoodBank provides more than 58,000 meals a day in Western North Carolina? MANNA works in partnership with the Buncombe County Community Connectors to provide much-needed food to 12 locations in under-resourced areas throughout our community. Donations will be collected for two weeks at area libraries and select public-facing County buildings beginning September 25 and ending on October 7.
MANNA served over 155,000 people in June 2023, which was another alarming high in a months-long trend of tens of thousands of people across the mountains needing food support each week. March 2023 marked the end of the pandemic-era SNAP benefit expansion, resulting in a new peak that has since continued to climb.
Buncombe County is asking the community to pitch in to help meet this need by dropping food items by one of our 12 Buncombe County Public Libraries or public-facing buildings.
You can drop off donations at the following locations around Buncombe County (look for the collection bins and signs):
- Public libraries
- Black Mountain
- East Asheville
- Enka Candler
- Fairview
- Leicester
- North Asheville
- Oakley/South Asheville
- Pack Memorial
- Skyland/South Buncombe
- Swannanoa
- Weaverville
- West Asheville
- Register of Deeds at 205 College St.
- Tax at 94 Cox Ave.
- HHS building at 40 Coxe Ave.
- Elections at 59 Woodfin
- Family Justice Center at 35 Woodfin
- Permits and Inspections at 30 Valley St.
- County administration building at 200 College St.
MANNA’s most-needed items include:
- Canned meats (beef, chicken, tuna)
- Peanut butter (plastic jars only)
- Dried/canned beans (pork and beans, pinto, kidney, black)
- Hearty soups (pop-top cans preferred)
- Meals in a box or can (beef stew, chili, mac & cheese)
- Canned fruit (fruit cocktail, raisins, apple sauce)
- Canned vegetables (green beans, carrots, greens)
- Cereals and grains (rice, pasta, cereal in a box or bag)
- Fruit and vegetable juices
- Dry milk (instant non-fat)
Thank you to everyone for helping us with this initiative to support children and families throughout our community.


