Darren Todd, will lead a virtual writing workshop titled “What if you fly? Weaving speculative elements into fiction.”

The term speculative fiction has grown in usage, but what does it mean? Simply, it’s fiction that speculates or forecasts what might happen. The “if” in that scenario is up to the writer. Spec-fic (as it’s often called) isn’t beholden to a single genre. Certainly, dystopian novels fall under this category, but so could alternate history, science fiction, horror, or even drama. Many ideas can greatly benefit from introducing speculative elements, which give readers a heightened sense of curiosity, wonder, and even engages them to be a part of how the writer’s “what if” develops. Humans are natural problem solvers, and few things kick off that need to find answers like a solid “what if.”
For this workshop, we’ll delve into the rise of spec-fic, how it crosses genre, as well as flexing our speculative muscles with breakout exercises to be reviewed during the workshop.

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 here!

Darren is a freelance book editor for Evolved Publications, and his short fiction has appeared in fifty publications over the years, including Chilling Tales for Dark Nights, Cosmic Horror Monthly, and The Stoneslide Corrective. His short story collection, The Ugly Mug and Other Stories, launched on Amazon and Audible in 2023.

While some of his works fall under the literary umbrella, he often returns to speculative and horror fiction. His style and preferences tend toward the psychological, as he enjoys stories that linger in the imagination long after he’s closed the book on them.

He lives in Hendersonville, NC with his son and girlfriend. See what he’s up to at darrentodd.net.

Asheville’s longest running comedy open mic happening every Wednesday night. The show starts at 8:00, and there is no cover. Anyone wanting to perform can sign up starting at 7pm and will get four minutes on stage. Anyone skill level from professional to first-timers. So you’ll see great, not-so-great, and hilariously awful comedy all in the same night. Always fun though. Always free.

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over the country. This week we have Tamar and Shelley from Atlanta!

Tamar Rubin
Tamar Rubin started comedy in Atlanta, Georgia where she has since established her career as a stand-up and become a local favorite. She uses her dark yet quirky style to talk about all things personal, dirty, and silly. Tamar has been described by her audiences as “wickedly fun and raw” and by her doctors as “anemic.” She has a comedy special on OFTV, is a weekend regular at the Laughing Skull lounge, has performed at Laughing Skull Festival, Red Clay Comedy Festival, and cohosts her podcast “The Friggin Show” every week! You can catch her every month hosting Cobra Comedy at the Drunken Unicorn!

Shelley Gruenberg
Shelley Gruenberg is an Atlanta Based standup comedian and sex symbol. You will love her whimsical and surreal style! See her live at Laughing Skull Lounge, Argosy, or every Friday night at Dynamic El Dorado.

Featuring James Harrod and more!

ages 18+
Doors at 7pm, show at 7:30pm

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

From the bounty shores of England comes the Styckes-Upon-Thump Repertory Theatre Company, a stuffy old traveling troupe embarking on their fifteenth annual farewell tour of Dickens’ tale. The company includes Sir Selsdon Piddick, the consummate actor, in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, with Mrs. Bettina Salisbury, Dame Rowena Middleton-Lewis, Mrs. Cordelia ffoliet-ffolkes ffortescue Woods, Teddy Shub, and Elyot Crummels in multiple supporting roles. On this fateful Christmas Eve night, various forms of mayhem ensue as this professional company scrambles to keep the show going and everything that could go possibly wrong does, with hilarious, ridiculous results!

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

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.

Kids’ Comedy Tour: Wildly funny, this educational and entertaining tour features the perfect blend of Asheville’s history and kid-centric comedy. Geared specifically toward the 5–12 year old crowd, you’ll explore the town with our famously outlandish tour guides leading the way.

• Perfect for birthday parties
• Makes for memorable school field trips
• Tickets are $27 per person
• Beverages available for purchase at the LaZoom Room
• Departs from 76 Biltmore Avenue

Toybox Theatre, in collaboration with The Magnetic Theatre, presents a new puppetry series for ALL AGES. This new series will feature original works by acclaimed award-winning puppeteer and clown Toybox, and will bring some of the best puppeteers in the nation as special guests!

Toybox Theatre has been entertaining audiences from coast to coast with their unique brand of humor and art for over 20 years! Garnishing many “fan favorite” and “funniest show” awards, Toybox has also received an UNIMA Citation for Excellence in the Art of Puppetry, and funding from The Jim Henson Foundation.

From the bounty shores of England comes the Styckes-Upon-Thump Repertory Theatre Company, a stuffy old traveling troupe embarking on their fifteenth annual farewell tour of Dickens’ tale. The company includes Sir Selsdon Piddick, the consummate actor, in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, with Mrs. Bettina Salisbury, Dame Rowena Middleton-Lewis, Mrs. Cordelia ffoliet-ffolkes ffortescue Woods, Teddy Shub, and Elyot Crummels in multiple supporting roles. On this fateful Christmas Eve night, various forms of mayhem ensue as this professional company scrambles to keep the show going and everything that could go possibly wrong does, with hilarious, ridiculous results!

From the bounty shores of England comes the Styckes-Upon-Thump Repertory Theatre Company, a stuffy old traveling troupe embarking on their fifteenth annual farewell tour of Dickens’ tale. The company includes Sir Selsdon Piddick, the consummate actor, in the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, with Mrs. Bettina Salisbury, Dame Rowena Middleton-Lewis, Mrs. Cordelia ffoliet-ffolkes ffortescue Woods, Teddy Shub, and Elyot Crummels in multiple supporting roles. On this fateful Christmas Eve night, various forms of mayhem ensue as this professional company scrambles to keep the show going and everything that could go possibly wrong does, with hilarious, ridiculous results!

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

Every Sunday Modelface Comedy brings you the best stand up comedians from all over the country! This week we have Emily Panic from NYC!

Emily Panic is a comedian, actor and writer from New Jersey. She has performed at the High Plains comedy festival and has toured opening for musician Alex Cameron. Emily has been featured on Netflix, Vice, Pitchfork.TV, Funny or Die and is known for her character Hard Melissa from the web series Two Minutes to Late night which she also writes for. Emily is also known for her dry deadpan delivery and her signature bob hairstyle which some have described as “Lord Farquaad lookin ass.” Emily lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two freaky rescue dogs and close to her Grandma who she should really visit more.

Featuring Clare O’Kane

ages 18+

doors at 6pm, show at 6:30pm

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

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.

During this year’s holiday break, forget all the craziness and bring the whole (drinking age) family & friends out to hear tales of triumph (but mostly hilarious tragedy) while drinking heavily. Starting its roots in Chicago, and hosted by the hilarius Alex Joyce, The Blackout Diaries is an interactive comedy show were standup comedians, plus ‘regular’ people (cops, firefighters, teachers, etc) tell true drinking stories with photos from the events. Then you, the audience, can ask questions.
The Blackout Diaries has been selected as ‘Critics’ Choice in The Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times and more. Segments from the show have appeared on Comedy Central, NPR, Sirius Radio and more. A review once described the show as “a reverse AA meeting”. We still don’t know if that was a positive review or not, but we feel it sums the show up well.
Alex Joyce has been performing stand up comedy for 13 years. After graduating from The University of Alabama he moved to Chicago where he studied at the Second City Training Center for Sketch Writing. He is co producer and performer in The Blackout Diaries, a weekly show at The Lincoln Lodge Theater where comedians tell wild drinking stories and the audience gets to ask questions. Joyce returns to Asheville regularly to visit family and perform. Joyce lives in Chicago.
Featuring Hilliary Begley. Patey Smith McDowell & Roman Fraden

During this year’s holiday break, forget all the craziness and bring the whole (drinking age) family & friends out to hear tales of triumph (but mostly hilarious tragedy) while drinking heavily. Starting its roots in Chicago, and hosted by the hilarius Alex Joyce, The Blackout Diaries is an interactive comedy show were standup comedians, plus ‘regular’ people (cops, firefighters, teachers, etc) tell true drinking stories with photos from the events. Then you, the audience, can ask questions.
The Blackout Diaries has been selected as ‘Critics’ Choice in The Chicago Reader, Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun Times and more. Segments from the show have appeared on Comedy Central, NPR, Sirius Radio and more. A review once described the show as “a reverse AA meeting”. We still don’t know if that was a positive review or not, but we feel it sums the show up well.
Alex Joyce has been performing stand up comedy for 13 years. After graduating from The University of Alabama he moved to Chicago where he studied at the Second City Training Center for Sketch Writing. He is co producer and performer in The Blackout Diaries, a weekly show at The Lincoln Lodge Theater where comedians tell wild drinking stories and the audience gets to ask questions. Joyce returns to Asheville regularly to visit family and perform. Joyce lives in Chicago.
Featuring Hilliary Begley. Petey Smith McDowell & Roman Fraden

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

Comedian Jim Gaffigan announced new dates for his 2023/2024 BARELY ALIVE TOUR, with additional dates to be announced soon. Tickets go on sale Friday, October 6 at 10am (local time) with presale beginning Wednesday, October 4 th  at 10am (local time/code: ALIVE) at JimGaffigan.com.

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

The last Thursday every month is the Ashevillians Comedy Showcase!!!
Modelface Comedy brings you a villainous night of comedy so good it’s bad! Ashevillians Comedy Showcase is a celebration of some of the best comedians in the Mountains! Hosted each month by Ryan Gordon.

Featuring Ryan Cox and more!

ages 18+

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

Every Friday Modelface Comedy brings you the best comedians from all over the country. This week we have Mandee McKelvey from Kentucky!

Mandee McKelvey was recently named one of the 50 best undiscovered comics in the country by Thrillist, and it’s not hard to see why. As one of the midwest’s most acclaimed stand-up comedians, Mandee is revered for her ability to spin tragedy into comedy, from growing up poor in South Carolina to becoming a widow in her 20’s. Wait, it gets funnier!

Mandee was named a breakout performer at Limestone Comedy Festival and the Memphis Comedy Festival, and has recently featured for Whitney Cummings, Michelle Wolf, Laurie Kilmartin, Tig Notaro, Todd Barry, and Anthony Jeselnik. Her one-woman show, My Left Boob, received the Underdog Award for it’s sold-out debut at the 2019 IndyFringe and Kansas City’s Best of Fringe award in 2022.

Mandee produces the celebrated roast show Character Assassination and the storytelling show We Still Like You.

ages 18+
Doors at 6:30pm, show at 7pm

Learn Asheville’s history, discover hidden gems, and laugh at LaZoom’s quirky sense of adventure.

• Guided comedy tour bus of historical Asheville
• 90-Minutes – tours run daily
• 15-minute break at Green Man Brewing
• $39 per person (ages 13+ only)

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.