A student who went to last month’s climate march with the Asheville contingent shares their thoughts about what happened and why it matters. Above: Marchers at the Sept. 21 People’s Climate March, which included a sizable Asheville contingent. Photo by Khaetlyn Grindell, used with permission. We were 400,000 strong, marching

I came north when I was 18, seeking opportunity and fleeing violence. Now the lack of a piece of plastic poses a major obstacle to me living my life Above: sample licenses from the North Carolina DMV for residents qualifying under the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. I

A frank, honest discussion about the state of our city, following the mayor’s Oct. 1 “TED talk” presentation on where Asheville’s going. Above: skyline of downtown looking toward the Flat Iron building, photo by Max Cooper Concluding thoughts, Oct. 5: I’m awed. Since the original post went up Tuesday, we’ve

The twisting tale of how the state legislature sold out our mountains for private gain, why it matters, and what you can do about it Above: a map of potential fracking areas in N.C., map courtesy of WNC Frack Free “We promised the people of North Carolina we were not

Every city has illusions about its culture. Here’s a list of Asheville’s, because it’s time we started facing our myths Above: Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Conjuror,” with a crowd getting their pockets picked while they watch an illusionist perform. Asheville’s got its own magic, a spell it casts that brings people

Pay is terrible in Asheville because there’s often no real protection for workers’ rights. To fix that, this city needs unions. Above: The rights assured to all workers under federal law, a key part of what unions help to enforce. Asheville has a wage problem, and a bad one. We’re making

Readers and supporters, come visit the Asheville Blade’s booth at the Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival. We’ll have prizes, sign up subscribers and show our thanks for your support. Above: Your decidedly unphotogenic editor, taking a break from a weekend of journalism to set up the Asheville Blade booth.

The annual topless “rally” is an overhyped farce. But the reaction from government and business leaders is far, far worse. Above: One of the topless rally attendees — and onlookers — at the 2011 event. Photo by Max Cooper. It’s that time again. Every year (for the past three), the

Next Tuesday, Aug. 26, the Asheville Blade will cover the next meeting of our local city council. Here’s an interesting — and often hilarious — account Max Cooper, who photographed the last meeting for the Blade, wrote about photographing our local government meetings. I covered public meetings once or twice

I was kicked out of my studio in the Tannery, along with many other artists. There’s a better way for Asheville to treat its creatives. Above: The Tannery before its improvement by local artists, and after. Photo by Zen Sutherland. On July 12th I awoke to the alarming news that