Bold Life - Asheville, Hendersonville and Western North Carolina - dining, art, music and entertainment for Asheville, Hendersonville and Western North Carolina

Cover Story
By Melanie Bianchi - December 28, 2011

Spin City
Asheville’s first dance marathon will benefit future exhibits of Black Mountain College.

Culture

A Tour of Africa
By John Clausen - December 28, 2011
Allen Mitchem brings safari adventure to Hendersonville.

Get Your Garden On
By Leigh Wills - December 28, 2011
If you’re interested in knowing the basics of organic gardening, the Hendersonville Community Co-Op is offering a series of four classes in January to help you develop your green thumb.

Tailgate Time
By Leigh Wills - December 28, 2011
Old man winter may have arrived, but he won’t stop you from purchasing local goods at the Flat Rock Tailgate Market.

Musicke Antiqua
By Norm Powers - November 30, 2011
Mad for medieval music.

Heroes and Nerds to Unite at Multiverse Benefit
By Jonathan Rich - November 30, 2011
You may not know it, but there are superheroes among us and they are doing good in many forms across Western North Carolina.

People

The Guided Autobiography
By John Clausen - December 28, 2011
“Why do writers write?” novelist Tom Bergen once pondered. “Because it isn’t there,” was his own answer.

Marshall Gordon's Streetwise
By Marshall Gordon - December 28, 2011
What's the worst New Year's resolution you've ever made?

A Bold Life: John Dockendorf
By John Clausen - December 28, 2011
John Dockendorf thinks every kid should have a chance to go to camp…and he’s backed it up over the years with $160,000 worth of scholarships.

Sinbad's Last Voyage
By John Clausen - November 30, 2011
Farewell to a Hendersonville Icon.

Art

Making Do
By Ursula Gullow - December 28, 2011
Artist’s transcendent works are nourished by earthy pragmatism

The Mind's Eye
By Ursula Gullow - November 30, 2011
For Marcus Thomas, art is everything.

Wellness

Sweet Relief
By John Clausen - December 28, 2011
Hendersonville pharmacy eases the burden of high-cost prescriptions.

It's Not A Diet, Really
By John Clausen - November 30, 2011
With the calorie-laden holidays expanding waistlines throughout the community, Park Ridge Hospital is offering a series of "Full Plate Lifestyle" classes designed to help participants develop healthy eating habits.

Dining

Welcome Inn
By Cathy Horton - December 28, 2011
Historic Hendersonville hotel has been refashioned as a bistro and themed B&B.

Plant Thrives
By Joanne O'Sullivan - November 30, 2011
Upscale, values-driven cuisine takes root in North Asheville.

Mumbo Gumbo: Christmas Bounty
By Leigh Wills - November 30, 2011
When describing the volunteer army that puts on the annual Bounty of Bethlehem Christmas Day dinner in Hendersonville, the word dedication somehow seems insufficient.

Good Food, Syrian Style
By John Clausen - October 31, 2011
Traditional eats from the Middle East.

Music

Rare Birds
By Robin Tolleson - December 28, 2011
The Steep Canyon Rangers.

CD Reviews: Ryan Barrington Cox Ryan Barrington Cox
By Brent Fleury - December 28, 2011
Plaintive, grungy, thoughtful and oozing with emotion, Ryan Barrington Cox’s self-titled solo album is a fantastic fusion of both a variety of genres and of a variety of recording and engineering philosophies.

CD Reviews: stephaniesid Starfruit
By Brent Fleury - December 28, 2011
Stalwarts of the Asheville indie/pop/rock/scene, stephaniesi, is back with a big, beautiful 14-track collection of some of the coolest songs I’ve heard since…well…never.

Chocolate Addiction
By Robin Tolleson - November 30, 2011
The Drops come to town.

Movies

At The Movies: The Iron Lady
By Marcianne Miller - January 17, 2012
Meryl Streep gives another extraordinary luminous performance, lifting an ordinary movie to a memorable one.

Bold Life's Top Films of 2011
By Marcianne Miller - January 4, 2012
Like the previous year, 2011 was what I call a "Good Film Year" and it was nearly impossible to come up with so few favorites. Worldwide cinema, once again, contradicted the naysayers and proved that movies are alive and well. If you missed the wonderful films below, do see them at home--on as big a screen as possible to do their glorious cinematography justice.

At The Movies: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
By Marcianne Miller - January 4, 2012
The American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is as good as the Swedish original, but let's never call it a "feminist" film.

At The Movies: My Week With Marilyn
By Marcianne Miller - December 28, 2011
Michelle Williams gives an incandescent performance as Marilyn Monroe in this sweet, true story.