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LIFELINES – A COLLECTION by Jean Cassidy
ELIJAH’S VIOLIN
A poem in memory of Elijah McClain, February 25, 1996 – August 24, 2019
*CHANGEMAKERS: Misbehaved Women Who Changed History
Our first pick is ABBY WAMBACH!
This series will shine a spotlight on different women who are freaking awesome, who could be thought of as misbehaving, and who are definitely making a positive impact on society!!
These women, like many of us, were “well-behaved” at one time but then found their voice and got loud (and maybe a bit unruly). We love that!
Abby Wambach is a soccer legend, a speaker, an activist, and a New York Times best-selling author of the books Forward, A Memoir and Wolfpack.
*ALL OUTDOORS: WNC Loses an Environmental Champion: Remembering Norma Ivey
By Bob Gale, Ecologist & Public Lands Director of MountainTrue
MountainTrue and Western North Carolina lost a wonderful person and forest protection advocate on January 29. Norma Ivey served on the staff of MountainTrue (known then as the Western North Carolina Alliance) from 1996 to 2009, and upon retiring, she received the organization’s highest honor: the Esther Cunningham Award.
Norma was a champion of old-growth trees, having assisted with a seven-year study that located 78,000 acres of previously unknown old-growth forest in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests. Later research increased this to about 100,000 acres.
*WHAT’S UP WNC: Meet Debra Roberts: Free-range Honeybee Devotee, Celebrant and Poet – SHOUTOUT LA
We had the good fortune of connecting with Debra Roberts and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Debra, what role has risk played in your life or career?
My life has been a constant stream of risk taking if viewed from the outside. But within me, each leap, inclination, and navigating decision has come from a place of calling and intuition. When I look back, the many large decisions in my life have often involved potential risk but in the moment itself, that word isn’t what governs me. It generally isn’t even in the room.
A New InnerVision group starting in February with Connie Hays!
InnerVision is an educational program offered in monthly small group settings—usually 4- 6 individuals. This allows for safety and support to work on specific issues of personal growth in a confidential environment. The books, videos, and other study materials are designed for the diverse learning styles of the individuals within the groups. Most group sessions last three to 2-½ to 3-½ hours depending on the number of participants, so that each participant has time to process.
*BOOKS THAT TRANSFORM: The Lily Book Chain – We asked authors what to read in 2021
Story by Neema Roshania Patel
Illustrations by María Alconada Brooks
In The Lily Lines by The Washington Post
For our look at books coming out in 2021, Team Lily wanted to try something different.
I reached out to Torrey Peters, author of “Detransition Baby,” which came out on Jan. 12, and asked her to share the title of a book she is looking forward to this year. She told me about “Girlhood,” by Melissa Febos. Then, I asked Febos what book she recommends — and so the author book chain was born.
AMI WORTHEN: Community Care During Coronavirus
This information from Asheville Blade was originally published in March 14, 2020 by Leigh Cowart.
With a pandemic upon us, here are some links and notes that I hope will be of use. Much love as we take care of ourselves and those around us.
The reality
Thanks to the Asheville Blade for this informative article, Preparing for COVID-19 – definitely worth reading and sharing widely.
A NOTE FROM ELIZABETH MCCAIN: A Lesbian Belle Tells Southern Stories of Family, Loss and Love
PIONEERS of the Modern-Day Women’s Movement
We remember those who have made a significant contribution to gender equality and women’s lives and well-being, and thus to human rights and well-being. With honor and respect for their work and effort, we will not forget.
CELEBRATING Toni Morrison’s 90th Birthday February 18, 2021
The Toni Morrison Society
Toni Morrison, Towering Novelist of the Black Experience, Dies at 88
Why Toni Morrison Keeps Writing
Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am
Toni Morrison leads an assembly of her peers and critics on an exploration of the powerful themes she confronted throughout her literary career in this artful and intimate meditation that examines the life and work of the legendary storyteller.
Photo Credit: The New York Times
*WNC WRITERS (and readers): Malaprops virtual Writers at Home Series with student writers from Asheville School
From Lilly Augspurger and the Great Smokies Writing Program.
Hi Great Smokies Friends,
Our February session of virtual Writers at Home will be held this Sunday, 2/21 at 3:00, and will feature student writers from Asheville School. As always the event is free to attend, but please register in advance–we hope you’ll join us!
*ASHEVILLE CITIZENS CLIMATE LOBBY: Check out the Agenda from February’s Meeting
Whether you missed out on this month’s meeting, or you were there and want links to the action items we discussed, check out the agenda below.
One of the most important action items is to call or write your Congress members, and log your calls with CCL. You can easily do so with these links:
cclusa.org/call
cclusa.org/write
*WOMEN & MONEY: What You Need to Know About Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency and blockchain: The explainer
By Sylvia Kwan in Magazine
That root — “crypto” — means “secret” or “hidden.” In the context of cryptocurrency, it really means anonymous (or almost anonymous, depending on how the currency’s set up). Cryptocurrency is a form of money that a) isn’t issued by a central authority, like a government, and b) uses cryptography — the practice of storing and transmitting data for secure communication. Bitcoin is the best-known cryptocurrency, but definitely not the only one.
*ASHEVILLE ART MUSEUM: New Exhibitions and Events for 2021
Current Exhibitions
On view through March 8, 2021
2021 WNC Regional Scholastic Art Awards
On view through March 15, 2021
Vantage Points: Contemporary Photography from the Whitney Museum of American Art
On view through April 5, 2021
Fantastical Forms: Ceramics as Sculpture
On view through April 19, 2021
Across the Atlantic: American Impressionism Through the French Lens
On view through May 17, 2021
Connecting Legacies: A First Look at the Dreier Black Mountain College Archive
On view through July 26, 2021
Meeting the Moon
Ongoing
Question Bridge: Black Males
Intersections in American Art
Many Become One
*SUSTAINABILITY: Climate Action for Teachers and Farmers
Are you a Teacher or know someone who is?
The Labor Outreach Action Team is working on getting an endorsement of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act (EICDA) from two large education unions — the NEA and the AFT. We need to get dozens or hundreds of teacher union members to fill out a survey below to help make big gains for CCL. Please fill out this short survey!
*VISUAL ART, FILM & EXHIBITIONS Smithsonian Curator Reflects on Joe Biden’s ‘Poignant’ Inaugural Painting
Eleanor Harvey posits that the 1859 landscape’s message of hope resonated with First Lady Jill Biden, who helped select the artwork
*ASHEVILLE NEWS from Our City – Arts, Energy, Racial Equity excetera
Look ahead: City of Asheville projects and initiatives for the new year, 2021
Asheville residents can look upon the new year with optimism. Together, we’ve weathered a pandemic and a vaccine will be available this year. Even so, the City of Asheville’s response to COVID-19 will continue in the new year, in coordination with the state of North Carolina and Buncombe County.
Residents can look forward to advances in social change in 2021 as well, as City staff incorporate Advancing Racial Equity in Asheville into the budget, reimagining public safety and all the other work that will go into serving this community in the coming year. CLICK FOR MORE
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Through a focus on sensible land use, forest health, and water quality, MountainTrue advocates for policies that allow people and the environment to thrive. MountainTrue unleashes the power of people’s voices to protect the natural heritage of our region through knowledge, action and collaboration. We convene key partners — nonprofit and community groups, government, and private industry — to devise the best strategies to improve the quality of development and preserve the unique rural character of our region.