O. Henry Memorial
Some of the best known literary figures of the 20th century have ties to Asheville: Thomas Wolfe, who held nothing back in describing his birthplace and its residents and who, strangely, was never filmed or recorded; Wilma Dykeman, who wrote authentically about Appalachian people; F. Scott Fitzgerald, whose wife Zelda died tragically in a hospital fire in the city; and O. Henry, who, along with Wolfe, is buried in Riverside Cemetery. Now those who love local lore can satisfy their need to know with AVL Lit Tours, a downtown exploration of Asheville’s literary past created and led by Jimmy MacKenzie and Sarah Giavedoni.
Both are graduates of UNCAsheville who settled in the area and, of course, both are big readers. “When I visit another city, the first thing I do is research all the writers and books associated with that area,” MacKenzie says. “The Asheville Literary Tour came from my belief that there are others out there like me, who wish to know a town—this town—through the written word.”
Giavedoni turned to books when she first came to Asheville as a way of discovering the city. “It’s amazing what a rich history downtown Asheville has for such a small mountain city!” she says. “People don’t just pass through. Authors, poets, artists, celebrities—they experience Asheville; they create moments; they’ve had relationships with the city that we have the honor of learning from and building upon.”
Tours involve about 90 minutes of casual walking and feature readings, photographs and recordings. Through October, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday tours are available. After Thanksgiving and through the winter months, tours will be offered by appointment, with regular tour times commencing in the spring.
“The real difficulty and sadness with this tour was not in finding enough authors with local connections,” MacKenzie says. “It was how many stories and talents we had to leave out. Following the research, we had an embarrassment of literary riches.”
A full schedule of tour times and prices is available at AvlLitMap.com.
