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From the Editor

From the Editor Gina Malone

Asheville’s native son Thomas Wolfe penned some of his most beautiful words about autumn, among them these: “Then summer fades and passes and October comes. [We] will smell smoke then, and feel an unexpected sharpness, a thrill of nervousness, swift elation, a sense of sadness and departure.” (You Can’t Go Home Again)

These words are especially fitting as I become editor of this publication I have long admired for its arts coverage and, at the same time, say goodbye to Frances Figart, a wonderful mentor and friend. We wish her all the best with her new adventure, and welcome to the team associate editor Emma Castleberry and assistant editor Natasha Anderson. One of Frances’ best legacies to operations here at The Laurel is our photo editor, Joye Ardyn Durham, whose evocative photograph graces this month’s cover. Read her story and see her work here.

Wolfe was right. October enthralls the senses and reminds us, with bittersweetness, of time’s passing. It also kindles renewed appreciation for our WNC home. With fall colors forecast to be especially stunning, artists have plenty to inspire them. Art events abound from Black Mountain to Marion to Spruce Pine and, closer to home, in the Beaverdam Valley.

This month’s Day Tripper explores the vibrant town of Brevard where the 35th annual Halloweenfest celebrates—in NC’s own Transylvania—the day we love to frighten ourselves. For more spookiness, go see Little Shop of Horrors at Flat Rock Playhouse or solve a murder at Tryon’s Lanier Library.

Whatever you do, take time to enjoy the Harvest Moon, the brilliant leaves and that nip in the air that, collectively, mean “the ripe, the golden month has come again.” (Of Time and the River)

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