Thief at the garden party

by Kevin Barrett photographs by Nick Pironio I asked a friend of mine at the bar recently if he had any travel plans coming up. He’s an adventurous guy who always seems to be going somewhere off the beaten path or just…

A bouquet of silver

by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson Pulmonarias, or lungworts as they are commonly called, are bold-textured, clumping woodland perennials, prized for their unique silver-spotted, deer-resistant foliage. Long a favorite of shade gardeners in temperate climates, Pulmonarias flower in late winter…

They sell resell: Vintage, new, collectible

by Jesma Reynolds photographs by Tim Lytveninko Raleighites have options when it comes to clothing consignment shops. These houses of style feature previously owned, often near-mint-quality clothing and accessories at a fraction of their original prices, appealing to those with…

Pictures of music: Skillet Gilmore and Caitlin Cary

by Tracy Davis photographs by Tim Lytvinenko If there is a modern, downtown version of a Renaissance couple, Skillet Gilmore and Caitlin Cary may be it. They’re both musicians.  They’re both artists. They’re both mover-shaker types in the city’s arts…

Spotlight: Humans of My World

by Jessie Ammons photograph by Nick Pironio On a recent trip to Sri Lanka, Raleigh native William Moore wandered just a few streets over from the strip of five-star hotels where he was staying. “It was like entering this impoverished secret garden,”…

The local who knows: Jim Dodson’s Pinehurst picks

by Liza Roberts When the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open come to Pinehurst June 12-15 and June 19-22, as many as 400,000 fans are expected to converge on the quaint village known as “the cradle of American golf.” They’ll…

More a cathedral than a cowshed

text and illustrations by Frank Harmon The Dorton Arena at the N.C. State Fairgrounds was a technological wonder when it was built in 1952. Its cable-supported roof spanned the length of a football field and comfortably housed 7,600 spectators under…

Memories of Vietnam: 45 years and counting

by Larry Stogner While shooting a story at RDU recently, I recalled the day I returned home from Vietnam in late 1968. There were no jetways then. There were stairs. A 50-yard walk led to the only doorway into Raleigh-Durham…

Glad for my purple prince

by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson Growing up in North Carolina, it’s not uncommon to see gladiolus growing along country roads through older rural communities. For that reason, I could never reconcile why all the gladiolus I ordered from mail-order…

Tree of hearts

by Tony Avent illustration by Ippy Patterson I was first introduced to Aleurites fordii (also known as Vernicia fordii) through the wood sealer called Tung oil, which is made from the plant. That was long before I met Aleurites fordii in person….

from the Prologue: Fiddledeedee

by Shelby Stephenson 2015 North Carolina poet laureate SAYING I NEED AN IMAGE TO MAKE THE WORLD I went back home and held my eyes on the hill and it said You need a word deeper than I so I took…

North State

by David Rigsbee   My father came to me in a dream to walk with me around a stadium. Not wearing the jaunty motley of his last months: the patchwork newsboy cap and paneled shirt he wore when tearing around…

All art is self-portrait

by Ann Brooke Raynal photographs by Jillian Clark “Pointed sharp things frighten us,” says Raleigh artist Kiki Farish. “Rounded things feel safer. When we see curve in design or drawing, we are not scared of it.” Farish is speaking to a group…

Advertisement