by Zach Clayton Eight years ago, a little-known Silicon Valley entrepreneur named Steve Blank wrote an obscure book called The Four Steps to the Epiphany. Blank, a veteran of eight startups, outlined a ground-breaking argument: Writing business plans and raising…
by Andrew Kenney photographs by Geoff Wood Coach wears black athletic gear today. There’s a blue sky above his brick-red running track, a shadow on his face from his ball cap, and a ring with seven diamonds on his finger. He…
photograph by Travis Long “When I’m on a trail, I unplug completely. It sets my mind free. My imagination goes wild. And that’s what I try to create at Marbles, too: A place for kids’ imaginations to run wild.” –Sally Edwards,…
photograph by Tim Lytvinenko “I couldn’t really live without music. You just make time for it.” – Wade Smith, criminal defense lawyer Wade Smith knew he loved music when he co-founded Raleigh’s oldest string band 50-odd years ago, but he never…
photograph by Travis Long “On March 7 there’s a kilt run in downtown Raleigh. I’ll be buying a Lonerider kilt and running in it. The largest training plan is to secure the kilt; I probably won’t run for very long. It’s…
by Scott Huler photographs by Travis Long Stand still. What do you hear? Maybe a dog barking. Birds. The rustle of the wind in the trees. The slip of water streaming by – maybe, if it’s been rainy, you hear it rippling…
by Zach Clayton By 2 p.m., I was ready to quit. Already 10 hours into a daylong silent meditation, my mind was anything but still. As my thoughts raced from topic to topic, my body ached. I’d been sitting cross-legged…
by Tina Haver Currin photographs by Jill Knight Just fifteen minutes from downtown Raleigh lies a thunderous land of revving race cars, bologna sandwiches, and if you’re (un)lucky, maybe a few flips, fires, and crashes, too. A breezy April evening promises favorable…
In the lush garden they planted together after their children grew up sits a small table where, weather permitting, Steve and Betsy Levitas end nearly every day. Drinks in hand, they talk, laugh and love, watching the sun set behind…
by Tracy Davis photographs by Nick Pironio Perhaps you’ve heard the joke about how bands are actually in the T-shirt business? It’s typically told by the musicians themselves – talented ones – and they’re only half-joking. Merchandise – “merch,” in…
by Liza Roberts photographs by Nick Pironio “I like to work in small spaces,” says the artist James Marshall, as he shows a visitor into his North Raleigh garage. At first it’s not clear where that space is, because a shining…
1,600 people + 31 states + 3 countries + 1 city +1 record = 1 Raleigh weekend by Tracy Davis photograph by Joshua Black Wilkins Roots-rock band American Aquarium loves its Raleigh hometown, but the band is forever leaving it behind,…
by J. Andrew Curliss photographs by Patrick Davison Chuck Stuber is standing halfway up Mount Fuji at a place where climbers begin their slogging treks to the summit of Japan’s tallest mountain. There is a pay toilet here and a…
by Karen Lewis Taylor There’s no such thing as a casual conversation with David Rigsbee. His affinity for the complexities of human experience pushes against the limits of the everyday exchange. He speaks with an intensity that’s deepened by adept…