News Release
Contact: Chris Morton, 828/253-8304,
Mary Cook, 919/733-7862, #231
Release: Immediate
THOMAS WOLFE FESTIVAL RETURNS TO ASHEVILLE AFTER SEVEN
YEARS
Photo Op! Photo Op! Photo Op!
(ASHEVILLE-Sept. 22, 2007)—In 1937, only a year before his tragic death at just 37, Thomas Wolfe proclaimed
“I have been seven years from home, but now I have come back again.” Likewise, the week of Oct. 3-7 the Thomas
Wolfe Festival returns home to Asheville after a seven year absence. The five-day celebration will feature the first chance
in decades to sup in the former Wolfe boardinghouse dining room, dramatizations, exhibits, walking tours, a radio
broadcast, lectures and the festival’s premiere of a children’s program highlighting the writer’s life, work and time.
Visitors to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site will have a chance to get to know Wolfe through
examining his impact on American literature and learn about a bygone time when Asheville found itself under the writer’s
critical lens. All festival activities are either free or incur a nominal charge. A schedule of events follows:
2007 THOMAS WOLFE FESTIVAL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Wednesday, Oct. 3
9 a.m.—WCQS 88.1 radio broadcast, “Thomas Wolfe: You Can’t Go Home Again.” Live from the Thomas Wolfe
Memorial, WCQS will present Ralph Redpath and Deborah Austin reading passages from Wolfe’s most famous works,
including “You Can’t Go Home Again”, his short stories and poems, and the writer’s letters to his teacher Margaret
Roberts and literary agent Elizabeth Nowell. The readings will reflect Wolfe’s assertion that “the home of every one of us
is in the future”. An open house at the old boardinghouse and refreshments in the visitor center sponsored by the state
historic site will immediately follow. Wolfe Memorial, 52 Market St. Free.
10:30 a.m.—Guided tour of Asheville’s Riverside Cemetery. Noted Wolfe scholar Ted Mitchell will lead an hour-long
walk through the 87-acre cemetery on the French Broad River where Wolfe is buried. Other graves visited will include
several real people Wolfe characterized in his novels and short stories including his mother Julia, various members of her
family, the Westalls; Margaret Roberts and her husband John; a local physician Hugh McGuire; and policeman James
Bailey and local grocer Benjamin F. Addison, both murdered by the fugitive Will Harris, who inspired Wolfe’s “Child by
Tiger.” Riverside Cemetery. 53 Birch Ave. Birch Ave. gate. Free.
1-3 p.m.—Book signing featuring Wolfe writers Ted Mitchell, Joanne Marshall Mauldin and Jan Hensley. Wolfe
scholar Ted Mitchell of Asheville has recently published, “Windows of the Heart: The Correspondences of Thomas Wolfe
and Margaret Roberts”, which includes hundreds of letters between the writer and his boyhood teacher. The final two
years of Wolfe’s tumultuous life was the focus of Joanne Mauldin’s new biography, “Thomas Wolfe: When Do the
Atrocities Begin?” Finally, the history of the Thomas Wolfe Festival itself is examined by Greensboro writer Jan Hensley
in “The Thomas Wolfe Festival. Wolfe Memorial front porch. Free.
Thursday, Oct. 4
7 p.m.—“Look Homeward, Angel: A Buried Classic.” Documentary filmmakers Steve Agnew and Tom Rash present a
preview of their upcoming film with reception afterwards. Wolfe Memorial. Free.
(MORE)
Office of Information and Marketing Services, 4601 MSC, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-4601
(919) 807-7385 Fax (919) 733-1620
www.ncculture.com
(2)
Friday, Oct. 5
10 a.m.-12 p.m., 2-4 p.m.—Discussion featuring noted scholars and writers examining Wolfe’s life, writings, and
correspondence. Morning session topics, speakers and presentations include:
• “Thomas Wolfe as Diagnostician”—Dr. James W. Clark Jr. (Raleigh)
• “Yes, You Can Go Home Again”—Jan G. Hensley (Greensboro)
• “Thomas Wolfe’s Aborted Second Novel: The River People”—Dr. John Idol Jr. (Hillsborough)
• “The Death of William Brittain Westall: Myth vs. Fact”—Betty Simes (Burnsville)
• Two audiovisual presentations: “Thomas Wolfe’s Brooklyn” and “Trains and Wolfe”
Planned afternoon presentations include:
• “How I Got Hooked on Thomas Wolfe”—Marjorie A. Kashdin (Brevard)
• “Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Wolfe, But Were Afraid to Ask”—Joanne Marshall Maudlin
(Weaverville)
• “Like a Blind Sea Thing: The Correspondence of Thomas Wolfe and Margaret Roberts”—Ted Mitchell
(Asheville)
• “Reading Thomas Wolfe: A Stimulus for Creative and Scholarly Ideas”—Ruth Winchester Ware (Durham), Pack
Memorial Library (Lord Auditorium), 37 Haywood St. Free.
4-6 p.m.—Bookstore wine and cheese reception. Captain’s Bookshelf, 31 Page Ave. Free.
6:30- 8 p.m.—“A Walk through Dixieland,” or Julia Wolfe’s former boardinghouse. Timed entry tours of the
restored, early 20th century boardinghouse where Wolfe grew up and which inspired much of his work, featuring dramatic
readings from “Look Homeward, Angel.” Wolfe Memorial. $6 admission fee.
Saturday, Oct. 6
10 a.m.-12 p.m.—Children’s program highlighting period chores, games and activities familiar to Tom Wolfe and
his contemporaries. Children of all ages will be able to learn about the kind of chores Julia Wolfe would have given her
son Tom at “The Old Kentucky Home” as well as some games he and his friends likely enjoyed playing out behind the
rambling boarding house. Kids can help wash clothes using an old washboard, make ice cream and crafts to take home, as
well as shoot marbles and play croquet. Wolfe Memorial. Free.
1 p.m.—Reader’s theatre presentation of Wolfe’s “Child by Tiger,” followed by walking tour of Asheville
neighborhoods where the actual crimes that inspired the short story were committed. Local author and storyteller
Bob Terrell will host a reader’s theatre presentation of “Child”, which was based on an actual murder spree in 1906 by an
African American man named Will Harris. Wolfe’s work shone a harsh light on common attitudes towards race and
crime in the early 20th century American South. Immediately following the presentation, Terrell will lead a walking tour
of Pack Square where Will Harris shot five innocent people and the country lane where he was cornered by a thousandman posse and then gunned down. Windows on the Park, 1 Pack Sq., $5 admission fee.
2:30 p.m., 8:15 p..m.—“Return of an Angel.” Written by Sandra Mason, this play focuses on Wolfe’s return to
Asheville in 1937, the first time he had been home since writing “Look Homeward, Angel”. Before leaving town for the
last time before his untimely death, Wolfe gave the town’s paper an essay entitled “Return” in which he tried to explain
why he had written the way he had about his hometown, childhood, youth and family. Asheville Community Theatre, 35
E. Walnut St. For tickets call 828/253-4931 or go to http://www.angelplay2007.com $20 admission fee.
6 p.m., 8 p.m.—Fundraising dinner at “The Old Kentucky Home.” The first opportunity in decades to sup in Julia
Wolfe’s dining room, “Dinner at ‘The Old Kentucky Home’” will feature the bygone ambiance of southern boardinghouse
meals circa 1920. All funds raised will be used to benefit the state historic site. Advance reservations required. Limited
seating. Wolfe Memorial. $80 admission fee.
(MORE)
(3)
Sunday, Oct. 7
1:30 p.m.—“A Walk Though Altamont”, otherwise known as downtown Asheville. Step into Thomas Wolfe’s world
through an hour-long walk around sites that inspired Wolfe to write “Look Homeward, Angel.” Featured stops will
include the house where the writer was born and Asheville’s central downtown square, Pack Place. Wolfe Memorial.
Free.
2:30 p.m.—“Return of an Angel”. See above listing for more information on this presentation. Asheville Community
Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St. For tickets call 828/253-4931 or go to http://www.angelplay2007.com $20 admission fee.
Asheville Community Theatre, 35 E. Walnut St.
Ongoing—Wolfe House cistern exhibit. Exhibit will feature items found in an old cistern (a storage tank for water or
other liquids) out behind the old boardinghouse including an early Coke bottle, a Haviland tea cup, an early 20th century
light bulb, a coffee pot, and much more. A 1978 archaeological dig under the Wolfe House unearthed the cistern and its
contents. Sometimes used as a trash can before city trash pick ups became routine, cisterns often hold a wealth of material
culture from a given historical period. Wolfe Memorial Visitor Center. Free.
RELATED EVENTS
Saturday, Sept. 29
31st Annual Thomas Wolfe 8K Road Race—For more information, go to http://www.tw8k.com.
Thomas Wolfe spent a decade growing up in his mother’s ramshackle boardinghouse, his childhood played out
against the backdrop of intrusive boarders, small town provincialism and his colorful but sometimes unhappy family.
Many of those who touched Wolfe’s life during this period inspired various characters in his famed novel Look
Homeward, Angel. The goal of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site is to preserve and interpret the history of
author Thomas Wolfe and his mother’s boardinghouse as depicted in his novel “Look Homeward Angel”. The state
historic site is located at 52 N. Market Street in downtown Asheville.
For more information about any of these events, contact the Thomas Wolfe Memorial at 828-253-8304, or email
contactus@wolfememorial.com. Please visit www.wolfememorial.com for a complete list of events for the festival.
Photos for media are also available at this web page address.
The Wolfe Memorial is an agency of the Division of State Historic Sites, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources,
a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history, and culture through such
programs as “History Happens Here,” a yearlong celebration of North Carolina’s stories of struggle and freedom,
memorable characters and colorful daily life. For more information, visit www.ncculture.com or call 919 807-7385.
#
#
#
News Release
Contact: Chris Morton, 828/253-8304,
Mary Cook, 919/733-7862, #231
Release: Immediate
FACT SHEET
FROM CROQUET TO CORNBREAD – ON TAP AT 2007 WOLFE FESTIVAL
Photo Op! Photo Op! Photo Op!
(ASHEVILLE-Sept. 22, 2007)—Long before he wrote his groundbreaking autobiographical novel “Look
Homeward Angel,” Thomas Wolfe was once just a little boy, who liked playing marbles and croquet with his friends,
and smacked his lips over the tasty cornbread and apple pies served up in his mother’s boardinghouse. A look back at
Wolfe’s childhood in Asheville, along with book signings, receptions and a special dinner, will be explored at the 2007
Thomas Wolfe Festival in Asheville, presented Wednesday, Oct. 3 through Sunday, Oct. 7. All festival programs are
open to the public.
Wolfe fans certainly won’t want to miss a free book signing by three prominent writers, presented on the
Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site porch Wednesday, Oct. 3 from 1-3 p.m. The following evening, the Captain’s
Bookshelf will welcome festival goers to a wine and cheese reception, a gathering Wolfe himself probably would have
enjoyed. Next morning from 10 a.m.-12 p.m., the Wolfe Memorial is presenting its first ever children’s program, featuring chores, games and crafts kids in early 1920s Asheville would have known, such as using a washboard to scrub
clothes, playing croquet, and even making homemade ice cream.
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 1-3 p.m.—Book signing featuring Wolfe writers Ted Mitchell, Joanne Marshall
Mauldin and Jan Hensley. Wolfe scholar Ted Mitchell of Asheville has recently published, “Windows of the
Heart: The Correspondences of Thomas Wolfe and Margaret Roberts”, which includes hundreds of letters between the writer and his boyhood teacher. The final two years of Wolfe’s tumultuous life is the focus of
Joanne Mauldin’s new biography, “Thomas Wolfe: When Do the Atrocities Begin?” Finally, the 11-year history of the Thomas Wolfe Festival itself is chronicled by Greensboro writer Jan Hensley in “The Thomas
Wolfe Festival. Wolfe Memorial front porch. Free.
Friday, Oct. 5, 4-6 p.m.—Bookstore wine and cheese reception. Captain’s Bookshelf, 31 Page Ave. Free.
Saturday, Oct. 6, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.—Children’s program highlighting period chores, games and activities
familiar to Tom Wolfe and his contemporaries. Children of all ages will be able to learn about the kind of
chores Julia Wolfe would have given her son Tom at “The Old Kentucky Home” as well as some games he
and his friends likely enjoyed playing out behind the rambling boarding house. Kids can help wash clothes
using an old washboard, make ice cream and crafts to take home, as well as shoot marbles and play croquet.
Wolfe Memorial. Free.
6 p.m., 8 p.m.—Fundraising dinner at “The Old Kentucky Home.” The first time since the early 1970s
visitors will have a chance to sup in Julia Wolfe’s dining room, “Dinner at ‘The Old Kentucky Home’” will
feature the bygone ambiance of southern boardinghouse meals circa 1920. All funds raised will be used to
benefit the state historic site. Advance reservations required. Limited seating (6 p.m. seating sold out). Wolfe
Memorial. $80 admission fee.
(MORE)
(2)
Ongoing—Wolfe House cistern exhibit. Exhibit will feature items including an early Coke bottle, a
Haviland tea cup, an early 20th century light bulb, a coffee pot, and much more, found in an old cistern (a storage tank for water or other liquids) that once lay out behind the old boardinghouse. A 1978 archaeological dig
under the Wolfe House unearthed the cistern and its contents. Often used as trash cans before city trash pick
ups became routine, cisterns can hold a wide variety of items that help illustrate a given historical period including china, bottles, children’s toys, and much more. Wolfe Memorial Visitor Center. Free.
The Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site preserves and interprets the history of author Thomas Wolfe
and his mother’s boardinghouse as depicted in his novel “Look Homeward Angel”. It is located at 52 N. Market Street
in downtown Asheville.
For more information about any of these events or the 2007 Wolfe Festival, contact the Wolfe Memorial at
828-253-8304, or email contactus@wolfememorial.com. Visit www.wolfememorial.com for a list of all 2007 Thomas
Wolfe Festival events. Photos for media are also available at this web page address.
Wolfe Memorial is an agency of the Division of State Historic Sites, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, a
state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history, and culture through such programs as “History Happens Here,” a yearlong celebration of North Carolina’s stories of struggle and freedom, memorable characters and colorful daily life. For more information, visit www.ncculture.com or call 919-807-7385.
#
#
#
News Release
Contact: Chris Morton, 828/253-8304,
Mary Cook, 919/733-7862, #231
Release: Immediate
FACT SHEET
FOLLOW THOMAS WOLFE THROUGH ASHEVILLE AT 2007 WOLFE FESTIVAL
Photo Op! Photo Op! Photo Op!
(ASHEVILLE)—Come walk in the writer’s oversized footsteps at the 2007 Thomas Wolfe Festival
Wednesday, Oct. 3 - Sunday, Oct. 7 in Asheville through fascinating tours tracing his life, time and work.
All festival tours are open to the public and are either free or incur a nominal charge.
First, take a guided stroll Wednesday, Oct. 3, through old Riverside Cemetery where Wolfe is buried, and where family members, friends, colleagues and town residents who peopled his novels and short
stories now rest. Friday, Oct. 5, festival goers will be able to tour the writer’s childhood home, an early 20th
century boarding house, while interpreters read from “Look Homeward, Angel”, a novel that’s characters
were inspired by residents of “The Old Kentucky Home”, both boarders and Wolfe family members. A tourist magnet in Wolfe’s day too, Asheville itself will be explored in two separate walking tours, one on Saturday, Oct. 6 focusing on an actual murder spree the writer later fictionalized in a short story and another on
Sunday, Oct. 7, which will explore post- World War I Asheville of Tom’s youth. The tour schedule follows:
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 10:30 a.m.—Guided walking tour of Asheville’s Riverside Cemetery. Noted Wolfe
scholar Ted Mitchell will lead an hour-long walk through the 87-acre cemetery on the French Broad River
where Tom Wolfe is buried. Other graves visited will include several real people Wolfe characterized in his
novels and short stories including his mother Julia, various members of her family, the Westalls; Margaret
Roberts and her husband John; a local doctor Hugh McGuire; and policeman James Bailey and local grocer
Benjamin F. Addison, both murdered by the fugitive Will Harris, who inspired Wolfe’s “Child by Tiger.”
Riverside Cemetery gate on Birch Ave. Free.
Friday, Oct. 5, 6:30-8 p.m.—“A Walk through Dixieland,” or Julia Wolfe’s former boarding house.
Timed entry tours of the restored, early 20th century boarding house where Wolfe grew up and which inspired much of his work, featuring dramatic readings by interpreters from “Look Homeward, Angel”. Wolfe
Memorial. $6 admission fee.
Saturday, Oct. 6, 1 p.m.—Reader’s theatre presentation of Wolfe’s “Child by Tiger,” followed by
guided walking tour of Asheville neighborhoods where the actual crimes that inspired the short story
were committed. Local author and storyteller Bob Terrell will host a presentation of “Child”, which was
based on an actual 1906 murder spree in the community by an African American man named Will Harris.
This work shone a harsh light on common southern attitudes towards race and crime in the early 20th century.
Immediately following the presentation, Terrell will lead a walking tour of Pack Square where Will Harris
shot five innocent people and the country lane where he was cornered by a thousand-man posse and then
gunned down. Windows on the Park, 1 Pack Sq., $5 admission fee.
Sunday, Oct. 7, 1:30 p.m.—“A Walk Though Altamont”, otherwise known as downtown Asheville.
Step into Thomas Wolfe’s world through an hour-long walk around sites that inspired Wolfe’s “Look Homeward, Angel”. Stops will include the house where the writer was born and Asheville’s central square, Pack
Place. Wolfe Memorial. Free.
(MORE)
(2)
The goal of the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site is to preserve and interpret the history of author Thomas Wolfe and his mother’s boardinghouse as depicted in his novel “Look Homeward Angel”. The state historic site is located at 52 N. Market Street in downtown Asheville.
For more information about any of these tours or the 2007 Wolfe Festival, contact the Wolfe
Memorial at 828-253-8304, or email contactus@wolfememorial.com. Visit www.wolfememorial.com
for a list of all 2007 Thomas Wolfe Festival events. Photos for media are also available at this web page
address.
Wolfe Memorial is an agency of the Division of State Historic Sites, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, a state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history, and culture through such programs as “History Happens Here,” a yearlong celebration of North
Carolina’s stories of struggle and freedom, memorable characters and colorful daily life. For more information, visit www.ncculture.com or call 919 807-7385.
#
#
#
News Release
Contact: Chris Morton, 828/253-8304,
Mary Cook, 919/733-7862, #231
Release: Immediate
FACT SHEET
EXPLORE WRITER’S LITERARY LEGACY AT 2007 THOMAS WOLFE FESTIVAL
Photo Op! Photo Op! Photo Op!
(ASHEVILLE)—Thomas Wolfe still casts a long shadow across American literature. To better understand the
writer’s art and life, the 2007 Thomas Wolfe Festival in Asheville will examine his writings through discussions, a
radio broadcast featuring readings from the writer’s most famous work and letters, a reader’s theater program featuring
his short story “Child by Tiger” and even a play based on “Angel”. For the first time in seven years, Wolfe fans will
have plenty of chances to revel in his work at the festival, which runs Wednesday, Oct. 3 through Sunday, Oct. 7
throughout the city. All literary programs are open to the public. Most are free.
The festival kicks off at 9 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 3 with a WCQS 88.1 radio broadcast of excerpts from Tom’s
letters, novels, short stories and poems, live from the Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site. If film is your
forte, be sure to drop by the memorial at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 4, for a preview of a new movie on Wolfe, a man who
crammed several lifetimes into a scant 37 years. A discussion of Wolfe’s life and literature will be presented at the
Pack Memorial Library Friday, Oct. 5 (morning and afternoon sessions), featuring noted scholars and writers. A theatrical presentation of “Child by Tiger”, Wolfe’s short story based on an actual 1906 murder spree in Asheville and the
community’s reaction to the killer’s crime and race, is on tap at 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6 at Windows on the Park. Also
on Saturday, Wolfe’s turbulent relationship with Asheville itself will take center stage at Asheville Community Theatre, which will present “Return of An Angel” at 2:30 p.m. and 8:15 p.m.
A complete list of the festival’s literary, film and dramatic programs follows:
Wednesday, Oct. 3, 9 a.m.—WCQS 88.1 radio broadcast, “Thomas Wolfe: You Can’t Go Home Again.”
Live from the Thomas Wolfe Memorial, WCQS will present Ralph Redpath and Deborah Austin reading passages from Wolfe’s most famous works, including “You Can’t Go Home Again”, his short stories and poems,
and the writer’s letters to his teacher Margaret Roberts and literary agent Elizabeth Nowell. The readings will
reflect Wolfe’s assertion that “the home of every one of us is in the future”. An open house at the old boardinghouse and refreshments in the visitor center sponsored by the state historic site will immediately follow.
Wolfe Memorial, 52 Market St. Free.
Thursday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m.—“Look Homeward, Angel: A Buried Classic”. Documentary filmmakers Steve
Agnew and Tom Rash present a preview of their upcoming film with a reception afterwards. Wolfe Memorial.
Free
Friday, Oct. 5, 10 a.m.-noon, 2-4 p.m.—Discussion featuring noted scholars and writers concerning
Wolfe’s life, writings, and correspondence. Morning session topics, speakers and presentations include:
“Thomas Wolfe as Diagnostician”—Dr. James W. Clark Jr. (Raleigh), N.C. State University English professor
and author of “Clover All Over”.
(MORE)
(2)
“Thomas Wolfe as Diagnostician”—Dr. James W. Clark Jr. (Raleigh), N.C. State University English professor
and author of “Clover All Over”
“Yes, You Can Go Home Again”—Jan G. Hensley (Greensboro), noted photoprapher and avid Wolfe collector who became interested in Wolfe's life after performing in the play, Look Homeward, Angel.
“Thomas Wolfe’s Aborted Second Novel: The River People”—Dr. John Idol Jr. (Hillsborough), Clemson University retired English professor and author of “Blue Ridge Heritage”. He has also published articles
in the “Thomas Wolfe Review”.
“The Death of William Brittain Westall: Myth vs. Fact”—Betty Simes (Burnsville), descendent of Samuel
Westall, the oldest son of Thomas Wolfe's grandfather, William Brittain Westall. She is an authority
on the prominent western North Carolina Westall family.
Two audiovisual presentations: “Thomas Wolfe’s Brooklyn” and “Trains and Wolfe.”
Planned afternoon presentations include:
“How I Got Hooked on Thomas Wolfe”—Marjorie A. Kashdin (Brevard), Wolfe fan and independent scholar.
“Everything You Always Wanted to Know about Wolfe, But Were Afraid to Ask”—Joanne Marshall Maudlin
(Weaverville), Wolfe biographer whose most recent work is “Thomas Wolfe: When do the Atrocities
Begin?”, which traces the last two years of Wolfe’s life and the aftermath of his death. Maudlin is an
independent scholar who has written for ‘Southern Exposure”, the “Thomas Wolfe Review”, and
“Pembroke Magazine”.
“Like a Blind Sea Thing: The Correspondence of Thomas Wolfe and Margaret Roberts”—Ted Mitchell
(Asheville), Wolfe biographer whose works include “A Writer’s Life, Thomas Wolfe: An Illustrated
Biography” and “Windows of the Heart”. Mitchell currently works at the Thomas Wolfe Memorial as
a historic interpreter.
“Reading Thomas Wolfe: A Stimulus for Creative and Scholarly Ideas”—Ruth Winchester Ware (Durham),
noted photographer and poet who has written “A Memorial: Wolfe’s Shoes” for the “N.C. Literary
Review” and “Thomas Wolfe’s Grover Story: Journey through Grief to Resolution” for the “Thomas
Wolfe Review”.
Pack Memorial Library (Lord Auditorium), 37 Haywood St. Free.
Saturday, Oct. 6, 1 p.m.—Reader’s theater presentation of Wolfe’s “Child by Tiger,” followed by guided
walking tour of Asheville neighborhoods where the actual crimes that inspired the short story were
committed. Local author and storyteller Bob Terrell will host a presentation of “Child”, which was based on
an actual 1906 murder spree in the community by an African American man named Will Harris. This work
shone a harsh light on common southern attitudes towards race and crime in the early 20th century. Immediately following the presentation, Terrell will lead a walking tour of Pack Square where Will Harris shot five
innocent people and the country lane where he was cornered by a thousand-man posse and then mowed down.
Windows on the Park, 1 Pack Sq., $5 admission fee.
2:30 p.m., 8:15 p.m.—“Return of an Angel”. Written by Sandra Mason, this play focuses on Wolfe’s return
to Asheville in 1937, the first time he had been home since writing “Look Homeward, Angel”. The writer had
stayed away from home for seven years because his novel had enraged many residents, who felt its thinly
veiled characters and events had left them stripped bare. Before leaving town for the last time before his untimely death, Wolfe gave the town’s paper an essay entitled “Return” in which he tried to explain why he had
written the way he had about his hometown, childhood, youth and family. Ashe Asheville Community Theatre,
35 E. Walnut St. For tickets call 828/253-4931 or go to www.angelplay2007.com $20 admission fee.
Sunday, Oct. 7. 2:30 p.m.—“Return of an Angel”. See above listing for more information.
(MORE)
(3)
The Thomas Wolfe Memorial State Historic Site preserves and interprets the history of author Thomas Wolfe
and his mother’s boardinghouse as depicted in his novel “Look Homeward Angel”. The state historic site is located at
52 N. Market Street in downtown Asheville.
For more information about any of these tours or the 2007 Wolfe Festival, contact the Wolfe Memorial at 828253-8304, or email contactus@wolfememorial.com. Visit www.wolfememorial.com for a list of all 2007 Thomas
Wolfe Festival events. Photos for media are also available at this web page address.
Wolfe Memorial is an agency of the Division of State Historic Sites, N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, a
state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history, and culture through such programs as “History Happens Here,” a yearlong celebration of North Carolina’s stories of struggle and freedom, memorable characters and colorful daily life. For more information, visit www.ncculture.com or call 919 807-7385.
#
#
#