June 23, 2013

Party at Bill’s last night, where we abided until the moon rose white and round over the identical houses.

The French Broad River District art scene came to an end almost silently, while one looked away. We thought we were going to be gobbled up by the city in one “master plan” bite, but instead it was nibble by nibble by rapacious and insensitive commercialism. New landlords with a different vision bought up the buildings, and where there were once independent artists working in quirky, productive studios, there are little shops behind which the artist may be glimpsed at work like a rat on its wheel. Artists which didn’t fit the plan were evicted. Artists who were unsightly were evicted. Jolene at Phil Mechanic is the lonely holdout. Most artists are now required by their lease to be present every day for a full workday, like shopkeepers. Landlords who protected artists turned into those who exploit them. Fine art has practically–and predictably– disappeared, leaving space for the crafts factories and fifty eight different kinds of mugs. Asheville has always been at war with its arts community, which is, paradoxically, besides scenery its only attraction. It’s like New York resenting Broadway. The Asheville business community has in particular resented the arts community, as if the tourists would still come to buy shoes or nicknacks–or even beer-- once the artists and the street performers were gone. It’s shameful, but I– and maybe others–didn’t see it coming. The natural growth of the area was so clearly lovely and superior that someone’s desire to change it for profit did not seem a likelihood. I couldn’t even tell you where the creative kids in their cubbyholes and garrets have gone. Perhaps to another town altogether.

Dream of the most profound redemptive power. I was a child seated in a van under a complex series of road overpasses. There was a woman with me, and I knew from the dream that I had always thought that woman had kidnaped me, setting into motion a series of circumstances that had ruined my life. But this time, from a distance, observing my own life, I saw the woman smile beautifully, and I knew that had misinterpreted what had happened, that she had saved me from something very terrible., and that everything would be all right now.