Upcoming Events
Songwriter Night hosted by Freddy Bradburn
Join us for a night of original music hosted by Freddy Bradburn!
Hosted by award-winning songwriter, educator, and playwright Freddy Bradburn, FEATURING performances from all of you!
Would you like to perform at our first Songwriter Night? Just contact Freddy to get on the list to perform!
Freddy Bradburn taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, mulit-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community.
Rima Vesely-Flad Author Talk & Book Signing
Join us as for a special afternoon event with Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad, Founding Director of the Initiative for Black Buddhist Studies and author of the new book The Fire Inside: The Dharma of James Baldwin and Audre Lorde.
RSVP IS REQUESTED: We are asking you to RSVP in advance so we can make the necessary arrangements for seating, coffee, etc.:
ABOUT THE FIRE INSIDE
The Fire Inside explores the writings of Audre Lorde and James Baldwin through a Dharmic lens, revealing for the first time how two of America’s greatest literary voices reflect—and expand—Buddhism’s most timeless truths toward justice and liberation.
Dr. Rima Vesely-Flad dives deeply into a dharma of liberation as lived by Baldwin and Lorde, offering timely lessons to help us each meet this moment.
“I have followed and admired Rima Vesely-Flad’s work for years. She is tapping resources that all of us can access for greater hope and change.”
—Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow
ABOUT DR. RIMA VESELY-FLAD
Rima Vesely-Flad, Ph.D. is a research affiliate at Princeton University and a Visiting Professor of Buddhism and Black Studies at Union Theological Seminary, NYC. She leads Buddhist teaching and meditation courses at Spirit Rock Meditation Center and former Director of the Inside Out Prison Education Program which is a partnership between the Swannanoa Correctional Institution for Women and Warren Wilson College.
She is the Founding Director of the Initiative for Black Buddhist Studies. She is also a Fulbright Scholar and Awardee in South Africa and Ghana. She is a contributing writer for Lion’s Roar and other publications and the author of two academic books Black Buddhists and the Black Radical Tradition: The Practice of Stillness in the Movement for Liberation (2022) and Racial Purity and Dangerous Bodies: Moral Pollution, Black Lives and the Struggle for Justice (2017).
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own.
Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
Stop The War On Iran Teach-In and Discussion
The U.S. and Israel’s unprovoked, illegal attack on Iran is an act of war that threatens to cause unthinkable destruction. Huge numbers of Iranians, U.S. service members, and people in neighboring countries could die as the conflict spirals out of control.
Come learn about the history of U.S. imperialist intervention in Iran and the real reason Trump and the billionaires are threatening the world with another war. Only when we understand imperialism can we build an effective anti-war movement, win peace, and defeat this system!
Poetry Night hosted by Greg Feightner
Join us for a night of open mic original poetry — hosted by Dark City poet Greg Feightner! Get here early and sign up to read.
Greg Feightner is a big nerd whose right and left brains are constantly in conversation and occasionally disagree. He comes to us here in Marion from spending time recently in the Dark City Poetry Society in Black Mountain, NC, through open mics and monthly critique circles.
The puzzle pieces of his life as a former pastor, IT support manager, systems administrator, one-time festival organizer, men’s group facilitator and public storyteller/writer at first seem to impossible to fit together, but somehow, they do. The result is a wonderfully abstract tableau resembling a Picasso painting smeared into a JMW Turner-esque canvas. His proudest achievements are recipes, particularly figuring out how to perfectly cook thick cut bacon in the oven.
No Kings Rally
Join us Saturday morning in front of the Courthouse in downtown Marion for the next No Kings rally!
Bigfoot Books & Brews will be providing FREE COFFEE.
“We have the power and are claiming it together. No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings.
Hosted by the McDowell County Democrats
What began in 2025 as a single day of defiance has become a sustained national resistance to tyranny, spreading from small towns to city centers and across every community determined to defend democracy. Our peaceful movement is bigger than ever.
“When our families are under attack and costs are pushing people to the brink, silence is not an option. We will defend ourselves and our communities against this administration’s unjust and cruel acts of violence.
“On March 28th, rise up, take to the streets, and say it loud: no thrones, no crowns, no kings. We’re not watching history happen—we’re making it. Join us.
“A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.”
Freddy Bradburn Live Music Sunday Afternoon (Copy)
Come out and enjoy a live Sunday afternoon musical performance by award-winning songwriter Freddy Bradburn!
Freddy Bradburn taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community.
“Jailbirds in Flight” Guided Discussion with Editor Courtenay Lapovsky
Join us as for a special Second Chance Month guided discussion of the new book Jailbirds in Flight: Everything You Wanted to Know About Enlightenment in Prison But Were Afraid to Ask by Nicole Daedone, hosted by editor Courtenay Lapovsky and Marla Moffet!
RSVP IS REQUESTED: We are asking you to RSVP in advance so we can make the necessary arrangements for seating, coffee, etc.:
ABOUT JAILBIRDS IN FLIGHT
Nicole Daedone entered federal custody on charges tied to her life’s work—the teaching of Orgasmic Meditation—and found herself inside the “belly of the beast,” the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. What she encounters there is a nation’s shadow made visible, and within it, an unexpected field of grace.
Daedone meets women of immense courage and wit—OGs, hustlers, ministers, mystics—and even correctional officers whose quiet humanity breaks through the steel divide. Each holds a fragment of forgotten wisdom. Together, they turn the fluorescent corridors of confinement into a living monastery. Between commissary sushi rituals and midnight sermons, they find freedom begins long before the gates open.
Written from inside MDC, this book is a love letter to the human soul and a call to restore the sacred in our most forsaken institutions. With startling tenderness and conviction, Daedone shows what happens when we treat prisons not as wastelands of punishment, but as the bedrock of liberation for a nation.
Nicole Daedone has given the copyright, all book proceeds, and related rights this book to the Jailbirds in Flight Trust, so her story can keep benefiting others. The Trust money is shared between some of the women she was incarcerated with, some of whose stories helped inspire some of this book and the non-profit Unconditional Freedom which runs the Art of Soulmaking and Guards to Guardians.
ABOUT COURTENAY LAPOVSKY
Courtenay Lapovsky has been immersed in the Erotic path since 2012 and practicing meditation for nearly 30 years. With a Master’s degree in Education and her role as editor of Jailbirds in Flight and The Eros Sutras, she brings both rigor and intimacy to her weekly sutra study.
Courtenay is known for her humor, vulnerability, and storytelling, qualities that make the teachings of Eros feel personal and immediately relevant. Her classes invite participants to discover how the Sutras can illuminate and transform their daily lives.
ABOUT MARLA MOFFET
Marla Moffet is the Director of Yoga and Practice at Unconditonal Freedom. A 500-hour yoga instructor, massage therapist, and Ayurvedic bodyworker, Marla has been studying healing arts in some form for more than 20 years. Marla earned her BA from Rice University in French and studio art/art history and MAs from NYU in Teaching French as a Foreign Language and Teaching English as a Second Language.
She’s taught yoga at the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C., New York University in Paris, and the largest women’s prison in the U.S. A mover her whole life, Marla is happiest when practicing yoga, chanting, or dancing.
Words That Move Us: An Evening of Politics & Poetry
Two best friends. Two callings. One shared belief: words matter.
Join us for a lively and thoughtful evening of words and works; where public service meets the power of language. Suzanne Gavenus, candidate for House District 85, will give remarks about the road ahead for her district. And, in a special guest appearance, a reading of new work by poet Maria Garcia Teutsch.
Come for the inspiration, stay for the conversation, and help shape what comes next.
Because democracy not only requires a commitment to public service, but also to courage, imagination, and the belief that our voices still matter.
PLEASE RSVP IN ADVANCE:
For tickets and to donate any amount to Suzanne’s campaign:
ABOUT SUZANNE GAVENUS
Suzanne Gavenus and her husband Gary have lived in Burnsville, NC, for more than 23 years, where they raised their three children. Before that, they lived, worked, and met in Avery County.
Suzanne is a licensed clinical social worker and currently serves as Director of Counseling and Wellness at NCSSM in Morganton.
She’s spent her career listening to families, students, and educators when systems aren’t working—and helping them find real solutions.
She’s running for the North Carolina House, because District 85 deserves a representative who shows up, listens, and fights for our mountain communities.
Suzanne believes everyone should have access to affordable healthcare and mental health services; our educators deserve respect and fair pay; working families need affordable housing, childcare and living wages; and disaster recovery should focus on long-term resilience so our communities can rebuild stronger.
She brings leadership that is grounded in service, focused on working families, and committed to long-term solutions and economic stability for Avery, McDowell, Mitchell, and Yancey Counties—and to make sure our voices are heard in Raleigh.
ABOUT MARIA GARCIA TEUTSCH
Maria Garcia Teutsch, MA, MFA, is an award-winning poet, playwright, editor, and educator. She has published over 25 books/journals of poetry as editor-in-chief of the Homestead Review (published by Hartnell College in Salinas) and Ping-Pong journal of art and literature (published by the Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, CA). She teaches poetry and creative writing at Hartnell College. She is the founder of Ping-Pong Free Press, and CEO of Poet Republik.
Her most recent book What She Saw in the Lotería Cards was published by Bottlecap Press in 2025.
She directed the one act play, The Swallows of America as part of the Speech is Not Free VII festival.
In 2023 she wrote and directed two one act plays, The Revolution Will Have its Sky: a poem in one act, at Studio Apelbaum; and What She Saw in the Loteria Cards at Galerie Z22, both in Berlin, Germany.
Her cinepoem, The Revolution Will Have its Sky was a part of the 2023 official selection of the Fotogenia Festival in Mexico City; The Nature and Culture International Poetry Film Festival in Copenhagen, Denmark; and the Birmingham International Art Film Festival, England.
In 2024 the cinepoem was a finalist at the New Arts International Film Festival in London, England. The Revolution Trilogy is comprised of her award-winning poetry collection, her one act play, and her cinepoem.
The Swallows of America was published by Dancing Girl Press in the Fall of 2021. Heather McHugh chose her poetry collection, The Revolution Will Have its Sky, as the winner of the Minerva Rising chapbook competition.
First Annual McDowell Literary Festival
The First Annual McDowell Literary Festival is a collaboration between three of the independent bookstores in McDowell County, NC!
Taking place on Independent Bookstore Day 2026 (always the last Saturday in April), the festival will include a local authors book fair, special author events and book signings, book sales and promotions, and other related events to celebrate authors and books in McDowell County, NC.
Independent Bookstore Day
Come celebrate Independent Bookstore Day at Bigfoot Books & Brews in downtown Marion, NC!
John Pavlovitz Author Talk and Book Signing
Join us for a special evening author event and book signing with best-selling North Carolina author, pastor, and activist John Pavlovitz to help us close out the First Annual McDowell Literary Festival!
PLEASE RSVP IN ADVANCE so we know how many people to plan for:
ABOUT HERE AND NOW AND SMALL AND CLOSE
A partnership with award-winning Canadian illustrator Stacey Chomiak, Here and Now and Small and Close is a hopeful, spirited, heartfelt reminder of the ability each of us has in making the world a kinder and more loving place.
Through a joyful and meandering journey, a diverse cast of characters from disparate places encounter one another, as they each learn how easy it is to do something powerful right where they are, without delay.
Their trip together culminates in a vibrant depiction of what happens when everyone does the little bits that they can, as our friends’ individual offerings bring on a big, beautiful collective celebration.
Speaking about his first foray into children’s books, John Pavlovitz says, “This has been so long in coming! HNSC has been a dream of mine for nearly a decade, and once I met Stacey, I knew I’d found someone who could tell this story visually in a way that no one else could. It’s truly a thing of beauty!”
The book will be accompanied by an interactive group guide developed by John for families, classrooms, and libraries to help readers make the concepts of the book come to life where they are; to take the ideas right from the pages and into their communities.
ABOUT JOHN PAVLOVITZ
A former megachurch pastor turned progressive Christian leader, John Pavlovitz speaks candidly about inclusion, empathy, and the radical love of Jesus.
Through his widely read Substack newsletter, The Beautiful Mess, and his best-selling books, including If God Is Love, Don’t Be a Jerk and Worth Fighting For, John challenges readers to live out a faith and life that welcome everyone. He continues to travel, speak, and write, inspiring communities to pursue justice, compassion, and spiritual integrity in a divided world.
Raymond Elume Author Talk & Book Signing
To kick off the start of the FIFA World Cup, join us as for a special afternoon event with Raymond Elume, international sports analyst and author of the new book Soccer Is Football: Recognizing the Global Influence of Football on the American Sports & Entertainment Culture.
RSVP IS REQUESTED: We are asking you to RSVP in advance so we can make the necessary arrangements for seating, coffee, etc.:
ABOUT SOCCER IS FOOTBALL
Soccer Is Football explores how the world’s most beloved sport has evolved into a powerful cultural and economic force across North America.
Blending history, insight, and passion, Raymond Elume examines football’s global journey, its growing influence in the U.S., and the significance of the upcoming 2026 World Cup.
A celebration of unity, diversity, and the beauty of the game, Soccer Is Football reveals how a sport born on distant fields has become a shared language that connects the world.
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own.
Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
Freddy Bradburn Live Music Sunday Afternoon
Come out and enjoy a live Sunday afternoon musical performance by award-winning songwriter Freddy Bradburn!
Freddy Bradburn taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community.
Heather Leah Author Talk & Book Signing
Join us as for a special afternoon event with Heather Leah, “The Hidden Historian” and author of the new book Lost Towns of North Carolina.
RSVP IS REQUESTED: We are asking you to RSVP in advance so we can make the necessary arrangements for seating, coffee, etc.:
ABOUT LOST TOWNS OF NORTH CAROLINA
Take an adventure through ruins of ghost towns and lost communities in the Old North State. Explore isolated settlements like Lost Cove, hidden so deep in the mountains that no roads reach it. Ferry out to Portsmouth Island, where a ghost town has withstood multiple wars and generations of hurricanes. Explore the ruins of Brunswick Town, a port community of secret rebels destroyed in the Revolutionary War as punishment for “treason” against the British. Visit decaying remains in Snow Camp, a community that sheltered freedom seekers in the Underground Railroad.
ABOUT HEATHER LEAH
You may also know Heather Leah as Candid Slice, Downtown Dino, or The Blue Beacon. She is passionate about building community through storytelling. She has her hands in many of the exciting events in Downtown Raleigh and Cary, NC.
She loves giving talks at community forums and conventions, like Pecha Kucha, SPARKCon, or at the CORMuseum. At the end of the day, she just loves highlighting people’s stories and connecting community through the power of storytelling.
Heather has served as a Commissioner on Raleigh’s Historic Development Commission, driving community awareness. Her past work includes being the Hidden History Segment Journalist at WRAL TV and ABC11 / WTVD.
She is currently the Historian guide for The Great Raleigh Trolley.
Pop-Up Game Night
Join us for another SUPER FUN pop-up game night hosted by our friends Grace Kendall and Mike Belsole from the Tabletop Inn right here in Marion, NC!
Mike and Grace will be bringing a variety of games with them from the inn that are suitable for families and seasoned gamers alike.
Come out and try your hand at some fun party games and/or strategy games!
“Mike and Grace were the most amazing and accommodating hosts! Truly could not ask for better. Also, Mike is an excellent teacher for rules and how to play different board games!” —Tabletop Inn visitor review
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own.
Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
Freddy Bradburn Live Music Sunday Afternoon
Come out and enjoy a live Sunday afternoon musical performance by award-winning songwriter Freddy Bradburn!
Freddy Bradburn taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community.
Catherine Yael Serota Shealy Author Talk & Book Signing
Join us as for a special afternoon event with Catherine Yael Serota Shealy, Flag Pond, Tennessee-based author of An Appalachian Life: A Storyteller’s Perspective.
ABOUT AN APPALACHIAN LIFE
Everyone loves a good story. However, storytelling, whether written or spoken, is a talent not everyone possesses. In An Appalachian Life, Catherine Yael Serota shares her gift through stories about her mountain life and tales from history and her imagination.
From the awfulest Christmas tree and Peking duck to stories of an unsung war hero and a couple of mischievous boys named Bobby and Jack, Catherine’s tales are humorous and heartwarming.
Whether you grew up in the mountains or have never even seen one, you will love reading these short stories—some fact, some fiction—about life in Appalachia.
ABOUT CATHERINE YAEL SEROTA
Catherine was born in a 100-year-old log house in Eastern Buncombe County, North Carolina. It was a magical plot of land, surrounded by mature oaks, maples, white and jack pines and hemlock. Huge azaleas, mountain laurel, and rhododendron garnished the house with a dense woodland beyond. She lived there with her mother and father for six years until they moved into a house her mother built.
The next door neighbors, a childless couple, gave Catherine a tender upbringing during the day while her mother taught at Asheville-Biltmore College and her father worked at Morgan Brothers School Supply. Her father taught her to read at four years of age by under-lining the sentences in the Asheville Citizen-Times with his finger, beginning a lifelong love of reading, writing, and learning. When asked what has motivated her, she answers, “A continual child-like curiosity in all aspects of the world.”
Catherine was blessed by an extensive education at Saint Genevieve of the Pines Academy for Girls, including summers with a French family in Grenoble. First published at age 12 in The Laurel, the University of North Carolina at Asheville’s creative writing magazine, she attended UNCA and Mars Hill College simultaneously. Catherine earned her undergraduate degrees at age 18 and proceeded to the Department of Political Science at North Carolina State University.
Her career goal was the Foreign Service, but she did not pursue that, opting instead to manage programs in two federal anti-poverty agencies: HUD’s Model Cities Program and the Office of Economic Opportunity. Subsequently, she studied psychology and counseling at North Carolina Agriculture and Technical University and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, followed by theology at Beacon University, earning the Doctorate in Ministry.
Catherine’s career path has taken her to 40 years’ private, institutional, and community mental health practice. She served as the director of a women’s services program. Catherine spent twenty-five wonderful years as the owner-operator of the Glenfiddich Tree Farm producing Fraser Fir Christmas trees, seedlings and transplants for other growers and a 7000-unit container yard of hemlock and native ornamentals. A two year sabbatical from mental health services took her to the North Carolina Agricultural Extension Service where she wrote grants to the federal government Department of Agriculture, and managed the Integrated Pest Management program serving growers of Fraser Fir, Canadian hemlock, tomatoes, apples, and alfalfa.
Her storytelling experience began when her soon-to-be husband, Wallace Shealy took her to an Asheville Storytelling Circle Christmas Party where she was invited to tell a story. She stood up and told “The Awfullest Christmas Tree” off the top of her head. Prior to this evening, she had thought stories were for little children and bedtimes. Since then, she has told at Asheville’s Front Porch, the Hendersonville Center for the Arts, the Blue Ridge Storytelling Summit, the Black Mountain Center for the Arts, several libraries including Asheville’s Pack Libraries, Hendersonville Library, and the Unicoi Public Library. Community and Senior Services Centers, churches, synagogues, the Center for Pioneer Living and Sycamore Shoals State Park are included in her venues. There are several appearances at Tellabration!™, the Mountain Makins Festival, the Stone Soup Festival, the Jonesborough Storytellers Guild, the Asheville Storytellers Circle, and writing for and performing before the live audience of the Story Town Radio Show on a monthly basis.
Catherine does make time for other activities including an organic garden growing beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, herbs, squash, okra, peppers and Chinese vegetables. She cans, freezes and dehydrates the harvest. Catherine is said to be a good cook and loves to entertain. Traveling and reading are two other hobbies she pursues, in addition to supporting several non-profit organizations.
“A continual, child-like curiosity in all aspects of the world” has been, and is, her motivation.
Silent Book Club - First Fridays
Bring a book with you (or grab one off of our shelves!), read quietly for one hour (7-8pm), then talk about it with other people (or not) if you choose to (8-9pm)! Tell people about what you’re reading and hear about what other people are reading. (Or just keep reading quietly by yourself for the second hour—it’s up to you!)
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own.
Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
Freddy Bradburn Live Music Sunday Afternoon
Come out and enjoy a live Sunday afternoon musical performance by award-winning songwriter Freddy Bradburn!
Freddy Bradburn taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community.
Vanessa Miller Author Talk & Book Signing
Join us for this very special Black History Month event with USA Today bestselling author Vanessa Miller—author of historical fiction titles The Filling Station, The American Queen, and dozens of other books!
RSVP IS REQUIRED: We are asking you to RSVP in advance so we can make the necessary arrangements for seating, coffee, etc.:
ABOUT THE FILLING STATION
“Should be required reading.” —Library Journal, starred review
Two sisters. One unassuming haven. Endless opportunities for grace.
Sisters Margaret and Evelyn Justice have grown up in the prosperous Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma—also known as Black Wall Street. In Greenwood, the Justice sisters had it all—movie theaters and entertainment venues, beauty shops and clothing stores, high-profile businesses like law offices, medical clinics, and banks. While Evelyn aspires to head off to the East Coast to study fashion design, recent college grad Margaret plans to settle in Greenwood, teaching at the local high school and eventually raising a family.
Then the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre upends everything they know and brings them unspeakable loss. Left with nothing but each other, the sisters flee along what would eventually become iconic Route 66 and stumble upon the Threatt Filling Station, a safe haven and the only place where they can find a shred of hope in oppressive Jim Crow America. At the filling station, they are able to process their pain, fill up their souls, and find strength as they wrestle with a faith in God that has left them feeling abandoned.
But they eventually realize that they can't hide out at the filling station when Greenwood needs to be rebuilt. The search for their father and their former life may not give them easy answers, but it can propel them--and their community--to a place where their voices are stronger . . . strong enough to build a future that honors the legacy of those who were lost.
The Filling Station weaves together themes of love, hate, hope, trust, and resilience in the face of great turmoil. With every turn of the page, you will be transported into a story about strong Black women in a pivotal moment of history.
Discussion questions are included, so it’s perfect for book clubs! Keep your tissues nearby because this one is practically guaranteed to make you feel all the feelings.
ABOUT THE AMERICAN QUEEN
“A hidden gem in American history.” —Publishers Weekly
A Christy Award WINNER | A 2024 American Fiction Award WINNER | A 2025 Audie Awards WINNER | Best Historical Fiction of 2024 (She Reads)
There is only one known queen who truly ruled a kingdom on American soil.
Transformative and breathtakingly honest, The American Queen is based on actual events that occurred between 1865-1889 and shares the unsung history of a Black woman who built a kingdom as a refuge for the courageous people who dared to dream of a different way of life. As seen on Good Morning America: GMA 15 New Books to Reads.
Kingdom of the Happy Land in The Asheville Citizen newspaper, 1957
The article on page two of The Asheville Citizen from July 11, 1957, explores the beginnings of the Kingdom of the Happy Land, a vision brought to life by Robert Montgomery.
After the Civil War, Montgomery, a former slave owner, sought a new beginning for himself and his former slaves. With the abolition of slavery, these newly freed individuals faced numerous challenges and uncertainties as they navigated their newfound freedom.
Over the 24 years she was enslaved on the Montgomery Plantation, Louella learned to feel one thing: hate. Hate for the man who sold her mother. Hate for the overseer who left her daddy to hang from a noose. Hate so powerful there’s no room in her heart for love, not even for the honorable Reverend William, whom she likes and respects enough to marry.
But when William finally listens to Louella’s pleas and leads the formerly enslaved people off the plantation, Louella begins to replace her hate with hope. Hope that they will find a place where they can live free from fear. Hope that despite her many unanswered prayers, she can learn to trust for new miracles.
Soon, William and Louella become the appointed king and queen of their self-proclaimed Kingdom of the Happy Land. And though they are still surrounded by opposition, they continue to share a message of joy and goodness—and fight for the freedom and dignity of all.
The American Queen weaves together themes of love, hate, hope, trust, and resilience in the face of great turmoil. With every turn of the page, you will be transported to a pivotal period in American history, where oppressed people become extraordinary heroes.
ABOUT VANESSA MILLER
“Miller captivates with a propulsive historical based on a true story.” —Publishers Weekly
Vanessa Miller is a USA Today bestselling author. Her writing has been centered on themes of redemption and books about strong Black women in pivotal moments of history. Vanessa is a best-selling author, playwright, and motivational speaker. She started writing as a child, spending countless hours either reading or writing poetry, short stories, stage plays and novels. Vanessa’s creative endeavors took on new meaning in 1994 when she became a Christian. Since then, her writing has been centered on themes of redemption, often focusing on characters facing multi-dimensional struggles.
Miller’s book, The American Queen won the prestigious Christy Award, the Audie Award, and was the 2024 American Fiction Award winner for Historical Fiction. The American Queen is a North Carolina Reads pick for 2025.
Her novel, The Filling Station, has received starred reviews from Library Journal and Booklist. It is a Positively Charlotte book club pick and a USA Today bestseller.
Vanessa’s novels have received rave reviews, with several appearing on Essence Magazine’s Bestseller’s List.
Miller graduated from Capital University with a degree in Organizational Communication. She and her family live in the Charlotte, NC, area.
Pure-Fume Making Class with Marla Moffet
Join us at BigFoot Books & Brews on February 26 at 7:00 PM for a luxe, sensory-rich Pure-Fume Making Class.
“Death Café” Agenda-Free Discussion About Death*
Join us for our next “Death Café”*!
“Death Café” is a space where people can engage in open, meaningful conversations about life, death, and living fully every day.
An agenda-free discussion about death*
Hosted by Becky Knight
*Not a support group or grief counseling
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We will gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own. Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
Freddy Bradburn Live Music Sunday Afternoon
Come out and enjoy a live Sunday afternoon musical performance by award-winning songwriter Freddy Bradburn!
Freddy Bradburn taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community.
Songwriter Night hosted by Freddy Bradburn
Join us for a night of original music hosted by Freddy Bradburn!
Hosted by award-winning songwriter, educator, and playwright Freddy Bradburn, FEATURING performances from all of you!
Would you like to perform at our first Songwriter Night? Just contact Freddy to get on the list to perform!
Freddy Bradburn taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, mulit-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community.
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We will gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own. Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
Mermaids, Selkies, Swans, and Love Songs
Come out and enjoy a live Sunday afternoon performance by Mr. Freddy, the World’s Tallest Leprechaun, and his songs and stories of myths and wonders!
Freddy Bradburn taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, mulit-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community.
Fire Cider Making Class
Join us for a fun class on making fire cider, hosted by Angela De Nigro! Cost is $5 for supplies for each jar you plan to make and take home. (Donations are also welcome and appreciated.)
Angela intends to share the process of making an immune-boosting herbal tonic by infusing apple cider vinegar with ingredients like garlic, ginger, horseradish, and peppers, plus herbs and citrus, to support wellness through the stressors of daily life.
This hands-on class will cover history, ingredients, and customization, allowing you to create and take home your own jar of a flavorful natural herbal medicine, which in folk traditions can be used for digestion, immunity, and respiratory health.
Participants will leave with their own jar of freshly made fire cider, ready to support their own health!
When: Friday, February 13, 7pm
Where: Bigfoot Books & Brews
What to Bring: $5 for supplies for each jar you want to make
Questions? Submit via the RSVP form below!
We ask that you please RSVP by using the form below so Angela knows how many supplies to bring:
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We will gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own. Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
Freddy Bradburn Performs “Fathers and Sons”
Join us for an afternoon of original music from award-winning songwriter Freddy Bradburn, performing songs from his album Fathers and Sons!
Freddy Bradburn taught communications, theater, and storytelling at McDowell Tech for more than 20 years. He is also an award-winning songwriter, mulit-instrumentalist, and member of the local trio The Happy Enchiladas. He has had two original musicals produced by the local theater. Presently, Freddy created and directs a youth string band that performs in the community.
Nancy Schutt McCorkle Author Talk & Book Signing
Join us as for a special Black History Month event with Nancy Schutt McCorkle—81-year-old debut author of the historical fiction novel The End of the Sidewalk.
ABOUT THE END OF THE SIDEWALK
Going to a new school is scary, especially when your best friend dumps you.
In 1961, on a warm summer day in Jackson, Mississippi, a bus arrives in town that will spark change. White and Black people get off the bus and challenge norms that have been in place for decades.
All Trudy Scuffer wants for her birthday is a horse, and she’s worried about starting junior high—really worried. It’s a big change. She likes the familiar patterns and people of her life. The only change she really wants is a horse.
But on her birthday, she sees the bus full of Freedom Riders, and Trudy starts down a path to understand what they’re doing and why.
At the same time, she struggles with her mother’s work as a civil rights activist, but learns why it’s so important. Unfortunately, Trudy also learns how divisive and mean people can be, which puts her relationship with her best friend in jeopardy.
Trudy must figure out where she stands regarding the changes that are happening in her town. But will her views keep her best friend away forever?
If you liked Night on Fire by Ronald Kidd or Ruby Lee and Me by Shannon Hitchcock, then you’ll love The End of the Sidewalk.
ABOUT NANCY SCHUTT MCCORKLE
Nancy Schutt McCorkle grew up in Jackson, Mississippi during the Civil Rights Era. She lived in Georgia for 40 years and was a teacher of children with special needs. She was editor of the yearbook at the University of Southern Mississippi. While in Georgia, she attended the Coastal Georgia Writing Project under the direction of the late Pat Fox and the seed for her novel was planted. The End of the Sidewalk is her first novel. She is a member of Society of Children’s Book Writer & Illustrators. She now lives in North Carolina with her family. Her hobbies include writing, reading, walking, and gardening.
Silent Book Club - First Fridays
Bring a book with you (or grab one off of our shelves!), read quietly for one hour (7-8pm), then talk about it with other people (or not) if you choose to (8-9pm)! Tell people about what you’re reading and hear about what other people are reading. (Or just keep reading quietly by yourself for the second hour—it’s up to you!)
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We will gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own. Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
Peter Ivey Author Talk & Book Signing
Join us as for a special evening of poetry with Peter Ivey, author of the new book After the Storm (Poems and Prayers) inspired by Hurricane Helene.
ABOUT AFTER THE STORM
In the months that followed Hurricane Helene, poetry became Peter Ivey’s open window through which to breathe out sorrow and confusion, a refuge from the heartache, a sanctuary of hope and divine light.
For those who have endured their own floodwaters, watched their own forests fall, After the Storm offers a way through the muck, a glimmer of what-could-be, a hand to hold on the journey toward healing.
ABOUT PETER IVEY
Peter Ivey founded Four Seasons Soul Care with the desire to accompany others on their unique version of sacred journey.
He is a graduate of Furman University (BA Religion), Denver Seminary (MA Leadership), and the Soul Care Institute. Currently, he is a spiritual direction apprentice at Anam Cara.
Apart from offering soul care, he loves trail running, getting his hands dirty in his garden, attending live concerts, and playing soccer. He also enjoys writing! He is the co-author of Solo: Creating Space with God and co-creator of The State of My Soul. You can also find his poetry through his Substack newsletter, This House of Longing.
Peter lives in Asheville, NC, with his wife, Becca, and their three wonderful children.
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We will gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own. Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
National Irish Coffee Day
Sunday 1/25 is National Irish Coffee Day, and we’re excited to announce our very first cryptid-themed coffee mocktail—The Dobhar Chú (pronounced doh-war-koo), a delicious non-alcoholic version of the Irish original. This hot and hearty drink is named after the gargantuan beast (sometimes referred to as the King Otter) that is said to have once lurked beneath the surface of Glenade Lake in County Leitrim. Come enjoy a hot (or cold, if you’re crazy like that) NA Irish coffee to celebrate with us!
“Sometimes known as the King Otter, the dobhar-chú is a gargantuan beast said to have once lurked beneath the surface of Glenade Lake in Glenade Valley, Co. Leitrim. A headstone, found in the nearby Conwall Cemetary, bears an image of its likeness. Dating back to September 1722, this headstone marks the burial site of Grace Connolly, a woman became the tragic victim of the King Otter while washing her clothes on the shore of the lake one morning.
“Though the story of the Glenade Lake dobhar-chú is easily the creature’s most famous appearance in Irish mythohistory, it’s far from the only one. In the 1896 edition of The Journal of Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, a reader, Ms. Walkington, wrote a letter that described her sighting of a creature ‘half-wolfdog, half-fish.’ Her letter was responded to some time later by Mr. H. Chinchester Hart, who had heard stories of a creature identical to what she described. He called him ‘The king of all lakes and father of all otters,’ and claimed he could ‘run his muzzle through rocks.’
“In the year 2000, renowned Irish artist Sean Corcoran reported witnessing the appearance of a dobhar-chú in a lake while visiting Connemara’s Omey Island with his wife. He said, ‘The creature swam the width of the lake from west to east in what seemed like a matter of seconds.’ After doing so, it gave ‘the most haunting screech’ he had ever heard, and disappeared into the water.”
(Source: FolkloreThursday.com)
Snail Mail Society
Join us for the Snail Mail Society!
We will gather every Wednesday at 1pm for a casual letter writing group, hosted by Grace Kendall from the Tabletop Inn. Grace will bring some stationary, but feel free to bring your own. Anybody can write letters to people they know or maybe there's a letters-to-strangers project you'd like to participate in. Just bring your ideas, and let’s write together!
Used Media Donation Drop-Off Day
Clean off your shelves and bring your pre-loved (gently used) paperbacks, hardcovers, DVDs, and Blu-Rays to our Used Media Donation Drop-Off Day on Saturday, January 17, 1–9pm!
We’re accepting books for all ages in readable condition. (Sorry, no magazines.) For each book, DVD, or Blu-Ray you bring, you’ll get one entry in a drawing for 2 tickets to see Saxsquatch in Asheville on Wednesday, February 18.
We can’t guarantee every book, DVD, or Blu-Ray will be sold in the shop, but anything we can’t sell will be donated to local partners—so your media will still find good homes! Your donations help us keep quality books and movies at lower prices for our community.
When: Saturday, January 17, 1–9pm
Where: Bigfoot Books & Brews
What to Bring: Clean, gently-used books, DVDs, and Blu-Rays (all ages)
What Not to Bring: Magazines, moldy/damaged books
Questions? Fill out our contact form or simply email shop@bigfootbooksnc.com