This episode comes from Story Parlor's "Homeland" story mixer from January 2023, showcasing stories from local artists paying tributes to their homelands. Performances come from Jimmy Griffith, Adama Dembele and the duo of Gina Cornejo and Mar.

Collage artist Kirsten Stolle talks with Matt Peiken about the seeds of her artistic inquiry, the heavy research fuelling her work and the line she straddles between artistry and activism. Her current show is on view through April 8 at Tracey Morgan Gallery.

In the second in our two-part conversation with Asheville Police Chief David Zack, we discuss his frustrations at the salary ranges for his officers and with certain local nonprofits he sees as standing in the way of critical community partnerships. We also broach the arrests and trespassing charges against two people working for the online publication the Asheville Blade.

Much is made, at least anecdotally, about rising crime in Asheville. At the same time, the Asheville Police Department is down roughly 40 percent of its force. Citing both, Asheville Police Chief David Zack says the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020 created a perfect storm his department is still struggling to recover from.

Asheville Blade founding editor David Forbes and Blade reporter Mastilda Bliss talk with host Matt Peiken about their coverage of homelessness in Asheville, the events of the night Bliss and Coit were arrested and what they believe the existing charges reveal beneath Asheville's progressive reputation.

In excitement for Story Parlor’s “Gathering of the Bards” Story Mixer, held on Saint Patrick’s Day evening, today’s episode is dedicated to art and stories that pay tribute to the magic, mysteries, and muses of Celtic culture, all from local artists here in Western North Carolina.

In a town with a reputation for oddity, the annual Asheville Fringe Festival is a celebration of the most odd, the most outsider performance. My guest today is Erinn Hartley, director of the Asheville Fringe Festival. Next week’s festival will be the 21st Asheville Fringe.

If you hike, bike, hunt, hammock, picnic, forage or just otherwise like to wander around the Pisgah and Nantahala National Forests, you care about how these forests are managed. And the history and culture of this region play into the mistrust some people feel about management at the hands of federal officials. Today's guest is Jack Igleman. When he’s not teaching economics courses at Warren Wilson College, he’s the lead environmental reporter for Carolina Public Press.

Today's episode began with a question: Why does Asheville struggle to attract large corporations and the thousands of highly paid, highly skilled jobs that come with them? For answers, we turn to UNC-Asheville assistant professor of economics Jonathan Brown.

Owners of the Asheville Tourists baseball team insist McCormick Field needs $30 million in renovations. If Asheville and Buncombe County leaders don’t agree to carry most of that cost, the team is threatening to leave Asheville. Our guests today say that’s an age-old play: Owners of pro sports teams leveraging cash-strapped cities for new or improved stadiums.

The Overlook is pausing the week of March 6-10 to focus on work behind the scenes. We’ll be back with fresh episodes March 13 on topics including reparations, forest management planning and potential public investment in renovations at McCormick Field.

Are you wondering why Asheville lacks affordable housing? For answers, “The Overlook” brings you into a panel discussion on the topic, at the February gathering of the Goodwill Industries Business Advisory Council.

Jason Sandford gives the lowdown on Asheville's hotel room boom, the autonomy of the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority and the challenges for city officials trying to keep pace.

Sarah Honosky of the Citizen-Times talks with host Matt Peiken about the goals of city and county officials to cut the city’s growing homeless population by half. We also go through a report calling for major structural change in how local officials handle the issue and talk about the status of plans to convert former hotels into permanent housing.

Our Friday audio residency from the stage of Story Parlor, in West Asheville, continues honoring Black History Month with performances from Kelly Morris, Mildred Barya and Jasmin Morrell.