Charlotte Humanitarian David Johnson of Silent Images documents Burmese refugees – read the amazing story here in Creative Loafing.

Nobel Prize Winner, Dr. Aaron Ciechanover talks with me regarding the education system in Israel, here in The Jewish Daily Forward.

Just exactly what will that buy you in Charlotte real estate? Cam Newton found out recently with his Uptown condo and I wanted to know what he passed up. Here in the Charlotte Observer.

She’s a Dixie Diva – Honey and don’t y’all forget that. Here is my profile on the one and only Vickie Livengood at the Charlotte Observer.

The story behind BESA: The Muslim Code of honor here in my piece at the Charlotte Observer.

Danny Lyon is a self taught photographer form the 60s whose work came to define the era of New Journalism. Read my profile on him here in the Charlotte Observer.

Manoj P. Kesavan & Faron Franks have started it now. Read my piece at Charlotte Viewpoint on their latest collaborative project here.

Read about my Adventure to India here at UCity Magazine.

Check out my preview of this fascinating new technology here in the Charlotte Observer.

Read my interview with the iconic American actress and comedienne here.

Read my interview and  profile on legendary Broadway Diva, Jennifer Holliday here at Charlotte ViewPoint.

Urban chicken ranchers are more prevalent than you may think – they might even be in your own back yard. Read my piece in Lake Norman Magazine.

Charlotte news anchor, reporter and filmmaker Steve Crump shares his thoughts on documentary film making, storytelling and his latest work, Sojourn of the Strings.

The film explores the journey of the banjo from slave cabins on the plantation, through the minstrel era, into Appalachia and eventually into the hands of folk legend Pete Seeger, North Carolina’s Joe Thompson, and the Carolina Chocolate Drops.

Profiled here at Charlotte ViewPoint.

One hundred or more photographers. 24 continuous hours. One square city block location, like the NC Music Factory and you have City Block, the Light Factory’s annual urban photography fest and competition. Check out my piece in the Charlotte Observer here.

New career in a new city? No problem for this Ballantyne entrepreneur. Here in South Charlotte News.

This fascinating restoration project has captivated an entire community. Read the back story, here in Charlotte’s Creative Loafing.

Voice coach and distinguished professor, Dr. Charles Hadley has worked with a galaxy of stage and screen stars including Vivien Leigh, Charlton Heston, Nick Nolte, Jason Robards, Scarlett Johansson and many more. Read about his incredible career here.

Atlanta artist Stephen Hayes features his powerful installation: Cash Crop at the Gantt Center. Read my preview here in the Charlotte Observer.

Mark Blumberg missed NYC bagels when he moved from Long Island to Charlotte. He took matters into his own hands with some very tasty results. Here in SCN.

Read my profile on Johnson & Wales Chef, Harry Peemoeller here in the Charlotte Observer.

Marcus Hamilton, the illustrator of “Dennis the Menace” daily panels since 1994 when he took over from Hank Ketcham, sat down with me to discuss his career from a by-mail illustration school to the iconic strip he still loves today. Even crotchety old Mr. Wilson may crack a smile at this one.

Read about his incredible journey here.

Mike Reiss gets to the core of what makes the long running animated series so successful in my interview with him. Here at the Charlotte Observer.

Read my tongue in cheek look at how to make the perfect Matzo Ball.  Here in The Faster Times.

Local filmmaker Bev Penninger produces an outstanding documentary – a must see with your kids. Read my preview here in Charlotte ViewPoint.

Charlotte Magazine profiles me and my crew as we have some big plans for the 2012 DNC in Charlotte.

Nine out of ten Charlotte dentists support the arts in the QC just like Dr. Kim. Read my tiny profile on her here in the Charlotte Observer.

Etiquette it seems is not a dying art at all. Read my piece on a local “charm school” instructor here in the Charlotte Observer.

Hoopster TNT Maddox dishes with me about what it is like to play with the legendary Harlem Globetrotters. Here in the Charlotte Observer.

This local craftsman really knows how to work in tiny spaces. Here in my piece at the Charlotte Observer.

Read about UNCC Gallery Director and curator Crista Cammaroto here in SouthPark Magazine.

Read all about an irreverent graphic Designer and her tongue-in-cheeky buttons poking fun at Charlotte neighborhoods here in the Charlotte Observer.

Charlotte Jazz bassist Ron Brendle eschews categorization. Check out this profile at Charlotte Viewpoint.

Check out my tiny profile here in the Charlotte Observer.

Out of the closet and into the kitchen, aprons are hip again. Here in my piece at the Charlotte Observer.

Adrian Miller talks black chefs in the White House. The former Clinton politico is doing some heavy duty research on this very history. Read my chat with him here in the Charlotte Observer.

Check out this profile on the all male, Jewish a capella singing group from New York City’s Yeshiva University, here in my piece at the Charlotte Observer.

Check out my feature on the couple who chose to retire to the QC without ever setting foot here.  In the Charlotte Observer, Here.

The Charlotte Jewish Film Festival has matured significantly after eight years, read my preview here at Charlotte Viewpoint.

A great father and son story hear featuring a dad who has overcome his hearing impairment right up onto the stage. Here in the Charlotte Observer.

Chapel Hill Based Lost in the Trees forge a new musical style all their own. My interview with front-man Ari Picker is picked up in an abbreviated version here in the Raleigh News & Observer.

Long before Snooki or ‘the Situation,’  Another type of youthful cool swept the Jersey shore. Read my preview of Jersey Boys here in Charlotte Viewpoint.

Read my interview with Tom Murray here at Charlotte Viewpoint.

Read my interview with Bryan Fenkart, the lead in the national touring performance of Memphis, the Musical. Here at CLT Blog.

Violins of Hope is a compelling story of perseverance and one man’s desire to restore voice to musical instruments who saw unimaginable horrors. Read my story here at Charlotte Viewpoint.

Read my piece on a local cheese monger and how she plies her trade. Here at the Charlotte Observer.

Read my profile on local freelance photographer Greg McMurray here in the Charlotte Observer.

The Charlotte Arts & Science Council has developed a public art walking tour and podcast showcasing some of the finest public art in  our region.

Read my piece about it here.

Local hummingbird expert, Dr. Jay Whelan, shares some of his vast birding knowledge with me here.

Follow Celebrity Chef Peter Reinhart as he sets off in search of the perfect pizza. Here in my story at the Charlotte Observer.

High school pals don’t let the Atlantic Ocean get in the way of some serious commitments – Check out their story here in the Charlotte Observer.

This special Charlotte School makes a huge difference in kids lives. Read about them here in my piece in South Charlotte News.

Ray Kaskey may be best known for his work on the World War II Memorial in Washington D.C. but few Charloteans know about his significant contributions to the Queen City. Read the back-story behind the most iconic works in Uptown Charlotte here.

Read my story of high powered lawyer turned entrepreneur here in the Charlotte Observer.

Charlotte Painter Barbara Schreiber’s work is part whimsy, part mayhem. Read my profile here.

I talk with local financial gurus on savvy moves coming into the New Year - here at Lake Norman Magazine.

Read my interview with Olympic Medalist, Paul Wylie here.

Read my profile on Johnson & Wales Chef, Harry Peemoeller here in the South Charlotte News.

Chas Fagan is at home with Presidents, Astronauts and Landscapes. Read my profile on this fascinating artist here.

Read my profile on the Wednesday Wingers, Wing Have Garden’s group of volunteers who make it all happen. Here at South Charlotte News.

My rant on the one behavior that will save the arts: Patronage.  In My Opinion published by the Charlotte Observer.

Read my overview on the new artistic crew at Charlotte’s McColl Center for Visual Art. Here in the Charlotte Observer.

2004 Nobel Prize winner for Chemistry, Dr Aaron Ciechanover, entertained several hundred area high school children in a dialogue sponsored by the Echo Foundation. read what he had to say here at Charlotte ViewPoint.

Why not enjoy your own city on its own terms? My opinion on comparing apples and oranges, here at Charlotte Viewpoint.

Charlotte visual arts Mecca, The McColl Center, offers one of the most unique artist-in-residence programs in the country. And that’s just the beginning.

Read more about this community treasure in my piece  here.

Read my piece in the Charlotte Observer about an incredible project focusing on local, unsung heroes.

Rick Lyon has  worked on Sesame Street and on television and film projects for Columbia Pictures, New Line Cinema, ABC, CBS, The Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, VH1, and Fox. In addition to performing, Lyon also designs and builds custom puppets, including the puppets for the Tony Award-winning musical Avenue Q on Broadway, where he was also a member of the original cast.

Read my interview with him here at Charlotte ViewPoint.

I catch up with Waxhaw-based playwright Judy Simpson Cook here at the Charlotte Observer.

I speak with local finance guru’s on how to plan for the new year. Here in the region’s premier lifestyle magazine, SouthPark Magazine.

“The lesson in the story is so much more than just to follow your dream; it’s really to work to change the world around you.” I interview Billy Elliot writer Lee Hall and discusses Radio Theatre, the autobiographical elements of Billy Elliot, and Hall’s thoughts on working with Sir Elton John. Here at Charlotte ViewPoint.

A Charlotte man with a big idea is inspiring young men and helping them gain self confidence through a character development program and custom made threads. Read my story on him here, in the Charlotte Observer.

OC picked up my blog interview with Tenor Jonathan Boyd. Read it here.

Yes, you read that correctly. Check out my humorous reporting of this very real occurrence here at Like the Dew, Journal of Southern Culture & Politics.

Urban Ministries provide so much more than meals and referrals for our city’s homeless – they nourish their souls as well. Check out this innovative photography program in a piece I wrote for the Charlotte Observer here.

Read my Patron Profile on Laura Collinge – Opera Carolina Supporter.

Read my interview with LIT front-man Ari Picker here at Charlotte ViewPoint.

Historic Charlotte neighborhood Wesley Heights celebrates their 100 year anniversary. Read my piece covering this cool event here in the Charlotte Observer.

Armchair historian Walter Klein wants to set the record straight on Mec Dec, the other Declaration of Independence, once and for all. Read my piece here in the Observer.

It has been more than forty-five years since Alvin Ailey, a product of itinerant, working class Texan parents, founded his eponymous company and introduced the world to an innovative dance troupe that celebrated the African-American experience in a time in America when there was little for the black audience to celebrate.

Read my preview of their celebration tour here.

My lament at being chronically on time. Here in the Charlotte Observer.

Watching Vic Mignogna address a packed ballroom of screaming anime fans, I couldn’t help but be impressed at how he connected with each of the 400 or so mostly-teenage girls in a personal and almost visceral way.

Mignogna was in Charlotte  as a headliner appearing at Ichibancon, Charlotte’s  anime and manga convention.

Read my profile here.

The new generation of philanthropists looks very much like the old, generous and giving. Read my story here in the Charlotte Observer.

Growing up on North Carolina’s Crystal Coast, Linda Midgett did not envision her father’s job as a harbor pilot playing a pivotal role in launching her career as a documentary filmmaker and television producer. Filming and interviewing her father and other family members working the port at Morehead City turned out to be precisely the initial production experience that eventually led to her Emmy-winning role work as the co-executive producer of the acclaimed daytime television series, “Starting Over.”

Read my profile here.

The summer of 2010 was very bad for my usually bountiful tomato crop. Was it me or the weather? Read my thoughts here.

My travelogue to Kerala, Southern India features exploration of a luxury Home-stay in the back waters of Lake Vembanad. Read more here in SouthPark Magazine.

Palate to Palette is the signature contemporary art event at the McColl Center for Visual Art. Read about its origins here.

Tina Fabrique brings the First Lady Of Song, Ella Fitzgerald, alive in her performance of Ella.  Read my profile/preview here.

Read my story here in the Charlotte Observer.

Like the junction of several challenging words in the Sunday Times puzzle, the intertwined pursuits of Charlotte musical artist Claire Ritter require careful sequencing in order to occupy just the right space on her busy palate. Possessing more talent than can be confined to a singular label, Ritter’s artistic travels involve composing, teaching, performing, and recording her music. These are but a few of the journeys Ritter undertakes, often simultaneously.

Her profile is here.

Read the story of this remarkable historic Federal-style plantation home in south Mecklenburg  County here.

Read my interview with WTVI president, Elsie Garner here at Charlotte Viewpoint.

For more than 16 years, Terri Bennett provided nightly weather forecasts to the Charlotte, NC, television market as a meteorologist and station scientist. From 2004 to 2007, she also penned a daily newspaper column, “Earth, Stars and Skies,” in the Charlotte Observer newspaper where she answered readers’ questions about all things science. After leaving the television business in 2007, Terri’s passion for the environment created the Do Your Part® idea and its core mission. Terri wanted the world to know that going green is easy, economical, and important. In 2010, DoYourPart.com was launched due to a growing demand for consumer-friendly eco-content.

I interview Terri here.

Read how two women helped recent immigrants to Charlotte connect to their community through story. Here in the Charlotte Observer.

Charlotte is making the national map because of our science museum. Really. Check out my piece at Charlotte Viewpoint on Discovery Place here.

Learn about the special gems with leaves that grow in our city – fabulous Treasure Trees. Here in the Charlotte Observer.

Valaida Fullwood and Charles W. Thomas’ new book, Giving Back; A Tribute to Generations of African American Philanthropists is a remarkable achievement. Read my preview here at Charlotte Viewpoint.

Some say obsessed, I say possessed! Tomato tales redux: Read my annual tomato column in the Charlotte Observer here.

What is BarCamp you ask? Find out here in my piece at the Charlotte Observer.

Read my review of OC’s 2011/2012 Opener with Denyce Graves here at CLT Blog.

The PPL, a media and culture house concept hosting independent and unaffiliated bloggers, filmmakers, journalists, activities and others is taking root in Charlotte, NC the DNC 2012 host. Read about the innovative concept and the people behind The PPL here in my piece at the Charlotte Observer.

Read about the unusual tourist agenda as my virtual pal came to the QC. Here in the Charlotte Observer.

Read a heart warming story about a foreign exchange student and the family that hosted her – still connected after 40 years. Here in my piece in the Observer.

Armchair historian Walter Klein wants to set the record straight on Mec Dec, the other Declaration of Independence, once and for all. Read my piece here in the Observer.

An amazing NC connection is revealed in the back-story of this special Anne Frank Exhibit on display here in Charlotte. Read my Faith feature here in the Observer.

Rotary is still making a huge difference, almost 100 years after its inception. Read my story here in the Charlotte Observer.

Read how local blogger Desiree Kane her #1 bucket list item fulfilled. Here in the Charlotte Observer.

All things Romare Bearden roar into high gear in the QC. Read my homage to our native son here at Charlotte Viewpoint.

When dinner and a movie feel uninspired, forget the overpriced popcorn bucket and explore these choices in Crown Town – oh, and tell the babysitter you’ll be home late.

Read my feature here.

Read my piece in the Charlotte Observer about how one man gives area homeless a hand up instead of a hand out.

Sometimes you just run into a great story that leaves you all warm and gooey on the inside. Read my feature piece on Marine Chris Nagel in the Charlotte Observer and you’ll see what I mean.

The Echo Foundation is a nonprofit humanitarian organization whose mission is to sponsor and facilitate those voices that speak of human dignity, justice and moral courage. Read about founder, Stephanie Ansaldo and the incredible work being done in Charlotte and beyond here.

P. Scott Cunningham is a cool cat who has his way with words. Read how The McColl Center for Visual Art showcases this literary artist in Charlotte. Here in  my piece at Charlotte Viewpoint.

Charlotte is quietly becoming a destination city for lovers of comics, animation, superheroes, and cartoons. The Queen City is hosting an expected 1000 attendees for an anime and manga related convention on January 7-9 with Ichibancon 2011. The third such national convention in the past seven months, Ichibancon is the most recent entrant to the growing list of conventions held in Charlotte that specifically target enthusiasts of comic books and related products.

Read my preview here.

Read my review of the zany, wacky Blue Man Group. Here at CLT Blog.

Kit Kube is a Kinetic Master Craftsman – Check out my piece in the Observer that tells his story here.

Charlotte film-maker Donald Devet has a knack for capturing history with a contemporary twist – all in our own back yard. Read my piece here.

How can you not love an organization that hosts a monthly event called Muddy Fun Day? Read my piece in the Charlotte Observer here.

Read my piece on this mother/daughter combo that is harnessing the power of the Latina community. Here in the Charlotte Observer’s South Charlotte News.

What could be more pure and local than honey from your own back yard? Check out the buzz from this urban beekeeper whose bees may just have been in my yard not that long ago.

Read my piece here in the Charlotte Observer.

Ignite Charlotte takes off with a program built upon the notion of : Enlighten us- But make it quick. See what they mean here.

Read my review of this gripping one man show here in Charlotte ViewPoint.

Just what exactly is a sister city and what is the back story behind the QC’s filial relationships? Read more here.

Claire Ritter has studied and performed with legendary Jazz greats Ran Blake and Loonis McGlohon to name a few.

She is most comfortable when she’s teaching others, especially area youth. Read my profile on Ritter and Composers Charlotte here.

Some may not think in these terms, but when on-board an airplane you are really part of a community that deserves some basic common courtesies.

Read my take on what makes for a neighborly flight here.

Read my profile of environmentalist Shannon Binns and his vision for creating a sustainable Charlotte here.

Read my review of MOMIX Botanica here.

I wrote this piece about Charlotte hosting the 2012 DNC Convention for India’s largest youth newspaper, The Viewspaper. Read how I describe our sense of place here.

Read my review here at CLT Blog.

Read my preview of the North American touring show of CATS. Here at Charlotte ViewPoint.

Read my preview of the return of iconic British Pop star – Elvis Costello. Here at Charlotte Viewpoint.

Thursday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway there were more thrills, high speed turns and tension than is typically found at the Coca-Cola 600. It all took place under the Grande chapiteau where close to 2200 attendees were spellbound for nearly three hours with Totem, the latest performing arts feast from Cirque Du Soleil.

Read my review @ CLT Blog here.

The Classic International Black Cinema Series at the Gantt Center for African American Art & Culture shows the depth and breadth of Black film. Read my profile here.

Standing as a vibrant cultural crossroads in the Charlotte community for the past 22 years, Shalom Park is a unique contributor to the texture and fabric of urban life in the Queen City. Heralded through-out the city as a signpost of interfaith relations and a cornerstone to the community’s diverse religious and cultural heritage, this cooperative effort provides the Charlotte metro area with an array of educational, religious, recreational, entertainment, cultural, and community service offerings.

Read more of my piece here.

Jeff Jackson’s site, Destination:Out finds all that  (out of print ) jazz. Check out my piece here in Lake Norman News.

Read my preview of Harry Connick Jr.’s recent Charlotte performance here.

Read how Opera Carolina reaches well beyond the stage and into the community to connect with and build their patron base.

Find my profile here.

Read my profile on the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation, America’s Toothfairy – Here in South Charlotte News.

Engage Charlotte is a vehicle for young professionals to connect to the QC. Check out my piece in Charlotte Viewpoint here.

Illuminating the global Jewish experience through film is no small task, yet it’s an ambitious mark the organizers of Charlotte’s Jewish Film Festival have hit again with their seventh season in the Queen City.

Read my preview here.

My opinion piece on a very real and critically important public health issue is here at Charlotte Viewpoint.

With ThomThom, Machine Theater celebrates their one year anniversary and fourth production in Charlotte, no small feat in a town that seems loathe to support small, regional theater. Coming off their dark comedy Mum’s the Word earlier this year, Machine has jumped headlong into a realm that requires its audience to suspend their beliefs at the door and allow this performance to rush over them in waves.

Read my full review here.

What’s the real cost of Reality TV? I sound off at Charlotte ViewPoint here.

Describing reggae music to the uninitiated is a futile endeavor. Like Jamaican curry, the genre is a Creole spiced from influences of native mento or Jamaican folk music, accentuated rhythms and upbeat of ska and rocksteady, some calypso, and even a bit of traditional R & B. Reggae today continues to evolve as it has for decades both before and after explosion onto the international scene in the 1970s under the stratospheric influence of the late Bob Marley.

I profile a couple that is the driving force behind all things reggae in the QC here.

Theater for very young targets tots from six months to three years. There is plenty for the kid in all of us As I recently discovered at PlayPlay! Charlotte’s answer to the European Baby Theater craze. My piece at Charlotte ViewPoint is here.

Dreamgirls is nothing if not a spectacle on a very grand scale. It is rare to see a Broadway performance rely so heavily on lighting and special effects provided by thousands of overworked high definition pixels framing and defining every scene. The ceiling to stage panels dazzle at every turn, initially creating the smoky and soft glow of New York’s Apollo and carrying the performance through brilliantly vibrant multi-colored backdrops.

Read the entire review here.

Few conversations in Charlotte envision the theater as community. Charlotte is not a string of suburbs in search of a city like many American burghs of comparable size. We are a grouping of eclectic and diverse neighborhoods from NoDa, to Chantilly, First and Fourth Wards, Elizabeth, and beyond. Performance art that represents the diverse cultures and fabric of the growing region isn’t often found in touring Broadway productions or at Uptown’s larger venues.

I explore Machine Theater, a small experimental company here.

There is perhaps no other American song in history that has played a more iconic role in modern popular culture than “White Christmas.” Penned by a Russian/Jewish immigrant Irving Berlin, “White Christmas” had a starring role in at least three celebrated Hollywood films. Making its debut in Holiday Inn, the tune also received airtime in Blue Skies as well as in the Technicolor film White Christmas, which was released nearly twelve years after the creation of the wildly successful  song.

Read my preview of White Christmas, The Musical which includes a chat with veteran stage actress Ruth Williamson  here.

While the likelihood of Charlotte overtaking Cannes as a premier Film Festival destination is remote, area movie buffs are licking their chops nonetheless for ten days of fine films come March; that is when the Charlotte Jewish Film Festival kicks off with a compact but eclectic and inviting selection of cinema in a format that offers one huge advantage the big festivals typically don’t have: accessibility.

See my entire preview here.

Since its opening in 1933, the annual Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular has become the gold-standard in holiday entertainment and a quintessential New York City Christmastime experience. With over 200 performances during its eight-week run from November through December, and as many as six performances per day, the show is seen by more than one million people – more than all other Broadway shows combined for the entire year.

Read my review of this fabulous show here.

Tim Tyson’s award winning book, Blood Done Sign My Name, translates well to the big screen. There are many lessons to be learned from this true and very personal account of the civil rights era accounting. They span from the tobacco warehouses of the south to drugstore lunch counters that refused blacks service in the 1960s.

Read my review here and note the comment from author Tim Tyson himself.

From the opening Chim Chim Cher-ee to the closing Supercalifragilisticexpiaidocious encore medley, the brilliantly constructed ensemble cast maintained an energy level that was just slightly below uncontrollable frenzy.

My review of the national touring production is featured here.

Southerners, perhaps more than any other Americans, have a love affair with their food. Of late however, the relationship between Americans south of the Mason/Dixon line and their food has become more complicated and by many measures, downright dangerous.

My opinion on the very real health issues facing all Americans, here.

According to officials with the North Carolina State Board of Education, the Tar Heel State’s high school children don’t need to learn about the founding of our nation or the Civil War. The Board is proposing changes to the high school history curriculum that will eliminate teaching about any historical events prior to 1877.

I can’t make up stuff this good, it’s true.

Check it out here.

Opera Carolina kicked off their 2010 season last evening in spectacular fashion with Puccini’s La Boheme. Complete with a sidewalk “Cloud Broadcast” where the live performance was streamed in a live video to a manufactured cloud outside the theater, Opera lovers both inside and outside of the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center were treated to this classic tale that is never short on drama or musical accomplishment.

OC picked up my review and ran it here.

Those two North Carolina Powerhouse brands that can inspire a diabetic coma have teamed up for something really special. Read my expose here.

While legions of writers and poets struggle with punching up colorful words in just the right shade to elicit emotion or punctuate their meanings, Ross Vassilev manages to connect his work with the reader in black and white. Mostly black.

My entire review is here.

The evolution and convergence of media is certainly nothing new and is being embraced in many circles, particularly with younger readers and technology adapters who use digital forms of media to inform and entertain themselves.

Read my opinion piece on consuming new media and the caveats to keep in mind here.

In what will likely deal a crushing blow to yet another revenue stream for budget-tight South Carolina, State Senator Larry A. Martin last week introduced a proposal to repeal the  Subversive Activities Registration Act. According to Martin, the law has been on the state’s books since 1951 and mandates that state-based subversives first register  and pay a five dollar filing fee with the state prior to any activities related to overthrowing the government or face some nasty fines.

This is too good to make up. Really.

Read my piece here.