Anne Chesky Smith Ordre des livres

"In 1936, Helen Clevenger's uncle discovered her bloodied body crumpled on the floor of her small room in Asheville's grand Battery Park Hotel. She had been shot through the chest. Buncombe County sheriff Laurence Brown, up for reelection, desperately searched for the white teenager's killer as the public clamored for answers. Even after Sheriff Brown securted a confession from a young Black man, many southerners feared that the crime had not been solved. Author Anne Chesky Smith weaves together varying accounts of the murder and investigation to expose a complex and disturbing chapter in Asheville's history"--Page 4 of cover

Perched at the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Black Mountain thrives on tourism. Even before the town incorporated in 1893, visitors flocked to the area to seek respite from heat, insects, and illness--and many of those visitors stayed. Cool climes and dramatic mountain scenery continue to draw travelers and new residents alike, and Black Mountain's historic center caters to both.

Located in the mountains of North Carolina, Black Mountain College was founded in 1933 by John Andrew Rice, Theodore Dreier, and other former faculty members from Rollins College. Their mission was to provide a liberal arts education that developed the student as a whole. Students and faculty lived and worked together on campus. Grades were abolished, and the arts were central to education. The college rented space for their first campus at Blue Ridge Assembly. In 1941, the college moved to the Lake Eden property they had purchased across the valley, allowing the school to grow. Many refugee artists found a home there, which provided an open and safe environment to create. Among the famous faculty and students of the college were Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, Merce Cunningham, and Buckminster Fuller. Funding for the college was always scarce, and in debt, the college was finally forced to close its doors in 1957. Black Mountain College operated for only 24 years but left a lasting impact on the arts and education on an international scale.