Faces & Stories Archives - Haywood Street

Robert [part of the Haywood Street Marks & Memoire series] ‘’I reckon it was around 1994–the bull tattoo. I was recovering from a spinal cord injury, going back and forth between doctors. And then one day I just decided to take a detour and head to the tattoo parlor.” Robert tells me there’s not a lot to...

06.01.2018Read More

Liz Button Full Plate Fund

Faces & Stories

The Liz Button Full Plate Fund will help ensure that there is always enough at the Downtown Welcome Table, and a seat at the table for everyone. It honors the passion, energy and creativity of Liz Button, founder and organizer of Chefs @ Downtown Welcome Table. This creative partnership harnesses the rich talent within Asheville’s restaurant industry...

05.04.2018Read More

Eric

Faces & Stories

Eric [part of the Haywood Street Marks & Memoire series] “You got your questions ready?”, he asks. “Nope,” I reply. “You got your story ready?”, I ask. “Of course,” he says. This is the way most of my and Eric’s conversations start. Abruptly. We learned early on that neither of us do well with BS,...

04.23.2018Read More

Octavius

Faces & Stories

When I finally meet Octavius, it’s at the Welcome Table. He’s disgusted by my preference to have all foods touch. So naturally, I have to play it up. I stab a bite of pork chop, salad and dessert all at once and airplane it to my own mouth. “Mmmmmm. That’s what I’m talking about.” Meanwhile,...

04.01.2018Read More

Eli

Faces & Stories

In 2015, Eli was at the height of his career in commercial flooring. He was living in a 3,800 square foot home on three acres and was on track to bring in upwards of 300k. By the following year, he found himself bound up with the law, in violation of a probation order and facing...

03.04.2018Read More

Kristi

Faces & Stories

Kristi [part of the Haywood Street Marks & Memoire series] Kristi is a storyteller’s dream. In 24 minutes and 53 seconds, we cover everything from her Irish-Cherokee heritage, to moments in her retail portraiture career that include, yet are not limited to, producing Ric Flair’s family Glamour Shots at a Charlotte, NC mall. As gratuity,...

02.14.2018Read More

Jeffrey

Faces & Stories

Jeffrey is escorted to my office by Michel from The Steady Collective. He’s agreed to talk with me about the opioid epidemic—how he sees it. Jeffrey is involved in Steady’s Peer to Peer program. This means he takes 100-200 clean needles at a time out onto the streets and hands them out to folks who...

02.04.2018Read More

Michael

Faces & Stories

This week, I am so grateful to share, in his own words, Michael’s story. Michael has recently become an inspiring member of the Haywood Street family. Yesterday, we received the good news that after nearly 27 years of incarceration, Michael will receive parole in November of 2019. I strongly encourage you to read Michael...

12.07.2017Read More