I found Marty Weil and his blog A Year In Asheville when I was browsing through the internet one day.  I was very intrigued with the concept of recording a year in Asheville…in photos.   I could definitely understand why he would want to do that.  And I found his photos to be spot on – he captured the magic of this city.

Marty agree to share some of his photos and thoughts on this project. These are his words below.

As happens to the young man traveling through the hills of NorthCarolina in Charles Bukowski’s poem “Nirvana,” a curious feeling swam through me when I first visited Asheville in the fall of 1990.

Like the protagonist in Buk’s poem, I wanted to stay here forever but  circumstances conspired to keep me from fulfilling that dream for nearly 20 years.  In 2007, I finally made my dream of living in Asheville a reality.

Marty Weil

To chronicle it, I created “A Year in Asheville.” I shot the images for “A Year in Asheville“between September 2007 and October 2008. The images were taken at random as I followed the natural course of my daily life as a resident of downtown Asheville. (They originally appeared on a blog by the same name: http://www.a-year-in-asheville.com).

Throughout the process of capturing the images in the book, I was constantly reminded of why I came to live here. I allowed the magic of Asheville to happen around me.

As I captured certain “only in Asheville” moments—a tingle riding down my spine—I became even more deeply connected to this special place. The entire experience was a celebration of my “home coming” in Asheville.

Asheville street musician

The images in” A Year in Asheville “were shot in a vernacular style, which is to say more candid than artsy.

The idea was to capture the spirit of the moment as I strolled through town on a daily basis. I want anyone who sees the book to get a sense of what life is really like here. It is intended to allow the magic that happens in Asheville to wash over the reader and immerse them in our unique culture.

And your chance to purchase this unique book click here – A Year In Asheville

Asheville street magician