For those of you who don't know, dear readers, I live in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville is a fascinating city, with an extremely dense downtown and more than the usual share of activists, beer, good food, music and Art Deco architecture.
It's also a city in near constant conversation on its identity: what that is, where it's going and what threatens it (or who's already ruined it, opinions vary). I've found this one of the more interesting aspects of the city since I moved here about four years ago.
So I wanted to distill the debate some, and test the citizenry's creativity in the process.
Fortunately, Twitter provides a wonderful way to do this. Ernest Hemingway famously said that he could tell a good story in just six words. So yesterday, I put the simple challenge around:
Describe Asheville's nature in six words or less. No one word answers.
Thus was the Asheville in 6 Words meme born (I started a meme! I get a medal, or a toaster, or free beer, right?). Replies have come from across the spectrum, including answers bitter, earnest, political, spiritual, humorous and everything in between. We've had newspapers, local bloggers and city council candidates all weigh in.
I've found the response both cheering and interesting. Keep 'em coming y'all.
And hell, this game shouldn't be locals only. If you've visited or had contact with the city, feel free to weigh in, here or via Twitter.
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