Visit to Asheville, N.C., an enriching experience
I was about to order a latte at a bookstore when the clerk informed me: "I'm sorry, but the coffee bar will be down. We can't run the machines while the program is on." Turns out, a lecture was about to begin at the bookstore, so the clerk silenced the whirring espresso machine out of courtesy. I noticed a collection of patrons sitting in fold-out chairs at tables with their fresh coffee and desserts. The lights in the cafe section of the bookstore went down, and the crowd was greeted by an English literature professor who was there to talk about his latest book of poetry. This is not your ordinary Borders. This is Malaprop's bookstore in downtown Asheville, N.C. Upon learning that I was to have a latte-less evening, one of the professor's assistants came over and handed me a glass of merlot. I have to say, nothing compares to an evening filled with intellectual stimulation and fine wine. "Only in Asheville," I told my wife. After that evening at Mal...