★ This is what we’re talking about: Art and commerce

Check out this morning’s spot-on Roanoke Times editorial. As we like to do around here, the piece looks at other communities for a model to replicate, but that’s okay. At least this time the community pointed to was Austin, not Asheville. There, South by Southwest grew the economy with an entrepreneurial arts-based venture.

The point: like the traditional mountain music along Southwest Virginia‘s The Crooked Road, our literary assets can be aggregated as an economic asset.  First we see what’s here.  With literary assets like the Hollins Festival of New Works, we add them all up in a BOOK CITY ★ Roanoke inventory. Then we build off of them.

Entrepreneurs fill in the gaps. We support complementary initiatives. We whole-heartedly commit to the kind of community we are – or want to be.  We prosper.  And we have fun doing it.

Read. Write. Connect.