F. Scott Fitzgerald, the renowned author of “The Great Gatsby” and “Tender is the Night,” spent two summers at the luxurious Omni Grove Park Inn while his wife, Zelda, received psychiatric treatment nearby. Although he wrote a few short stories during his stay, his drinking and womanizing earned him a questionable reputation in the area.
Thomas Wolfe, an Asheville native, is best known for his novels “Look Homeward, Angel” and “You Can’t Go Home Again.” His mother, Julia Westall Wolfe, ran a boarding house called the Old Kentucky Home, which is now preserved as the Thomas Wolfe Memorial. Despite initial backlash from Asheville residents who felt misrepresented in his debut novel, Wolfe eventually gained acceptance as a beloved local author.
Carl Sandburg, a renowned poet and Lincoln biographer, moved to Flat Rock near Hendersonville in 1945. He purchased a farm called Connemara, where he lived until his death in 1967. The property was ideal for both his writing and his wife Lilian’s prize-winning goats. During his time at Connemara, Sandburg created notable works such as “Remembrance Rock” and “Always the Young Strangers.” Visitors can now explore the National Historic Site, including the stone ledge where Sandburg often sat to write.
Biltmore Estate Writers
When renowned author Henry James journeyed to Asheville’s imposing Biltmore Estate, he was appalled by the ostentatious mansion looming over a region mired in poverty. Traveling there by train, James witnessed the stark contrast between opulent wealth and Appalachian hardship.
Arriving at the palatial home of the Vanderbilts, James found his cold room distasteful, even losing a tooth as he shivered through the night. He expressed his disdain to friend Edith Wharton – such lavishness was offensive next to the deprivation James had observed.
But when Wharton herself visited at Christmas, she delighted in Biltmore’s beauty. Warm Carolina sun lit the blooming gardens as Edith presented the Vanderbilts with her ironic novel skewering high society. Her stay was most pleasant, the estate glorious.
The two authors’ conflicting views now share space at the Biltmore Inn, reminding us of the complex histories these halls have witnessed. For while Biltmore’s grandeur awed some, its indulgence appalled others. Both perspectives remain woven into the story of this paradoxical mountain mansion.
Poems & Poets From The Black Mountain School
