UNC Asheville will host an evening with writer and cultural historian Nan Chase at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 22, in UNC Asheville's D. Hiden Ramsey Library Special Collections. Chase will read from her new book, "Asheville: A History." A reception and book signing will follow her reading. The event is free and open to the public.

Chase illustrated her new book with photographic holdings from the Special Collections of UNC Asheville's Ramsey Library. "Asheville: A History" tells the history of Asheville from its humble beginnings as a hamlet for local livestock handlers to its emergence as one of the most culturally and artistically diverse cities in the South. The book delves deeply into the politics, local culture and people of Asheville and weaves a story of the city from its earliest beginnings on the Drover's Road to the 21st century.

Chase, a native of Boone, is a former investigative reporter for the Watauga Democrat. Her articles have appeared in numerous publications including the New York Times, The Washington Post, Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens and WNC Magazine. She serves as chair of the Board of Governors for the Daniel Boone Native Gardens in Boone.

For more information, call Helen Wykle, UNC Asheville Special Collections librarian, at 828/251-6645.