Author: Michael Graff

Michael Graff

Michael Graff

Vi Lyles and the Long Ride Home

Vi Lyles and the Long Ride Home

A few thoughts on the Charlotte mayor’s abrupt resignation, and why it happened

One year of listening to Charlotte

One year of listening to Charlotte

A note of thanks, on the anniversary of The Charlotte Optimist.

They Stand Between Charlotte and its Worst Days

They Stand Between Charlotte and its Worst Days

Inside Santé, the small mobile crisis team that most of Charlotte doesn’t know exists

“I’m not dead yet”: A breakfast with Thom Tillis

“I’m not dead yet”: A breakfast with Thom Tillis

The retiring North Carolina senator has 259 days left in office. Over breakfast in Charlotte, he talks Trump, the Fed, and why he says he’s been this way all along.

The Mosh Pit and the Ballroom

The Mosh Pit and the Ballroom

On the same April night, a hardcore punk band in a 100-year-old club and a bank CEO in a ballroom reached, from opposite ends of the city, for the same word.

The 704 Kid: From Dillehay Courts to the Hornets Arena

The 704 Kid: From Dillehay Courts to the Hornets Arena

How Chris Moxley helped build 704 Shop into a beloved Charlotte brand

I Read the Book That Says Charlotte Lacks Soul. So I Called the Author.

I Read the Book That Says Charlotte Lacks Soul. So I Called the Author.

Robert FitzPatrick’s search for Charlotte’s soul comes up mostly empty. A two-hour conversation left me thinking about my own answer.

The Gray Space

The Gray Space

A generation of Charlotte small business builders is entering its final chapter. What happens next will shape the city for decades.

What’s Going On With Charlotte

What’s Going On With Charlotte

After a national spotlight turned toward Charlotte, I spent a week listening across the city. The result is a mosaic of the people and moments shaping it.

The College That’s Betting on Better Arguments

The College That’s Betting on Better Arguments

Inside Davidson College’s $47 million experiment to help solve some of our country’s most pressing problems.

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