Under One Roof. Asheville’s Unhoused / Alex Claude McPherson
“I met Hemingway’s granddaughter here in Asheville. I showed her some of my writing and she said I had great potential”
“I overdosed twice on Fentanyl. Last year they put a pacemaker in me.”
“This is no way to age, out here. I think I have another two or four years”
Alex began to tear up as he thought about his "golden years" and all the choices he had made in his life. He is nearly 60 years old, and life on the streets hasn’t been easy on his body, nor have the deadly drugs he continues to use.
“I hope I end up in a cell with that guy, so I can f#!k’n kill him with my own hands.”
In 2021, a local man attempted to run over Alex in a road rage incident. The man missed Alex but struck his cart, which contained his belongings and his companion cat, Thomas. Thomas eventually died from what Alex said was a brain injury sustained during the accident.
Where were you born? Western North Carolina. My people are from McPherson County. That’s where my last name comes from.
How long have you been out here? Too long.
Do you have any family looking out for you? I have two daughters, Meghan and Morgan. Two brothers. One was beaten to death by a cop. The other is a carpenter. I know how to swing a hammer better than him.
How did you end up out here? My daddy was in Vietnam and came back in bad shape. He had a lot of problems. He killed 90 people. He was really messed up. There was a woman who got me started on drugs. It was the biggest mistake.