A year after the 2016 election, the same questions persist that have poked at the arts community for decades prior. The open debate about the roles of race, gender and sexual identity in this freshly riven society is not new, so much as it is in high relief. The echo chambers within the arts have […]
Final info wasn’t available at press time, but there’s still plenty to share about Comic Con this year. All location information is subject to change; cons embrace controlled chaos, and often have to make changes up to the last second. Here’s what we know. Location: Comic Con will be held at the Dunkin Donuts Center […]
“The proudest empire in Europe is but a bubble compared to what America will be, must be, in the course of two centuries – perhaps of one,” wrote Gouverneur Morris in 1800, who is most remembered for drafting the text of the Constitution, beginning with the words “We the People.” What motivated Morris’ prediction was […]
Perhaps the image of healthcare burned most freshly in the nation’s collective mind is the repeated struggles to repeal the Affordable Care Act, colloquially referred to as Obamacare. Congressional Republicans have long had a repeal of this act in their sights, often referring to a plan they called “repeal and replace.” However, in the multiple […]
On November 9, 2016, my 5-year-old daughter asked me what was wrong. “Donald Trump was elected president,” I replied. Cue the wailing and rending of garments. Audrey was upset, too. My wife was much more measured in her response. She asked, “What can we do about it?” So, I ventured online for answers. There, in […]
Crowd stress is nothing new. Back in the ’90s, I was an on-air therapist for a reality-cam house full of 20-somethings in Boston. Without exception, the number one fear they all had was entering a crowded place where they didn’t know anybody. The unknown is a formless dark specter that looms out of our control at […]
Okee dokee folks… A few weeks ago I played my first house concert. A house concert is basically a party built around a performance by a musical guest. They can be as simple as a performer sitting around and playing songs sans amplification, or as involved as setting up a sound system and lighting. I […]
A couple of weeks ago I spoke with guitarist Lionel Loueke prior to his performance with the Chick Corea and Steve Gadd Band at The VETs in October. The conversation we had reveals a lot about the group and his individual process, which makes it invaluable reading for jazz and guitar fans alike. Below is the […]
One of the celebrities coming to RI Comic Con for the first time this year is Adrian Paul, best known for playing the immortal Duncan MacLeod in the “Highlander” TV series for six seasons in the ‘90s. Motif publisher Mike Ryan’s old karate school used to get together to watch episodes and discuss just how badly […]
Rhode Island Comic Con isn’t the only comic convention going on this month. On Friday, November 10, Providence Community Library will be hosting Alternative Comic Con at Olneyville Library. Its intent is to be a smaller, more local celebration of the local arts and comic scene in Providence. “It’s an event we want to use […]