BERZERKERS, a short film premiering Friday, April 24, will feature the story of Rhode Island’s Brown Bird and how their music came to serve as an inspiration for a chef 700 miles away. Brown Bird was a folk duo featuring MorganEve Swain and her late husband, Dave Lamb. Lamb passed away from leukemia in April […]
As hospitals ban visitors to slow the spread of COVID-19, the stories of people dying in hospitals without the comfort of family nearby are heartbreaking — both for the patient and the patient’s family. I recently reached out to Jocelyn Arruda, a death doula in our community, to talk about what these patients and their […]
Lenny Schwartz and Nathan Suher wanted to make a movie fast. Because it was about the time of corona, made in the time of corona, it couldn’t be produced using normal methods. So the prolific Schwartz wrote an extended series of one-person scenes that play out over the internet and could be shot by individual […]
Being a woman has brought with it both heartache and joy, but mostly it has shackled me to a role that does not fit who I am or what I am about. Prejudice exists for both men and women and being recognized as a self — one independent of these categories — might be impossible […]
I love teaching. I love the time I spend every August getting my class together, from hanging the bulletin board paper and borders for my walls, to decorating my desk and wall with the mementos students have left me each year. It feels like Christmas when I’m going through my department’s inventory of novels, unpacking […]
A Pre-Script: I had the idea to write this piece on March 10, which now seems like a year ago, and by the time I put it on paper, things had already shifted significantly. Please note that this was before nationwide layoffs, before food insecurity spiked, before children were sent home, before toilet paper disappeared, […]
Jonathan Beller is a Rhode Island photographer specializing in stills, portraits and editorials. I recently worked with Jonathan and can testify to his professionalism and skill behind the camera. He has had the opportunity to photograph a handful of stars, including one of my favorites, Jason Isaacs, who starred in “Brotherhood,” a series filmed in […]
Damont Combs has been writing since an early age, after a desire to improve his handwriting sparked his creativity. As he grew up in Southside Jamaica Queens, NY, Combs would write stories, songs and poems to improve his script. While it ultimately didn’t help his handwriting, it did bring out his love of writing, especially […]
An artist who wishes to remain anonymous started a mysterious movement early last week to raise awareness and funds to support frontline medical staff during the coronavirus pandemic. The movement began with a parody of Shepard Fairey’s Obey Andre the Giant poster featuring Governor Gina Raimondo’s face with one simple word: “OBEY.” The poster nods […]
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has taken over our news headlines, there have been fewer reports of gun violence and domestic abuse cases. One might hope that this is a sign that there are is least one silver lining in the dark global cloud that surrounds us, but alas, that is not the case. The “stay […]