It doesn’t take long for a person new to Rhode Island to find a local booster willing to tout our little but lovable state and its amazing history. First colony that gave religious freedom to all; first synagogue in the colonies; the Gaspee affair as America’s “First blow for Freedom” of the Revolution in 1772; […]
By Maureen O’Gorman Rhode Island is well-known for two things: its vibrant arts and culture scene centered in Providence, and the unwillingness of its residents to drive over 20 minutes to go somewhere. The newly-opened Westerly Museum of American Impressionism (WMAI) hopes to challenge both of those ideas. Several years in the making, the WMAI […]
For many, autumn is a reminder of returning to school. For thousands of people throughout the country and in Rhode Island, “back to school” evokes the memory of not getting their high school diploma – and the hope that they will “someday” go back to get their high school equivalency, a hope that gets pushed […]
Unique among all the states, only Rhode Island continues to observe “Victory Day” remembering the end of hostilities during World War II. At one point it was called “V-J Day” to signify the end of the war against the Japanese forces (as opposed to “V-E” day in May 1945 commemorating the fall of Germany). The […]
If there is one thing all adults agree on, it is this – the holidays suck. Compared to prior decades, the holidays are now more mercenary, less enjoyable, and start earlier and earlier, snuffing out the magic of the season. I am here to tell you: the holidays do not have to suck, but if […]
Politically speaking, Rhode Island has always been a difficult place to pin down. Founded by Roger Williams, a radical Christian who was thrown out of the more respectable colony of Massachuttes, RI welcomed and all but rewarded the waspish elite. This is just one of the many contradictions that populate the state’s character. In May, […]
It was twenty years ago today… At the time, we could not have predicted it, but the launch of Motif Magazine in August 2004 might have been the lucky charm New England sports fans were waiting for. Over eight decades, the fall refrain for Red Sox fans was always the same. “Wait ‘til next year.” […]
“I didn’t know you had …” is something that Pam Miech hears every week. The speaker might be talking to the head children’s librarian for Warwick about the boat in the library’s children’s room, or the game night, or the Tech Lab that people can use to transfer VHS tapes to Digital. They might be […]
Drivers on I-195 crossing the Braga Bridge in Fall River, MA, find it hard to miss the large World War II-era battleship USS Massachusetts located directly below them. It is the main feature in a museum collection of retired naval vessels that is the largest in the world. Battleship Cove is a landmark that has […]
Shortly before her 23rd birthday, Hattie Rhodes’ parents invited family and friends to a gathering on a Saturday at 1pm. The gathering was in Hattie’s honor, but it was an invitation to her funeral and not to a birthday celebration. William and Hannah Rhodes lost their only daughter to typhoid fever on December 7, 1870. […]