I worked for Flor all through my teenage years. She paid me well too, for the mundane errands, like delivering groceries, but also for the Santeria work that I had come to admire and respect; not for its sound reason or logic, but for its rejection of societal norms. The imagery and the lore behind […]
Is there any more iconic imagery associated with October and Halloween than the classic witch sailing through the skies atop a broom, beneath a bright full moon? Despite its tragic past and condemnation from puritanical pilgrims of the past, we are fascinated by witchery. For this piece, I sought a well-versed soul on the topic […]
The following is a sequel to the author’s piece, Bruja, from the last issue. I first bonded with my mysterious neighbor, Flor, over our communal care for local stray cats. The decrepit garage we kept them in became a shared point of contact and a sacred space where we would cross paths at feeding times […]
I have always loved cats, ever since I was a boy. Something about their selective socialization, isolated grace, and potential for fierce loyalty has spoken to me in ways no other species has. Not that I was allowed to keep any when I was young. We were a working-class family living in a neighborhood that […]
We are bombarded daily with images of violence and death whether it’s the nightly news, movies, or scrolling through social media. As uncomfortable as we claim it makes us, we flock towards the headlines, desperate for heart wrenching details. Where does this age-old fascination come from? In search of answers, I sought out an expert […]
Omar was a custodian. He worked in a prominent downtown highrise, overnights, from ten to six. With most of the office personnel working from home these days, his workload was light. He emptied a few trash cans, vacuumed the carpets, and sprayed down the glass surfaces. It was solitary work, slow and methodical. No supervision, […]
1992: It’s middle school, and everybody feels awkward. The Providence Public School system is doing what it can with its resources. School lunch is the highlight of the day. Many families fall below the poverty line. They’re able to gather, eat, and socialize. The walls are brick and brutalistic by design. The tables are oval-shaped […]
Rhode Island is home to one of the largest populations of Cape Verdean Americans in the country. An estimated 18,000 Cape Verdeans call the Ocean State home, a population second only to Massachusetts, which is home to an estimated 70,000 Cape Verdeans. Located approximately 350 miles off the west coast of Africa, Cape Verde is […]
I first met Samantha (not her real name) in late 2019, mere months before the pandemic would cause perpetual change and adaptation. At the time, a career promotion left me with some free time and a desire to give back. I had coached Little League in the summer and handed out backpacks in the autumn […]
This month I spoke with Jennifer Stevens of the RI Commission on Prejudice and Bias, who was kind enough to share how they are working hand-in-hand with law enforcement and members of the general public to create a safer community for all. Richard Laliberte (Motif): Tell our readers about the RI Commission on Prejudice and […]