The people who deliver Motif are innovative artists, writers, gifted actors and musicians in their own right. Ever wonder, Who are these couriers of arts and culture? We can’t profile the full dozen drivers in this space. In addition to these profiles, we want to thank Dave Messere, James Brien, Wayne Stolcz, Lola Blu, Jon […]
At the Motif headquarters there is a corner full of white boxes. Their sides are emblazoned with dates, months, years, scribbled in different shades of marker. Some are crossed out and hastily re-written, some boxes lay coverless, or bound in a thick plastic tape. This hodgepodge corner is the Motif archives, and was my home […]
Throughout our 20-year history, our commitment to the local arts community has never wavered. Even today, you can open any issue of Motif Magazine and see elements of art, music, and culture on almost every page. It’s one of the things we’re most proud of as an organization. This commitment starts from the very first […]
A woman stands on the edge of a balcony overlooking the city. Blocky brick buildings squat underneath golden spires with great clocks; cobblestones wobble the edges of distinct lines, ivory grows up the alleyway, and the few distinctly new, sleek metal buildings catch the last rays of light like a gold tooth in an old […]
“Have you seen Close Encounters of the Third Kind?” Juditta Musette asked during our interview at her home studio in Newport. “Sure.” “You know the mashed potato scene…” During the scene, Richard Dreyfuss is having dinner with his wife and two kids. Dreyfuss scoops mashed potatoes from a big serving bowl onto his plate. Something […]
The debut adult romance novel A Love Like the Sun, by Providence writer Riss M. Nelson, is the quintessential social media love story. Released on June 11, the novel deals with relationships in the modern day, exploring the divide of intimacy in the real world and online. The plot revolves around Laniah Thompson, the main […]
The snow fell like fading memories. Fast flakes. Then… gone. Brumpumpum bumps. The struggling motor moaned like a ghost in the dark. Dark? Why was the sky not dark? Where was the moon… the stars? My blinking eyes were hazy against the orange sky. It was not yet golden – not yet gone. Me, lonely […]
Wine was in his blood. It was a reputation that traced back to the old world, to his grandfather. Dino DeLorenzo’s romantic stories – told over the dinner table in broken English – inspired him as a boy. That night, Dino the Third decided he would also become a winemaker, celebrating his semi-retirement. Even at […]
An old man sat on a plastic chair on his patio, drinking sweet, black coffee. He was thinking about the same skinny, barefoot girl. They ran around together when he was eighteen. He hadn’t seen her in years – ever since her family moved to the capital. But hardly a week went by where he […]
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 […]