“I don’t know how we did it when there were all five of them in the house, but I don’t remember it feeling this tight. Then again, they were smaller, so that might be it. You might be writing about a murder when all this is over. I just want to tell you that in […]
“I get tired as soon as I see the mall over to the left of the highway. That’s when I feel it. Until then, I feel high as a kite. If it’s been a good night. If not, then I don’t. Then I’m happy to be home. But I’m still tired.” Every Friday at around […]
She told me her friend asked her if she was scared to go to the protest. “I told her the truth. I told her I’m scared every day. That’s the truth. Now it’s like– I don’t know if I was always scared. I know I am. There are people sitting at home scared. If you’re […]
Note: This story features details about a physical assault that might be difficult for some readers. Please be advised. “It’s a good way to get to know a place. It’ll be one year here in October, but this is the first chance I’ve had to get out there and do it.” She arrived here for […]
There was a plan. When I started writing this column, it was Labor Day. The weekend when Providence comes back to life with students and people who, for whatever reason, vacate the city during the summer. I told my editor that I would write about Providence until summer, and then I would tell stories about […]
“I just know — for me — I’m not ready to go yet.” It’s tricky. Not just for her, but for everyone in her position. She’s about to graduate from a local university, and she has no idea what comes next. “There was a plan, because I had set up this job in New York. […]
“I used to get out of work late sometimes and I would walk home. I don’t live far — just like, two miles? I don’t like where I live. The area is good, but my place is me and my cousin who lives with me, and he works third shift, so he’s got to sleep […]
They saw her go by with her dog a few days after they started working from home, but before they realized that’s where they were going to be stationed for weeks to come. “My computer is set up by the window facing the street so I can people watch while I work, and I saw […]
“Nobody hangs pictures anymore, so I thought, ‘I’m going to hang pictures.’” He got here the week before the pandemic started. Providence was offering a new start, a new job and new possibilities. Like anyone arriving in the Renaissance City, he was excited for WaterFire, PVDFest and all the other city-wide events that make summer […]
“At 3am every night, this guy comes in and asks me how I’m doing. He’s this older guy and I tell him he needs to be home, but he says there’s nobody out at that time, and he’s going stir crazy. I don’t bother yelling at him anymore, because I feel bad for him. I […]