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 […]
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, […]
You’ve seen it all on the daily news, Instagram Live, even TikTok — folks clamoring to stock up on everything one could need to hunker down during a pandemic. While we’ve seen many fights over the last roll of TP at Stop & Shop or the final can of black beans at Shaw’s, four local […]
“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 […]
The coronavirus has brought with it feelings of loneliness. Social isolation, social distancing … every word after social translates to not seeing others and not leaving your home. We’re all feeling the effects of the quarantine and experiencing the tough transition into this new lifestyle. Here’s where Becca Bender, archivist for the Rhode Island Historical […]
If late last year you had told us that high fashion in 2020 would be looking like a bandit, we never would have believed you. Yet here we are. On April 14, Governor Raimondo announced an executive order requiring customer-facing employees to wear a cloth face covering. Customers at those business also are encouraged to […]
Rick Lataille, the founder and CEO of WRIK Entertainment, has profoundly felt the negative consequences of COVID-19. Lataille, who has made his living off of trivia, karaoke and DJing for local events since 1990, counts on social venues staying open, and his has been one of the many businesses affected by the recent pandemic. […]
Being confined to your living space during a pandemic can be stressful, especially in such indefinite and uncertain times. It can also be fun and inspiring. While the news cycle and Netflix are easy ways to stave off boredom, there are countless non-digital ways to entertain ourselves in our own backyards. Bushcraft projects are a good […]
On April 2, Rhode Island Pride announced the unanimous board vote to postpone all of its June events, including PrideFest and the Illuminated Night Parade. “The hardest part of this is the disappointment from the community,” says Rhode Island Pride president Ray Sirico. “So many people look forward to this one day a year they […]