Local Comic Strip & Iconic Yacht Club Soda Unite

Yacht Club Soda, The Official Soda of Rhode Island, and “Sour Grapes” a nationally syndicated comic strip created by Rhode Island resident Tim Jones (that actually has a place in this here magazine, one of...

Roots Report

Okee dokee folks… I am seriously worried about funding for the arts and for that matter, most other programs that rely on government resources. The Mango Moron has been putting his swishy, Sharpie signature on...

Date Night PVD: Restaurant edition

In a city bursting at the seams with culinary standouts, it’s difficult not to fixate on the tried and true institutions, the cliches and must-trys of PVD’s restaurant scene. We all know who they are;...

Love and Pasta

Everyone in Providence knows about Piazza di Amore, the small Italian restaurant tucked away on a side street off Federal Hill. It’s not one of the big places with valet parking and red neon signs...

Couples Therapist Saves Your Valentines Day: How to drop expectations for a better relationship

Stereotypically viewed as the final resort to saving a failed relationship, the idea of couples therapy tends to send your average happy couple running for their (love) lives. Similarly, when people fantasize about their ideal...

In Celebration of Non-Romantic Love: A study of love in all its forms

Ahh, the Love Holiday — marked every year by celebrations both romantic and nonconformist alike. Creativity abounds in non-romantic festivities the likes of Galentine’s, Palentine’s, Palpatine’s, AntiValentine’s, and Single’s Awareness Day (and, for what it’s...

Does AI Have A Heart: An interview with Alexa about the mushy stuff

AI is everywhere; it is becoming an integral part of people’s everyday lives, whether they realize it or not. It simplifies some aspects, confuses others, and can also be a major source of entertainment. I...

Vaporizing Flavors Part ll: What effect will the flavored vape ban have in RI?

This is the second part of an article from our previous issue. Find the full version at motifri.com/ flav-vapes To better understand the public’s opinion regarding the recent flavored vape ban, I spoke to numerous...

Does Anyone Care?: RI homelessness soars, unhoused people are dying and many lawmakers look the other way

To many observers, this statement may seem like an exaggeration. Some state and local officials claim they are doing everything they can to ease what is an ongoing state health emergency, while advocates for the...

Atlantic Mills Tenants Union: "We are not going anywhere," said organizer Emily Harrington

The Atlantic Mills Tenants Union, an affiliate chapter of the Rhode Island Tenants Union, has received no reply or acknowledgment of union demands from owner Howard and Eleanor Brynes LLC or potential buyers Eric Edelman...

American Caesar Salad: A revamped satire column for the latest administration

From 2016 - 2020 Motif hosted a satire column named “Alternative Facts,” a title we enjoyed because it both lampooned a favorite phrase of that administration and because it paid homage to our own journalistic...

Sirens: Fiction

Evie’s friends had bailed on her, so she drank alone. Ned was bartending, but his heady personality required a buffer to manage his conspiratorial rants. Evie didn’t have the energy. A conversation with Ned would...

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3 Upcoming Local Shows You Should Know About

The Get Up Kids at Fête Music Hall Celebrating the 25th anniversary of their 1999 pop-punk classic, Something to Write Home About, nationally touring act The Get Up Kids will be in PVD at Fête...

Ants in the City: Queer ecologies on Huxley Ave are checking the vibe

For a love story, this one might not lead to a happy ending. But hours before it even began, as the rising sun warmed the bricks of PC’s Aquinas Hall, there was a flurry of...

Ask A Witch: Even still, your dreams will take you home

Thanks to everyone who wrote in to help us get this column started! It’s my hope that readers will continue to write in with a variety of queries, short and long – you don’t have...

Two Feet Two Bucks: Rome Point

Don’t let another winter go by without visiting the seals on Narragansett Bay! Prepare for a day at Rome Point on Narragansett Bay by packing a lunch, binoculars, and an extra layer of warmth so you...

On the Cover: Michelle Perez

I met Michelle Perez downtown for coffee at Bolt. I was looking forward to getting together because I had been poking around her website and discovered that she is an amazing artist. Imagine my delight...

Being Bad Never Felt So Good: Interview with Black artists and designers of RISD

Although it may seem counterintuitive, some of the most poignant examples of Black history lay in our youth and their efforts to honor the spaces pioneered by their mentors and ancestors. As young as they...

Open & Closed

Image from Big Feeling Ice Cream. OPEN Track 15, a huge food hall featuring several different flavors of restaurant, from the local to the national, will be opening sometime in February. Keep your eyes open for specific...

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Merciless

Merciless1 I think I understand Victor Frankenstein now that I am older He was lonely and so created his monster for companionship without knowing it was going to appear monstrous. I, too, did the same thing...

Grit & Polish: An exhibition by The Steel Yard residents

The WaterFire Arts Center (WFAC), the multi-use arts venue on Valley St in PVD, is hosting a month-long group exhibition by Steel Yard metal artists titled GRIT & POLISH, highlighting the stories, skills, and artistry...

The Grounding: Fiction

Paul-C’s granddaughter turned 12 years old on December 21st. At her birthday party, after she blew out all the candles on her cake and opened all the presents her family got her, he pulled her...

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Cocktail Recipes

When talking about American bar culture, one cannot separate the intrinsic cultural influence of individuals of color. What are considered classic cocktails have deep roots in African American communities, dating back to post-slavery and the...

Three Body Problem

THREE BODY PROBLEM1 “…My resolution is fixed. I shall be free.” …at that moment he was free, at least in spirit. The future gleamed brightly before him, and his fetters lay broken at his feet....

3 Local Shows You Should Know About

Guess Method, Liminal Space at the Ocean Mist Two of southern Rhode Island’s favorite groups, Guess Method (funk/ jam) and Liminal Space (indie/rock) are joining forces on February 7 at the Ocean Mist in Matunuck...

Album Review: J. Michael Graham- Stuck

On his first full-length release, Stuck, singer, songwriter, guitarist, producer, and Rhode Island native J. Michael Graham showcases some stellar songwriting that explores the evolution of interpersonal relationships and finding the inner strength to move...

Another Year of Film: Ann Clanton helps Black RI artists find their voices

Ann Clanton has spent two decades contributing to Rhode Island’s thriving journalistic and creative communities, providing support to the state’s African-American, AfroCaribbean and Afro-Latin filmmakers while running her own business, Ann Clanton Communications, as a...

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