The book's cover and a photo of the author.
Essential Work in A Living: Working-Class Americans Talk to Their Doctors by Michael Stein, M.D.
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When Dr. Michael Stein, a doctor and writer in Providence, sees patients, he makes a special effort to learn about their work. Much of it is manual labor: “Because I am a primary care doctor in a mid-sized industrial city in the northeastern United States [...]

23
Jul
The only known likeness of Cuffe, an engraving from a silhouette, was made by Dr. John Pole of Bristol, England, in 1812 when Cuffe was in his 50s. The ship is docked in a tropical area, probably referring to his recent activities in Sierra Leone. Courtesy of Westport Historical Society.
Who’s the Paul Cuffee School Named For? The First Person of Color to Enter the White House Through the Front Door*
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According to the Paul Cuffee School website, when their namesake returned to the U.S. in 1812 from voyages to Sierra Leone and then England, he found his ship had been “impounded by the U.S. Revenue Service in Newport. Within six days, at record-breaking speed, Cuffee [...]

16
Jul
Photo courtesy of FringePVD.
FringePVD 2025: A Glorious Celebration of Creative Freedom and Community Spirit
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There is an inscription carved into the dome of the Rhode Island State House that essentially says   “Think what you like and say what you think.” That sentiment is drawn from Tacitus, a Roman historian and senator who lived circa 56 – 120 AD, [...]

16
Jul
While some may think of COVID as a thing of the past, others continue to take precautions in their daily lives, including children who wear masks at school. Photo by Eduardo Barrios.
Why We Mask: Solidarity, Creativity & Community Care in a Not-Quite-Post-Pandemic World
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At a backyard cookout this spring, Emily Kindschy did something she hadn’t done in several years: she took off her mask in a crowd. “We were standing at a distance, in the wind, so it felt safe,” she says. It felt good to be unmasked [...]

09
Jul
From left to right: Rong Chic owner Yao Liu, Chef Xiao-Zhong He, and Mayor Brett Smiley at the Rong Chic grand opening. Photo by Amber Ma.
Wickenden Street Welcomes Rong Chic with Grand Opening Celebrating Spicy Sichuan Flavors and Unique Asian Desserts
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Providence’s Fox Point neighborhood, home to many popular eateries like Pizza Marvin, Jahunger, and Aleppo Sweets has a new star: Rong Chic, which celebrated its grand opening on June 14, 2025. Rong Chic specializes in Sichuan (sometimes written as “Szechuan”) food, hailing from the southwestern [...]

09
Jul
The rose garden at 88 Benefit St. Photo by Levi Lionel Leland.
Benefit Street’s “Enchanted Garden”
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It was a sultry July night in 1845 when Edgar Allan Poe, the world-famous American author and poet, walked north on Providence’s Benefit Street. During this visit to the city, he became aware of a local poet named Sarah Helen Whitman, who lived in a [...]

25
Jun
Photo by Kenneth C. Zirkel.
Seven Things to Know About the Proposed Providence City Budget and Tax Changes
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As the early summer days slip from June into July, there is some certainty in Providence life.  The weather forecast will start using the phrase “heat wave,” frozen lemonade will be sold by the cup, and the first quarter City of Providence tax bills will [...]

25
Jun
Public Street. Photo via Google Street View.
The Plan to Make Public Street a Public Good
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Sandwiched between scrap metal recycling and mounds of salt, Providence’s Public Street is getting a makeover. As a result of the Washington Park community’s efforts to find a way to cohabitate with the Port of Providence, Public Street — one of the 234 public right-of-way [...]

17
Jun
The book’s cover via publisher CLASH Books.
The Lonely Road of Monsters: A review of Selene Shade, Resurrectionist for Hire
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Selene Shade runs a successful small business in Goat Hill, a quirky little city that will strike  readers who know Providence as distinctly familiar. Which is good, because Shade’s line of work is distinctly strange. Shade’s a resurrectionist: She raises the dead for a living. [...]

17
Jun
24 Eighth Street, nearing construction completion in April, 2025
Filling the Gaps: New Housing Popping Up in Previously Vacant East Side Lots
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It’s been less than nine months since the City’s Comprehensive Plan was approved. As a guide to Providence’s long-term growth and development, it’s not too early to observe its effects on neighborhoods. Even the East Side — which may be perceived as slow to grow because [...]

11
Jun