We’re probably past the point of sugarcoating where we are in America. The fear of authoritarian creep isn’t a fear anymore. Checks and balances, once the pride of our democracy, are failing. Congress has either abdicated its responsibilities or stood by in polite...
“Children walk into school with guns and execute their classmates and teachers. And we just say, ‘There’s nothing we can do about it.’” That line from my recent conversation with Randy Blythe hit me the hardest. And I have a high tolerance for pain. As I was writing this piece, a gunman walked into Florida State University and killed two...
Tom Robbins, the celebrated author known for his whimsical storytelling and philosophical wit, passed away on February 9, 2025, at the age of 92 in La Conner, Washington. Though he became a literary icon in the Pacific Northwest, Robbins' formative years in Richmond, Virginia, played a significant role in shaping his worldview and creative...
If you were a child growing up in the mid to late nineties and loved anime, it is without question you would recognize Terri Hawkes’ iconic voice. Most well known as one of the original three voice actresses of Sailor Moon in the English language dub (Tracey Moore would be the first, leaving for creative differences, followed by Hawkes, and...
Three-time Grammy-winning rapper and activist Michael Santiago Render, better known as Killer Mike, will be a featured panelist in an upcoming discussion on the future of free expression, hosted by the University of Richmond. Co-moderated by UR liberal arts professor Erik Nielson, Mad Skillz and journalist Bonnie Newman Davis, the panel will...
Richmond has always been a literary city. We follow the bootprints of beatnik ghosts around Shockoe Bottom, laying our claims to Poe. We have a history with Tom Robbins, and gave birth to Tom Wolfe and Margaret Gibson. A legacy of letters flows through this town as surely as the river on its path from Piedmont to Tidewater. In this spirit, we...
After the death of his father and his retirement from the military, Aly Costanzo felt lost. That changed when his sister found Milk River Arts. “It gave me a purpose,” Costanzo said. “I really had no purpose. My sister found (founder Sally Kemp) for me, and Sally started Milk River Arts from scratch.” Photo courtesy of Milk River Arts Milk...
Local author and comic artist, Kristin Beale has a pretty good sense of humor. While most of us would chalk up a bad or weird date to a night and an overpriced cocktail wasted, and roll our eyes over it with close friends the next morning before it fades into our personal history books of our lives, Beale decided to do one better. Beale...
This story was originally published in RVA 41 which can be in various locations around town, or you can read it right here. This is a slightly modified version formatted for digital distribution. CHRISTIAN DETRES: Alright, I'm recording. Okaaaay… here with Mikemetic. Is that your real name? MIKEMETIC: No. Well, my birth name is Michael...
Whether you are a fan of the spoopy or the scary, Hocus Pocus or Candyman, it was hard to argue that the general consensus is that the first ever Nightmare Weekend Convention in Richmond was an absolute success. From the same team that brings us GalaxyCon every March to the Greater Richmond Convention Center, Nightmare Weekend brought...
