Editor's Note: This is a companion piece to our preview of Songs of Truth, the new musical inspired by the life of Sojourner Truth. This essay from Christian Detres takes a closer look at the woman behind the legend and the enduring relevance of her story. Sojourner...
Let’s start here: don’t leave your baby in the car. Seriously. If your brain is cooked enough to forget a living being in a parked car during a Virginia summer, stay home. Put down the keys. This heat doesn’t mess around. A cracked window isn’t life support, not for your baby, your dog, your cat, your emotional support possum, and definitely not...
In this city of the dead, I felt the weight of history bearing down upon me, the accumulated whispers of the past echoing through the hollows of my ears like a mournful sigh. No one needs teachings to realize that this ancient place wields some mystery. The James River, a lifeblood of sorts, flowed quietly in the distance, but my immediate...
A Sunday series from RVA Magazine featuring writers from Richmond and VirginiaWriter’s Block is RVA Magazine’s Sunday series highlighting contemporary writers working in Richmond and across the Commonwealth. Each week, we feature original poems, short stories, or essays. Just real voices writing right now. This week, we’re featuring four...
Free Tastings Across the City This Week — Thursday, June 19 Richmond has always been a city that embraces expression—through art, music, and now, wine. There are a number of free wine tastings happening around town today, Thursday. It’s one of the best ways to dip into the world of wine without the sticker shock. Wine culture can feel...
When Mark Szafranski bought the building at 117 West Broad Street in 1991, the property was in disrepair. Water seeped from the upper floors, the windows were falling in, and downtown Richmond was, at the time, more forgotten than revitalized. But Szafranski, a musician—not a developer—saw possibility in the neglect. He was playing accordion...
A woman works in a diner. The kind with refills, regulars, and fluorescent lights that never quite turn off. She’s married to a man who doesn’t deserve her. She bakes pies that are better than most people deserve. And she wants out. That’s Waitress, more or less. It opens this weekend at Virginia Repertory Theatre, runs...
Richmond showed up this weekend. We’ve got to hold our leaders accountable—applaud them when they get it right, and hit the streets when they don’t. But protest is just one part of the work. If you were out there—or even if you wanted to be—don’t let it end with the march. Momentum matters. And Richmond has no shortage of places that need your...
Richmond has been ranked one of the top 10 metro areas in the country for Millennials, according to a new study by SmartAsset. The city landed at #7 overall, up from 15th place last year, marking one of the largest jumps in the national rankings. The annual study evaluates major U.S. metro areas based on key factors relevant to Millennial...
In 2013, a two-day event transformed a neglected stretch of Norfolk, Virginia, into a pop-up arts district. It wasn’t a city plan—it was a vision. Volunteers opened temporary galleries in boarded-up storefronts. Food trucks rolled in. Sidewalks were painted with makeshift crosswalks. Musicians played under murals that hadn’t been there the day...
