A Sunday series from RVA Magazine featuring writers from Richmond and Virginia Writer’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...
To the credit of the public school system, most of us were made to read William Golding’s Lord of the Flies at a tender age. Along with Fahrenheit 451, 1984, Catcher in the Rye, Slaughterhouse Five, The Jungle, and others, we were fed a healthy dose of dystopia and disaffection. We were coaxed to relate to the pressures and horrors of tyranny,...
“Alright, you primitive screwheads, listen up!” – Ash Williams, a guy with a chainsaw for a hand and more brains than most of us. In 1992, Army of Darkness hit theaters, and civilization has been on the decline ever since. Why? Because people still haven’t figured out that this is, without question, one of the greatest movies ever made....
One look at Sweet Pickles, and your immediate thought is that she looks like the living incarnation of a clown doll from your childhood. Which one specifically is up to you, and in fact, the answer that springs to your mind is a good way for her to get a rough idea of just how old you might be. When asked to describe her drag, she sometimes says...
The Richmond Tattoo & Arts Convention 2024 took over the Doubletree Midlothian this past weekend, offering an unapologetic look into the heart of tattoo culture. Hosted by local legend Jesse Smith and Ink Master’s Ryan Ashley, the three-day event drew a mix of veteran ink enthusiasts and curious first-timers, all hungry to experience one of...
Dear Richmond, The veil continues to thin, and the mystery of life begins to transform our reality as the streets of Churchill are swarming with skeletons, and other ominous creatures reflecting the joy of Halloween! As the sun settles in the harmonious sign of Libra, alluring Scorpio takes us by the hand- ushering us into the depths of the...
As Richmond’s mayoral election approaches, one thing has become clear: the conversation about our city’s future is missing a key element—the Richmond Arts District on Broad Street. Despite its immense creative potential, this vibrant part of downtown has been struggling, especially since the pandemic. Between 2010 and 2016, the Arts District was...
Jesse Smith, the local legend and founder of Loose Screw Tattoo in Carytown, has been repping this ol’ Fist City since the '90s with his twisted animation style and has been celebrated all over the world for his craft. His works span a wide range of genres, but like the best artists out there, you know a Jesse Smith piece when you see one. I...
This past weekend marked Charlie Glenn’s birthday, and while that might not ring a bell to everyone, it’s a name that anyone tapped into Richmond’s indie rock scene knows well. In my humble opinion, Glenn has been the best rock guitarist in our local scene for years. To mark the occasion, he released his first solo album, Get Reflected, with a...
While the first thing you may notice about Ryan Ashley is that she is painfully beautiful to look at, don’t let that stop you from recognizing the absolute unit of an artist that she is. She’s a Pennsylvania native, an erstwhile New Yorker, and a current resident of Grand Junction, CO and Elysium Studios. She made her education at FIT in New York...
