The surrealist illustrations of Olivia Lunger feel like viewing the world from a dream; a dream that’s fashioned from the illustrations of childhood, mixed with the uncanny visages of adulthood. Originally from Pennsylvania, Lunger graduated from RISD in 2022 and has been living in Providence for a year now and says her art is inspired by “People watching and the environments around me. I really like capturing a moment that no one else can capture.” Her main medium of printmaking, and her side hustle of photography, are fueled by her passion to capture a moment in time. Lunger is an observe ..read more

Lindsay, her daughter Trista, and her new bike, c. 1995 (Photo: Adrain family) What people give their passion, time, and dedication to is fascinating, isn’t it? I love hearing the kind of passionate talk that brightens a person’s face, that lights them from the inside out. The kind of passion that makes them smile a smile that reaches their eyes. The kind of passion they are always happy to talk about. I’m blessed to know many people who have such passionate interests and hobbies and have always been happy to share their insights with me. For this year’s Bike Issue, I spoke with two such peo ..read more

Hops illustration by Dora Waite. Where are all the hoppy beers? I am finding a lot of the delicious hazies I have enjoyed are changing. Have you noticed this as well? WTF happened? It’s like having sex without climaxing — it’s good, just not great. I have heard from some local brewers that the trend toward sweeter beers is a request from the newly legal drinker to the seasoned. John Otero, head brewer of Vigilant Brewing told me, “People are asking for beers that are approachable.” Another local brewer agreed, telling me that the market is changing. I was recently at a local beer bar and hear ..read more

This is the fifth article in a series on social justice and the cannabis industry for Motif. The term social justice means different things to different people. To me, it means: Justice in relation to a fair balance in the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges in a culture where individuals’ rights are recognized and protected. Many people from around the world strive to move to the United States because — more often than not — the places where they live do not have a fair balance of wealth, there are few opportunities and individuals’ rights are neither recognized nor protec ..read more

It’s Just a Hill winter bike league ride. (Photo: NBX) It rained the night before, the roads are slick with water. The smell of fresh earth lingers in the morning air and the grass is bright green with spring’s first touches. With the absence of traffic, the sound of the ocean rushing against the rocky coast is deafening. A group of early morning bikers meet at Narragansett Sea Wall, exchanging bleary greetings while they wait for their coffee to kick in. As the sun begins to turn the grey sky pink, they each throw a spandex-clad leg over their bike seats and take off. The world suddenly soft ..read more

Map of possible bike routes. (Graphics: Dora Waite) Driving has recently taken a turn for the worse in RI. Last December, officials closed the westbound span of the Washington Bridge, narrowly averting an actual calamity, they say. In doing so, they also summoned the specter of Carmageddon across the East Bay and Southeastern Massachusetts. Traffic on I-195 now slows to a crawl in both directions as drivers merge into the long queue before the half-capacity bridge. Trip times have multiplied unpredictably. We all know the toll traffic takes on the mind. You’re confined in the car, trapped by ..read more

THE RESURRECTION OF TEAZER A long time ago, before COVID, back when dinosaurs and heavy metal bands roamed the roads, there was a RI band named Teazer. And one day in 2018, after years of sodomizing eardrums with heavy greasy metal thunder, it was over. We woke up one morning and Teazer was gone just like that Russian submarine — no farewell, no fanfare. So I was shocked to come across a flyer advertising a band called Teazer 2000. Could it be that Teazer? I reached out to Denny Palmari (vocals) and Ray Manzera (guitars) from Teazer to find out what the hell happened. Marc Clarkin (Motif):Th ..read more

Fred the bookstore cat. (Photo via @stillwater_books on IG). Pre-COVID, I found that a lot of people in my generation and younger weren’t big readers. At the risk of sounding like a curmudgeon, between the never-ending stream of content on phones, tablets, and TVs, younger generations didn’t seem to have an interest in picking up a book for fun. I even ran into people who didn’t know what kind of book they would be interested in reading, if they were to read. Fast forward to 2024 and reading is cool again thanks to the help of TikTok trends — what the young folks call “BookTok.” As a lifelong ..read more

Hosts Chip Doug and Anjel Newmann. At the 2024 Spoken Word Awards, hosts Chip Doug and Anjel Newmann ushered in a night of storytelling, poetry, comedy, and more by welcoming nominees and spectators alike. Doug is a host, entrepreneur, local personality, and a Motif contributor (check out his most recent article about The Fitness Sanctuary). Anjel Newmann is an artist, educator, and performer who was the guest editor for Motif’s 2023 Black History Month issue. In that issue, Newmann wrote, “Regardless of medium, [my] work seeks to honor the past, remain rooted in the present + to move toward ..read more

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