BEING & BELIEVING IN THE NATURAL WORLD
THROUGH MAY 7 , 2023
Diné ( Navajo ) artist once known , Necklace , ca . 1930s . Anonymous gift .
RISDMUSEUM . ORG
MEAGHAN SUSI
Rhody Recollections
“ To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance .”
— Oscar Wilde
Narcissism has become a growing phenomenon , part of the expectations of society thanks to social media . Reels , selfies , Facebook and IG posts scream me , me , me . Preoccupation with same can be distasteful ; the balance between narcissism and entertainment is a fine one . Well , here we are . Guilty as charged . This year marks the thirty-fifth year of Rhode
Island Monthly .
So , indulge us as we look back on a journey that has been far from predictable . Senior Editor Dana Laverty led our team and is your de facto tour guide as we look into the rearview mirror .
For weeks , stacks of bound magazines with Post-it reminders on pages have been taking up way too much space on our editors ’ desks . ( Considering many were not even born when the magazine first appeared on the scene .)
Those who preceded me did some remarkable things that at the time were quite innovative .
Take the hiring of the well-known socialite , the late Bea Temkin , to write “ Galavanting .” She and a photographer attended two high-profile society events each month , chronicling who was there , the fashion , food and venue . I will never forget the day early in my tenure when an art director walked in and said , “ You ’ re not going to believe this . I just got a call from a woman who wanted to know where Bea was going this weekend .”
Why ? Because it would dictate what gown she wore to the event she was attending . Narcissism is not new .
Other highlights ? When we learned that former Congressman Patrick Kennedy was not running for reelection and scooped local media by breaking the news with a cover story on the day he announced it .
All the memories are not ink on paper . There were events : our annual downtown block party , an annual fashion show and , of course , our Best of Rhode Island party ( which celebrates its own thirty-year milestone in August ).
I also want to acknowledge our Digital Editor Kait Murray , who pulled together a great pet package , “ Consider the Paw-sibilities !” This was despite being forced to work with a canine consultant more interested in belly rubs and treats .
“ The sad part about narcissists is that they are too intent on looking in the mirror and as result , miss enjoying life .” — Unattributed
Our promise to you is that we will never stop focusing on the people , places and things that make Rhode Island the unique place it has become .
To the Rhode ahead . — J . J . P .
12 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l MARCH 2023