Colonial Williamsburg, History and Unreality
by Matthew Phipps Recently I paid a visit to Colonial Williamsburg, the former seat of state and colonial government that sits, in its current form—partially preserved, partially reconstructed, peopled by re-enactors in bulky period dress—halfway down the Virginia Peninsula, between the tidal flows of the James and York Rivers. While I had never been to...
The Elusive Authenticity of the Artist
You’ve probably heard the Picasso quote: “We all know that art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth, at least the truth that is given us to understand.” An article by Drew Calvert, published online by AGNI Magazine, explores the notion that art is a lie by looking at the role of the artist, and the potential...
A Tree Falls
Greg Weatherford is a vital staff member of Broad Street Magazine. He is a founding advisor of Broad Street as well as the Director of Student Media at the Student Media Center at VCU—out of which Broad Street is produced. His essay “A Tree Falls” was originally published in Henrico Monthly, and won an award...
Staging Theater on Broad Street in Richmond
Broad Street magazine’s namesake “has been the center of Richmond since its creation,” according to the blog Mapping American History, which also notes that “the structural diversity [of Richmond], especially found on Broad Street, was a result of the constant adaptation of the city and its need to acclimate to the changing times.” After Fire...
“David Foster Wallace and the Nature of Fact” by Josh Roiland
This week Broad Street recommends Josh Roiland‘s Fall 2013 article “David Foster Wallace and the Nature of Fact,” which originally appeared in Literary Journalism Studies and was recently made available by the good people at Longreads. In the article, Roiland investigates accusations about Wallace’s literary journalism, including allegations of “embellishments” and invented dialogue. Roiland reminds us...
