Though not always printed in color, the "Arts + Entertainment" pullout of the Providence Phoenix could--and often does--stand alone as its own publication. Like the Phoenix itself, this section sports a large bolded title and central "cover story" image. Also like the Phoenix, it sports bolded pleas to "Check out thephoenix.com for more!" and "See GAMES at thephoenix.com". The bottom edge is also framed with teasers and corresponding page numbers, offering paths by which to navigate the mosaic within.
The inside front cover of A+E is always reserved for 8 Days a Week, a weekly spread by reporter Jim Macnie. Detailing events taking place locally from the Thursday of publication to the following Thursday, it hypothetically provides an outline for how the reader will spend his afternoons and evenings every day of every week. Passivity among readers is discouraged by the presence of addresses for events, as well as phone numbers for box offices and ticket prices. However, it is unlikely that any reader would adhere to the "8 Days a Week" gospel with absolute consistency. It might be more likely that a reader would pick a singular event from all of the events listed in a given eight day cycle.
Nevertheless, Macnie's entitled tone from week to week reveals the confidence with which he bestows entertainment advice on his audience. His listings are not merely a dry regurgitation of facts, but are spiced by heaping doses of Macnie's personal judgments. The steady repetition of "I" throughout his blurbs suggests that he considers his opinion to be of great value and relevance. Just as Phillipe and Jorge are viewed as pals, Macnie's voice is established and trusted among his readers. Opposite 8 Days a Week is Homegrown Product, a spread reserved exclusively for local artists establishing themselves, or making a comeback, in local venues.
Example: The fact that the Cobra-Matics have little publicity outside of Providence doesn't sway the Phoenix editors from providing them with a full page article entitled "Rockin' again: The return of the Cobra-Matics." Lead singer Johnny Maguire, aka the Colonel, is quoted in the November 14-20 issue: "I think it's a great time for us to reappear because people have been begging me to start playing again and seemed starved for new, exciting music in Providence. That's how it all starts." Although there is truth to the Colonel's statement, the role played by the Phoenix in a local band's comeback cannot be underestimated. Without a medium through which to promote their show, the Cobra-Matics would be hard pressed to alert the public about it.
The following pages of A+E are subdivided into sections for Art, Theater, and Dance, in which corresponding events are reviewed with a candidacy similar to that of 8 Days a Week. With a similar emphasis on "I" and "we" the reporters invite their readers to absorb, and learn from, their personal perspective.
October 24 - 30, 2008 A + E section cover, scanned from personal copy
Back to Form: paper, ink and the mosaic
