Arts & Culture

Ma Cong’s Artistic Revolution at the Richmond Ballet

Anticipation hums through the air as the audiences settle into Richmond’s Leslie Cheek Theater at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (VMFA), double-checking silenced phones and shifting for the best view of the eminent stage, framed by colossal red curtains. The feeling is unmistakable—a quiet, buzzy awe, knowing something extraordinary is about to unfold. Among […]

by Hope Cartwright

Ann Beattie Interview

Five questions for this American master of the short story. Onlookers by Ann Beattie. Scribner. pp. 288. $28. Konstantin Rega: Where did these stories originate from? Ann Beattie: When I started writing these stories, I had the idea that they would be based in Virginia. But at that point, I’d only […]

by Konstantin Rega

Appaloosa Roots Music Festival

Building a community around roots music in the Shenandoah Valley. Musician Dan Fedoryka grew up in Front Royal, VA with nine siblings. His mother, a classically-trained Juilliard graduate, had all of them learn a musical instrument—Dan’s being the guitar and accordion. Classical music didn’t quite seem the thing for him, but when he […]

by Staff

Privacy Advocate

UVA law professor Danielle Keats Citron says digital privacy is a civil right. As technology winds its way into our lives, our privacy is up for grabs, says Danielle Keats Citron, a MacArthur Fellow and distinguished professor of law at the University of Virginia (UVA). Citron insists that intimate privacy—concerning our […]

by Konstantin Rega

Finding Her Roots

How Barbara Kingsolver stumbled on her Appalachian heritage. Mike Belleme/The New York Times/Redux Among her 17 bestselling books, Barbara Kingsolver’s ninth—The Poisonwood Bible—became both a Pulitzer Prize nominee and Oprah Book Club pick. So it was no surprise when her latest set bookstores buzzing. “It just flew off the shelves,” […]

by Konstantin Rega

Susan Hankla Interview

Droll and wise, these poems show a girl learning the mysteries of her family. I’m Not Evelyn by Susan Hankla. Groundhog Poetry Press. pp.71. $18. Tricia Pearsall: Clinch River appeared to undress individual characters and culture in Appalachia, whereas this book, I’m Not Evelyn, seems like a bracing, eccentric family […]

by tricia pearsall

Netflix’s The Pale Blue Eye

Macabre, moody, and poetic premiere, The Pale Blue Eye spotlights Virginians. Inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s fleeting tenure as a West Point cadet in 1830, novelist Louis Bayard wondered, “What the hell was this poet doing in this regimented, orderly, military environment?” Bayard’s 2003 novel, The Pale Blue Eye, puts the young Poe […]

by Staff

James A. McLaughlin Interview

Examining the natural world, how we’re raised as kids, and more in this thrilling new novel. Panther Gap by James. A. McLaughlin. Flatiron Books. pp.368. $28.99. Konstantin Rega: Following your bestselling debut, Bearkskin, where did your new book Panther Gap come from? James A. McLaughlin: This book evolved over four […]

by Konstantin Rega

Virginia Beach: City for All Seasons

Virginia Beach’s “off-season” beckons. (photo by Kyle LaFerriere) I‘m at the Virginia Beach Art Center, walking around a giant silver hand making the chef’s kiss gesture. The sculpture, titled Hand, stands near a box of magnifying glasses. They’re for reading the tiny text on a technicolor paper mosaic of a giant eye. […]

by Taylor Pilkington

The Friendship that Saved Yosemite

In Guardians of the Valley, Dean King traces the birth of our national park system. (Image © Bettmann/CORBIS) May 1903, Yosemite National Park, California, Theodore Roosevelt with naturalist John Muir on Glacier Point Guardians of the Valley by Dean King. Scribner. pp.480. $30. With his latest book, historian and […]

by Constance Costas

Meagan Jennett Interview

Hailing from Crozet, this debut author gives a twist to the crime novel. (Headshot by Mike Kropf) You Know Her by Meagan Jennett. MCD. pp. 368. $28 Konstantin Rega: What made you want to be a writer? Meagan Jennett: I’ve been writing stories since I could hold a pencil. I’ve […]

by Konstantin Rega

The Weeds by Katy Simpson Smith

Two botanists discover themselves in the world of weeds. The Weeds by Katy Simpson Smith. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. pp. 320. $27. Can you identify a dandelion? Probably. But do you know the name’s origins? Dents de lion, French for: teeth of lion. Katy Simpson Smith’s new novel holds these little […]

by Konstantin Rega

Virginia Center for the Creative Arts

For 50 years, the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts has nurtured the world’s most promising artists. Sera Petras Enter the property known as Mt. San Angelo, just outside of Amherst, and a sign near the cattle guard reads “Cows and Cars Share the Road.” As you hairpin up the hill, your […]

by sarah sargent

Playing with Landscapes

We interview artist Suzanna Fields about her newest exhibit at the Quirk Gallery in Charlottesville. Stacey Evans “Constant Anomalies” runs until April 16 and shows an artist playing with organic and artificial landscapes. Taking inspiration from Rockfish Gap and the Blue Ridge in general, she makes beautifully strange art that is almost hallucinogenic. It’s […]

by Konstantin Rega

Rachel Beanland Interview

Where there’s smoke, there’s scandal: the Richmond Theatre fire of 1811. The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland. Simon & Schuster. pp.384. $27.99 Coming out in April 202, her latest book is an Indie Next pick. Her 2020 novel, Florence Adler Swims Forever, was a New York Times Book Review Editors’ Choice. She is a […]

by Konstantin Rega

Keb Mo Interview

Five-time Grammy-winning blueman shares his passion for music and place. (Photo by Jeremy Cowart) Keb’ Mo’ will be at the Virginia Arts Festival’s Williamsburg Live this June. Tickets: HERE. Konstantin Rega: So I was first introduced to your work by my mother, who gave me your self-titled, 1994 album. How do […]

by Konstantin Rega

Blue Musings

Local artist Hannah Kirby’s new exhibit looks at motherhood, family ties, and the act of creating. Hanna Kirby’s Blue Musings is open at the Offsite Gallery in the MacArthur Center in Norfolk. Kirby is a VCU alum, with several large-scale murals in Virginia Beach and Norfolk, and she currently works as the Director of Operations […]

by Staff

Pamela Cappetta Interview

Through writing, one therapist found a new avenue to help others. Konstantin Rega: What inspired this book? Pamela Cappetta: During the 11 years teaching mindfulness in small groups, through my private psychotherapy practice, I’ve had my therapy dogs (Maude, the full-sized Australian shepherd, and now Kramer, the toy American shepherd) present […]

by Konstantin Rega

Honorée Fanonne Jeffers Interview

The award-winning writer talks fiction, poetry, inspirations, and forthcoming books. Honorée Fanonne Jeffers is a fiction writer, poet, and essayist. She is the author of five poetry collections, including the 2020 collection The Age of Phillis, which won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work in Poetry and the Lenore […]

by Konstantin Rega

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June 21, 2025

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Bay School Community Arts Center/Art Speaks Gallery

June 21, 2025

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Carlyle House Historic Park

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Carlyle House Historic Park

The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

Eight Virginia schools received the National Blue Ribbon 2024 award for their high performances. The Exemplary High Performing Schools are Spring Hill Elementary in McLean, Green Run Collegiate in Virginia Beach, Bethel Manor Elementary in Hampton, and St. Andrew the Apostle School in Clifton. The Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are Central Academy Middle […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

UVA Claims Top Spots Among Public Universities

The University of Virginia has climbed to No. 4 among public universities in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025 Best Colleges rankings, advancing one position from last year. The university maintained its No. 24 overall ranking, tying with Emory and Georgetown universities. UVA’s commitment to accessibility and student success stands out in several key metrics. […]

by Madeline Mayhood

Small Town, Big History: The Stories of Abingdon

Long before the first European settlers ventured into the American wilderness, the Delaware and Catawba tribes tracked a buffalo trace through the Shenandoah Mountains. Abingdon—once known as Wolf Hills—emerged along this trail, today’s Route 11. Frequented by westward expansionists on the Great Valley Road, Main Street grew. Today, the city of 8,336 residents hugs Route […]

by Michael C. Upton

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Ma Cong’s Artistic Revolution at the Richmond Ballet

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Shrub Drinks and Cheesy Bites

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace

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The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

UVA Claims Top Spots Among Public Universities

Small Town, Big History: The Stories of Abingdon

Arts & Culture

Ma Cong’s Artistic Revolution at the Richmond Ballet

Current Issue

Events

Family Arts & Barks Festival

Shrub Drinks and Cheesy Bites

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Most Popular

The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

UVA Claims Top Spots Among Public Universities

Small Town, Big History: The Stories of Abingdon

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today

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weekly newsletter: VL Today