Volume 9

Letter from the Editor

I’m a self-proclaimed bubbie at heart. Gleefully in bed at 11pm and always prepared with spare tissues and extra Band-Aids in my purse, at times I think the only thing that differentiates me from my actual bubbie is our age. Beyond preferred curfews and a purse arsenal prepared for any given situation, age barriers can be challenged by both young and old in the fashion, beauty, entertainment and technology industries. Volume 9 of Embodied, “The Age Issue,” takes a look at how the past has inspired the present and how the specific conditions of our cultural moment—owing to groundbreaking technological accessibility and an increasingly socially liberal mindset—have allowed a number of creative individuals to circumvent ageism.

At Embodied, we’ve found that certain artists can transcend both barriers of medium and age. This issue of Embodied highlights not one, but two such creatives. Lyn Slater (Accidental Icon) and Tia Glista are beacons of this mentality, as both exude confidence and effortless style despite coming from disparate age groups.

Nicole Chan embarked on a creative feature for Embodied to indulge her sudden nostalgia for the school she attended for 12 years. Chan’s crisp black-and-white reflection pulls memories of uniforms, gossip, friends, and mentors into focus in an unhindered look at the innocence and frivolity of a time and place that she, at one time, couldn't wait to break away from. In retrospect, the droning on of high school was a necessary path to a bigger and better future.

Kaylee Warren highlights Joan Didion’s sparkling, youthful spirit in her piece, “Coming of Age.” Inspired by years of reading Didion’s words, and the recent Netflix documentary Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold, Didion teaches audiences that especially in New York, anyone can reinvent themselves—giving us the freedom to pursue what we are driven towards, or in Warren’s case, simply enjoying a spontaneous, giggly encounter with a good friend.

After foregoing my strict curfew one night and commuting home to my apartment early the next morning, I thought of my bubbie and my bubbie-like tendencies; the whole scene felt very off-brand. And yet, as our contributors for this volume have duly proven, age is but one facet of identity. Sitting across from my bubbie at the dinner table and admiring her apply a consistent coat of midi-mauve on her lips, I am affirmed that age isn’t all-encompassing—I could only hope to be that glamorous at her age, balancing 4 kids, 11 grandkids, and 2 dogs and still leaving time for a bit of self-indulgent primping.

Carly Valentine with Firozah Najmi