Emma Alvarez Gibson is a writer, editor, and branding expert from Los Angeles who does a lot of other things, too.
This is about those other things, briefly.
I grew up in LA, where creative people and projects exist around every corner and behind every palm tree, and nearly everyone has at least one side hustle.
I have considered other places but can’t seem to do without the sunshine and the Pacific Ocean. So, my husband, our teenager, and our three troublesome dogs remain here. I learned English and Spanish simultaneously and that set me up to become a massive language nerd who went on to study Italian in college, and have an on-again, off-again relationship with language apps (German! French! Irish! Diné!). Briefly, I worked in entertainment and loved the swag bags and events, but decided that life just wasn’t for me. (The crazy stories from those few years, though!) I’ve produced, written, directed, and starred in a few theater productions, have been in a couple of bands and sat in on recording sessions with others, was once a guest on a knitting show (yes, really), and have been lucky enough to meet a lot of the people whose creative work has deeply influenced my life. I read everything from the poems of Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz, to novels about mysterious, inherited mansions in England (it’s a whole thing), to anything by Tana French, Elizabeth Hand, or Erik Larson. I also dabble in needle arts, mainly knitting things that are rectangular.
Essays & Articles
Aftermath
Medium
Anthony Bourdain
A Brief Compendium of Cool
Jim Sclavunos is Nothing Like the Rest of the Dullards
Beard Rock Magazine
On Space Castles and Wa-Wa Pedals: An Interview with William Gibson
Jack Move Magazine
So You’re Stuck in Antarctica: Leadership Lessons from a Master
Ghostwritten for a trend forecasting organization
The Anatomy of Innovation
Brainzooming
Music
Just having some fun with friends, you know?
Collage
As a writer, it feels luxurious to be able to create something that doesn’t have to explain itself. Collage is best when the rational bits of the brain are shut off.
Online Magazines
These became something of a habit, beginning at the dawn of the internet with a Geocities deal called Miss Lulu (not pictured here). Enamored with the name, and appalled that teen girls in 2001 didn’t have anything even remotely like Sassy Magazine, I created Lulu, and a beautiful team of creatives all gifted their time and talents to make it come to life. Featuring articles like “Top Ten Reasons to go to a Women’s College” and “So You’re Dating a Boy in a Band” (which came with a handy chart calling out the pros and cons of five standard rock band roles) and “How I Became a TV Producer”, Lulu also featured interviews with young, up-and-coming authors and entrepreneurs, and how-to pieces from artists like Heidi Kenney. This was all just a few years prior to the emergence of Teen Vogue, and I like knowing that we encouraged a few young women to know their own minds and respect themselves during a time when (yet again) no corporations were willing to spend money on them.
Later, I was invited to become a co-founder and managing editor at delish magazine, where I created the tagline, wrote about my lifelong cooking allergy and interviewed author Frank Delaney (may he rest in peace, the lovely man) as well as author, former peacemaker, and human-rights lawyer Marianne Elliot. Notably, it was for a delish editorial blurb that I coined the phrase “ugly-hot, in the manner of Daniel Craig” (the subject was a pair of stacked-heel John Fluevog sandals).
Finally, Jack Move Magazine came to life very quickly, again with a beautiful team of creatives who donated their talents and energy to make it happen. It truly was one of the best collaborative experiences I’ve ever had. We accepted and created think pieces, short stories, poetry, interviews, reviews, and photography. Contributors included the likes of Mexican author Alberto Chimal and musician/producer/writer Jim Sclavunos, and among the folks who graciously agreed to be interviewed were South African artist Belinda Blignaut, singer Sarah Aroeste, and author William Gibson.
2010-2012
2001-2003
A Brief Compendium of Cool
Originally, the Compendium was going to be a book. I envisioned it as the sort of thing I’d have appreciated in my teens. I’d been querying like mad, had done extensive research, mined all manner of cultural treasure troves, and brought aboard some of the artists, writers, musicians, and trailblazers I most admire. Then a global pandemic struck. Rather than let it all sit and rust on a shelf, I turned the Compendium into a website. Click here to see it.
VISIT MY CREATIVE AGENCY!
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VISIT MY CREATIVE AGENCY! ⋆
Get in touch.
Have a question? An idea for a project? Cool song recommendation? Holler.