Dearest Reader,
Welcome to the fifth and final issue of Iris for Fall 2024! As we come to a close for this semester, the Iris team explored what grounds them, searching for balance and stillness in a world that can often feel as if it has been turned upside down. Read on for plenty of essays, poetry, fiction and more that offer rich interpretations on the continual quest for equilibrium.
Lindsey starts us off with her essay, “If you’re able, you need to go on a walk. Like right now.” urging her readers about the benefits of taking a walk. From her experience, Lindsey realized how it is not only the physical endorphins but the mindset that comes along with the practice, one step at a time.
Susannah takes us inside, digging into the Special Collections stacks in her essay, “On the Archive (Stop to Smell the Roses). She investigates the origins of an early 20th century journal titled “Folk Art Herbarium” with an unknown author, questioning whose story is told by the archive, and whose story might be left in the dusty shadows.
Cassie provides her readers with a list of five ways we can remain politically engaged in her piece, “Staying Grounded After the Election”. She emphasizes the need to be involved with local government as a powerful way to advocate for the change that truly matters in your community. (Go touch some grass, Cassie says.)
Bailey also writes a listicle called “Six Tips for Keeping Calm About Post-Grad Plans” where she tackles a common fourth year fear about the uncertainty of life after graduation. While it’s a stressful time, Bailey reminds all the soon-to-be graduates to never forget their “why” as they plant the seeds to move forward into life’s next chapter.
In “Love Letters?” Carley takes grounding quite literally, penning an inventive series of letters from a girl who keeps returning to her floor, inspired by Frank O’Hara’s poem [“Lana Turner has collapsed!”]. Will the girl ever find someone to hold her as securely as her hardwood floor does?
Grace’s essay “Guys, Not Everything Is Self-Care” deconstructs the highly commercialized industry of self care, arguing that the justification of spending money on things to make us feel better is only a distraction from the other problems we are probably avoiding. Grace redefines self care as an authentic investment in ourselves and our growth, showing up day after day no matter what.
Faith’s poem “Ghazal for Silent Girls” takes on the traditional verse form of a ghazal. In an artfully crafted piece, her speaker’s voice carefully explores what lies behind the silence she has adopted as her armor. What remains, wilting at the back of the throat, unsaid?
Simone attempts to stall time for a moment in her reflection, “54321 Freeze” where she gets up close and personal with each of her five senses, attentive to the sensorial observations she makes throughout the week when the rapid, frenzied pace of daily life threatens to pass her by.
Ella’s reflection, “The Material Collage of My Life” takes her readers on a tour of the items that adorn her bedroom, finding joy and beauty from her iconic Samba sneakers to a treasured box of handwritten family recipes. Ella gently reminds us that stories are always around us if we know where to look.
Keeping a magazine running from each issue to the next is by no means a solo endeavor, and I am always humbled by the support from my fellow editors, writers, and artists at Iris. You all are truly the heart of this amazing publication! To our readers, thank you for keeping up with us at the only student-run feminist magazine at UVA. We'll be back in January, but in the meantime, look out for the magazine’s print editions coming next week!
Love,
Miriella Jiffar
Iris Magazine Editor 2024-2025
P.S. If you want to reach us with freelance pitches during Winter Break, send us an email at irismagazine@virginia.edu or find us at @irismagazineuva over on Instagram.
