Sydnee Lubar, a senior at Sidwell Friends School, has already achieved an alliterative triple crown: author, artist and advocate.
At age 12, Lubar was diagnosed with scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, which she inherited from her grandmother. For five years, she wore a cumbersome brace, like thousands of other young people, mostly girls between the ages of 10 and 20.
Though scoliosis is curable and relatively painless, the awkwardness of wearing a back brace can cause a feeling of low self-esteem in girls and women.
Long interested in photography, Lubar decided to use her Canon EOS 60 to document the beauty and courage of 28 scoliosis sufferers, including her grandmother, Terry Lubar, age 70.
In “Spines,” from Yorkshire Publishing, you see a black-and-white collection of precocious artistry. The book is available for $100, with all proceeds benefiting the Massachusetts- based National Scoliosis Foundation.
Lubar explains that she’s busy applying to college, where she plans to study business. The publication of her book has been like an early business course. “I’m doing the business management, marketing and shipping myself,” she says.
“Spines” is available locally at Politics and Prose.
