The New Maturity

William Norwich went from washing dishes to working alongside Anna Wintour at Vogue. He was one of the first journalists publicly outed in America, survived the shame spirals of gay life in the 1970s, and learned the hard way that your job isn't your identity when the New York Daily News went on strike and his phone stopped ringing.
In this conversation, William shares stories from Studio 54 to the hallways of Vogue, why he changed his name from Goldberg to Norwich, and what it means to have "no more f*cks to give" in your seventies. He talks about the brutal Publishers Weekly review that almost ended his writing career, the Fire Island moment that shaped decades of self-loathing, and why his doctor's reminder that "you're going to die someday" was actually the best health advice he ever received.
This is about transformation, survival, and discovering that the lustfulness and freedom of older years might be life's greatest gift.
What We Talk About:
The Fire Island moment: "I wish you looked like that" and decades of self-loathing
Being publicly outed in Outweek magazine over the Malcolm Forbes coverage
Working with Anna Wintour and her exceptional management style
When the phone stopped ringing during the Daily News strike
Getting sober in 1996 and deciding "f*ck shame"
Having no more f*cks to give at seventy
Why his doctor telling him "you're going to die someday" was liberating
About William Norwich:
William Norwich is a writer, editor, and novelist whose career has spanned decades at Vogue, The New York Times, and Town & Country. He currently serves as commissioning editor for fashion and interior design at Phaidon Press. His novels include Learning to Drive and he has been a fixture in New York media since the Studio 54 era. He lives in New York City.
Connect with William:
Instagram: @WilliamNorwich
Resources Mentioned:
Learning to Drive (novel by William Norwich)
Own It by Diane von Furstenberg (Phaidon)
Outweek magazine
Publishers Weekly
The Devil Wears Prada
Fiorucci
Studio 54
New York Daily News
Vogue
Connect With Us:
Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.com
Instagram: @thenewmaturity
Newsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.com
Email: [email protected]
New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.

Fashion designer Peter Som went from dressing celebrities on red carpets to roasting carrots alone after the Met Gala. When his runway business closed in 2015, he found himself in a Chelsea movie theater at 10am on a Wednesday, wondering how he got there. The answer came in the form of noodles, his grandmother's secret recipe notebook, and a complete reimagining of what success could mean.
In this conversation, Peter shares how cooking became his lifeline during crisis, why "have you eaten?" was never really about food, and what it means to become a beginner again in your 40s. His new cookbook Family Style is a meditation on chosen family, Chinese-American heritage, and the creative confidence that comes from trusting your instincts—whether you're designing clothes or roasting vegetables.
What We Talk About:
Finding his grandmother's hidden 20-year recipe collection and the creative life she lived in secret

The loneliness of closing a fashion business and those 10am movie theater moments

Why the Met Gala carrots mattered more than the red carpet

"Have you eaten?" as a love language in Chinese culture

How latchkey kid afternoons shaped his creative confidence

Knowing he was gay in 5th grade and fashion as a world of freedom

Reinvention as expansion, not abandonment

Why success got quieter as he got older

About Peter Som: 
Peter Som is a fashion designer, lifestyle expert, and author of Family Style: Recipes for Connection, Community & Togetherness. His eponymous fashion line dressed everyone from Michelle Obama to First Ladies of fashion, earning him accolades from Vogue and beyond. After his runway business closed, he returned to his roots in food, honoring his grandmother's legacy while building a new creative chapter. He lives in New York City.
Connect with Peter: 
Website: PeterSom.com 
Instagram: @PeterSom
Buy the Book: Family Style: Recipes for Connection, Community & Togetherness available wherever books are sold

Resources Mentioned:
Family Style cookbook by Peter Som

Met Gala

Chelsea Cinema (now closed)

Connect With Us:
Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.com
Instagram: @thenewmaturity
Newsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.com
Email: [email protected]
New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.

Episode Description:
There's a generation of queer people out here thriving — and nobody's talking about it. Until now.
The New Maturity is back for Season 4. Real conversations about what it means to thrive, find purpose, and own every chapter of your life — out, proud, and on your own terms.
This is what aging with pride sounds like.
New episodes start dropping Wednesday, April 1st. Follow wherever you get your podcasts — and don't miss a thing.
Connect With Us:
Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.com 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thenewmaturity/ | @thenewmaturity 
Newsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.com
Email: [email protected]
New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.

Michelle Maccarone is a 41-year-old New York City playwright, performer, and podcast host who found her creative voice by celebrating the wit and wisdom of mid-century women. Her latest play, "The Leopard and the Lynx," premiered at the New York Theatre Festival in January 2025.
How her obsession with "Auntie Mame" led to discovering Pat Tanner's real-life story of bisexuality and lavender marriage

Why she believes people in the 1970s had more freedom to create their own identities than we give them credit for

The challenge of directing your own writing: "It's just too much, you get stuck in your own head"

How perimenopause is teaching her not to recognize her own body anymore

Why she's working on a one-woman show about Elsa Maxwell, the queer party planner who invented the scavenger hunt

Her philosophy: "Not everyone has to like you and that's okay"

Instagram/Facebook: @vintageoldbiddy Podcast: "Vintage Old Biddy"

Connect With Us:
Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.com
Instagram: @thenewmaturity
Newsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.com
Email: [email protected]
New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.

This week we welcome Dr. Joe Eviatar, who spent 30 years as a highly respected oculofacial plastic surgeon before experiencing a profound pandemic awakening. At 63, he traded his medical practice for life coaching, launching Best Face Forward Coaching to help clients—particularly gay men—embrace aging with radical self-acceptance.
Episode Highlights:
Joe's groundbreaking work with AIDS patients suffering from facial lipoatrophy in the 90s

The pandemic moment when he realized he felt like a "drug pusher"

Why patients asking to look like celebrities became his breaking point

The mirror technique: rewiring your brain for self-love in two minutes daily

Unique challenges gay men face aging without elder role models

His complete career pivot at 60—from doctor to life coaching certification

Joe’s six pillars of wellness and finding peace 

Discover how a doctor who helped people chase youth learned to champion authenticity, why perfectionism plagues the LGBTQ+ community, and how neuroplasticity can transform your relationship with your reflection.
Connect With Dr. Joe:
Website: https://www.bestfaceforwardcoaching.com

Connect With Us:
Website: https://www.thenewmaturity.com

Instagram: @thenewmaturity

Newsletter: https://thenewmaturity.substack.com

Email: [email protected]

New episodes drop every other Wednesday. Subscribe now so you never miss a conversation that might just change how you see growing older.