Shrill
After reading this book, I want more than anything to be friends with Lindy West. She's smart and articulate and funny in a very specific way that I associate with Mallory Ortberg and the-toast. But more than that, she's kind. She's kind in a way I aspire to be, always believing the best of people and willing to talk to them and seeing the victories in small, incremental changes.
This book was billed to me as a collection of essays, but it flows so much better than most essay collections. The transitions are seamless, and it's almost a memoir. West's writing is so personal and passionate, her personal so politic, that it's hard to distinguish between the two. She lays herself bare as a way of forcing her opponents to acknowledge her humanity. And that certainly takes a toll, but she does it with such grace that you almost miss how hard it is for her to be so naked and raw all the time.
West writes about being a fat feminist, and all that entails. She details her public fight with Dan Savage which did, after many years, result in him being nice to fat people. She talks about feminism and her identity as a comedian and the part she played in the conversation about rape jokes a few years back. She helped shift the culture - rape jokes are largely seen as unacceptable now. She was also forced to sacrifice a part of her identity.
Most astonishing is the time she got a troll to apologize to her, and was later able to sit down and interview him for his perspective on the whole ordeal.
I'd been aware of Lindy West for years before this book came out. But now I find myself seeking out her columns, wanting to read her opinions about things. She makes me laugh and learn and want to be a better, kinder person. And what more could you possibly ask for from a writer?
This book was billed to me as a collection of essays, but it flows so much better than most essay collections. The transitions are seamless, and it's almost a memoir. West's writing is so personal and passionate, her personal so politic, that it's hard to distinguish between the two. She lays herself bare as a way of forcing her opponents to acknowledge her humanity. And that certainly takes a toll, but she does it with such grace that you almost miss how hard it is for her to be so naked and raw all the time.
West writes about being a fat feminist, and all that entails. She details her public fight with Dan Savage which did, after many years, result in him being nice to fat people. She talks about feminism and her identity as a comedian and the part she played in the conversation about rape jokes a few years back. She helped shift the culture - rape jokes are largely seen as unacceptable now. She was also forced to sacrifice a part of her identity.
Most astonishing is the time she got a troll to apologize to her, and was later able to sit down and interview him for his perspective on the whole ordeal.
I'd been aware of Lindy West for years before this book came out. But now I find myself seeking out her columns, wanting to read her opinions about things. She makes me laugh and learn and want to be a better, kinder person. And what more could you possibly ask for from a writer?
Comments
Post a Comment