Lindy West is a journalist who has written for numerous publications, including The Guardian, Jezebel, and currently, she has a column in The New York Times. Many of her pieces are about feminism and pop culture, and she tells it like it is. She is also the chosen author for the 2017 Oswego Reading Initiative. And to rattle off even more of her amazing accomplishments, her memoir, Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman, came out in 2016. I read West’s book for my Living Writers Series class, and had the chance to hear her speak to us about Shrill and her career as a writer.Shrill is funny, feminist, and unapologetic, much like Lindy herself. She begins with a list of female fat characters who she considered her role models growing up; Ursula the Sea Witch, Miss Piggy, and The Trunchbull to name a few. Right from the start, you know this book is going to not only entertain, but be upfront and in your face. West does not back down or censor herself in any way in Shrill, and it is so inspiring to see a woman unashamedly write about topics like feminism and abortion, that are often regarded as taboo. West breaks the gender norm and is loud and proud about who she is and what she believes in.
While extremely funny, Shrill also gets very personal for West. She writes about the death of her father, and how it heavily affected her. In doing that, she realizes that this event caused her to grow as a person. When she recounts a time where a particularly mean internet troll pretended to be her deceased father, she explains that she took a different approach to how she normally dealt with trolls; she wrote an article mentioning him, and it led to them meeting and speaking on This American Life, a radio show. West also writes about how difficult it was growing up as a “fat” woman. She discusses how she felt she needed to hide, and stay quiet for fear of people labeling her as fat. The memoir is full of raw emotions, and Lindy doesn’t beat around the bush; she speaks freely and openly about her past experiences.I cried reading this book. Lindy West is so relatable and writes in a way that you fully understand what it’s like to grow up as a bigger woman in our society. Her body positivity challenges me to accept myself as a bigger/curvier woman, and to be more loving and caring towards my body. Her take on feminism motivated me to be the best feminist I can be. I appreciate how she writes so honestly about herself and her life. She inspires me, and anyone else who reads Shrill, to be the best version of themselves.