Before the eyes of hundreds of capped students, decorated with leis and colorful cords, a speaker stands. In 2019, it was the 42nd Mayor of LA, Eric Garcetti. In 2022, California Senator María Elena Durazo. Just last year, in 2023, author Isabel Wilkerson stood before the graduating class in the Remsen Bird Theatre. As graduation nears, the college will host Lindy West ‘04 — writer, comedian and producer — to deliver the commencement address to Occidental’s class of 2024.
During her time at Occidental, West was an English major and said she enjoyed reading (and gossiping) in the Tiger Cooler.
“It just seemed too good to be true that you could major in books. I think at the time, I didn’t have the self-confidence to imagine that I might want to be a writer, but I knew that I wanted to be a reader,” West said. “The idea that I could do that for my degree – you can spend a week talking about one poem – that was so exciting for me.”
According to West, Professor Damian Stocking’s classes on literature and pop culture were very influential on her career, as she learned how they inform each other in enlightening ways. Currently, West has three of her own books published; “Shit, Actually,” “The Witches Are Coming” and “Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman.” West said she applies political concepts and personal context within the political sphere, which she saw as separate entities before taking Stocking’s courses. In particular, West said she remembers reading Plato along with the autobiography of Janice Dickinson, a supermodel and television personality.
“The world is not divided in this binary way, into things that are sacred and things that are trashy,” West said. “We’re all just human beings trying to figure it out and stay alive and entertain ourselves and express ourselves. That complicated mess is what I’m really interested in.”
West said she lives in Seattle, her hometown, and is currently finishing up her fourth book, “Adult Braces,” titled aptly since she indeed had braces as an adult. In addition to publishing books, West has been the executive producer of the “Shrill” series on Hulu (an adaption of her novel), started a podcast with one of her high school friends and published as a contributing opinion writer in the New York Times.
American Studies professor and Director of Writing Center & Programs Julie Prebel said that she first encountered West’s work on Jezebel and has been hoping for her to come to speak at Occidental in some capacity for some time. According to Prebel, West’s humorous style makes people’s devastating experiences and topics more accessible to others who may not be able to see through those eyes.
“[West] takes on a really serious topic — which could span anything that has to do with people’s lived experiences — and works through those topics in a way that I think is both thoughtful and brings humor to it in a smart way,” Prebel said. “It’s not humor just to get a laugh, it’s humor to point to the complexity of the topic she’s exploring.”
Prebel said she hopes that her commencement address will bring in new listeners, readers and viewers of West’s work. Personally, Prebel said she cannot wait to hear the speech West prepares.
“[West is] an Oxy grad, and has the experience of being here and being in this environment, and kind of knowing what [students] go through in that small liberal arts college environment,” Prebel said. “I’m hoping that she will bring that kind of characteristic biting humor. I find that often that appeals to an audience that’s listening.”
Chief of Staff and Secretary of the College Priya Sridharan said that the President of the college identifies and proposes candidates to the Board of Trustees. The commencement speaker and other honorary degree recipients are then approved by the Board of Trustees.
President Harry Elam said that Occidental awards honorary degrees to individuals who have made a positive difference in the lives of their and our community, which will include West at this year’s ceremony.
“The strength of Lindy West’s unique voice as a writer, performer and cultural critic is incontrovertible. Her New York Times column, Hulu series and memoir are all moving examples of the power of authentic storytelling to erode stigma and center new voices in the construction of societal narratives,” Elam said via email. “As an alumna of Occidental, Lindy West provides an outstanding example of the kind of critical thought, creativity and independent spirit we continue to foster in our students.”
West said she returned once to the Occidental campus during a brief stint of living in Eagle Rock about 13 years ago. West said she is curious to spend time on campus and see if it still resonates with her memory of it — a time of learning, fun, and excitement while also feeling terror, insecurity and awkwardness. As for her commencement address, West said she feels somewhat nervous about having such a big responsibility.
“I just always want to remind people that it’s possible to find a balance between being responsible for fixing all the horrors of the world and having a nice time with your friends, staying connected to your community and taking care of each other,” West said.
West said she hopes to have a good time with the speech and that everyone in attendance will leave a bit lighter, determined to move forward as a group. According to West, there is nothing more important than building communities and taking care of each other while we try to build systems that actually serve people.
“There’s a lot of dark stuff happening in the world right now, and I think there are ways the system is designed to make people feel hopeless and powerless. That’s just absolutely not true,” West said. “The only way we lose all of these things that we love is by giving up and deciding we have no hope.”
Contact Mollie Barnes at mbarnes@oxy.edu.
