West comes north for Vancouver Writers Festival event
Credit to Author: Dana Gee| Date: Fri, 22 Nov 2019 19:15:09 +0000
Lindy West in Conversation with Hannah McGregor
When: Dec. 3, 7 p.m.
Where: Vogue Theatre
Tickets and info:writersfest.bc.ca
Lindy West’s first book Shrill was a huge hit.
A New York Times bestseller, Shrill was also named the best book of the year by NPR, Esquire Magazine, The Los Angeles Times and Newsweek. The 2016 memoir became one of those essential reads — and West became an essential and really, really hilarious voice for women.
West will join podcaster Hannah McGregor, an assistant professor of publishing at Simon Fraser University and host of the Secret Feminist Agenda podcast, for a Vancouver Writers Festival event Dec. 3 at the Vogue Theatre.
The Seattle-based writer is touring her new book of essays, The Witches Are Coming. And, yes, that title is a feminist finger pointed toward men — insert any #metoo creep and Donald Trump here — who respond to accusations that they did something terrible by pointing their finger at what they call politically motivated smear campaigns and yelling: “Witch hunt!”
In the chapter titled Introduction: They Let You Do It, West takes a look at the term witch hunt.
“Traditionally, ‘witch hunt’ has been used in reference to the witch trials of early modern Europe and colonial America, during which an estimated 40,000-60,000 people were brutally tortured by being briefly ostracized at work and having a lot of people yell at them.
“Wait. That’s wrong. They were actually hanged, beheaded or burned at the stake. Still, though. Very, very similar to the modern-day witch hunts against rapists,” writes West, who ends that first chapter with: “So fine, if you insist. This is a witch hunt. We’re witches, and we’re hunting you.”
To be fair, this book isn’t one angry feminist out to shut down the dudes.
While gender politics and politics in general are discussed, West also wades into a wide range of topics including: a popular online cat’s actual and totally disrespectful/offside name (fun fact: there is actually a guy who is an agent for celebrity cats); Adam Sandler’s comedy oeuvre; the conversion therapy-happy church your favourite home-renovation TV couple worship at; and a visit to the alter of Gwyneth Paltrow and Goop.
West also discusses her own abortion and getting that experience into the pilot for the TV adaptation of Shrill.
“(A) master tactician might suggest that one not say the word ‘abortion’ 47 times over calamari at Soho House West Hollywood. But I needed people to know what they would be getting if they optioned the book: we’re putting an abortion in the pilot, and we’re doing it right. If they didn’t want to do that, they weren’t making my show,” West recounts in The Witches Are Coming.
The doing-it-right part is showing a woman having an abortion in a safe, supportive environment and showing her as “the author of her own life” who wasn’t forced to go through a pregnancy and who leaves the clinic after the procedure relieved not guilt-stricken and depressed.
The TV network Hulu got it, made the series, and it was really well-received. Season 2 of the Andy Bryant-starring show was bumped up to eight episodes and just wrapped filming in September. It will be out next year.
Second from left, front row: Andy Bryant, Elizabeth Banks and Lindy West are seen at a panel for the Hulu TV show Shrill. The trio are co-creators and executive producers of the show. West also writes for the show that is based on her hit memoir Shrill. Bryant stars in the TV series that will return for Season 2 in 2020.
With the Witches Are Coming West once again delivers funny, thought-provoking material that isn’t afraid to poke the political class. Actually, she pokes a lot of people.
“I don’t have a political background. I am a humour writer with a lot of opinions. If I have one strength I’m not afraid to share my opinion,” said West when asked about stepping into the political ring.
Not being a dyed-in-the-Beltway political wonk is a good thing, as it keeps West’s writing clear, relatable and wonderfully gobbledygook free.
“I think helping people process — you know, cut this moment up into bit-sized chunks maybe like laugh about it in a cathartic way — how absolutely f–ked up everything is. I think people are hungry for that to some degree,” said West. “Honestly, I don’t know if I could write another book about being fat right now. Not that it’s not important, obviously fat people still deserve dignity, respect and equality and access to medical care. I still care about that, but I wrote that book already.
“The planet is in peril. I just felt I didn’t know how to write about anything else right now.”
The peril West speaks of isn’t a one-trick-pony kind of issue. There’s so much to worry about and plenty of people are fatigued by the constant emotional body blows. While it’s a worldwide hand-wringing event, it seems America is winning in the psychologically wrecked department.
“People are so exhausted in such despair and that’s by design. I think that is Trump’s only skill is to absolutely drive people out of their minds with stress and to overwhelm people with chaos,” said West, adding she hopes her writing can calm some of the chaos. “Can I organize some of these thoughts and can I help people feel less out-of-control? Even though I can’t fix anything I can use my platform to help people feel a little less alone and a little bit less like we are all just flailing. It’s absolutely overwhelming.
“Obviously, America had plenty of problems pre-Trump, but there was still something in there to believe in. There was some version of America that could eventually be the country it pretends to be,” added West. “Watching everything get dismantled by this person that is so utterly undeserving of any kind of power. Uggghhh. He is probably the worst guy on earth for this job. I’m not exaggerating. He is just a buffoon. He has been around my whole life and he was a buffoon. That was his role in the media.”
In the book, West celebrates the tearing down of old systems, but warns we need to pick up the pace on building new ones.
“There is so much hand-wringing about cancel culture, call-out culture and justice, and people being wrongly excused. To some extent, some part of that is legitimate. Obviously, a system predicated on believing people unconditionally is open to exploitation by bad people or mentally ill people. People with an agenda,” said West. “We are going to have figure out some way to navigate that.”
And one thing she wants to make clear, is that we have to navigate it. Now. There have already been too many delays and meetings.
“I think trust but verify is a very useful concept. Unfortunately, it is going to be a long complicated process. There’s going to be a lot of trial-and-error, but the most important point is the answer is certainly not to go backward to a place where we are not believing victims, we aren’t listening. We’re blaming people for their own victimization. We’re covering up for long-time abusers and systems of predation. What are we going to do, go back to that? I would hope that it is evident to any person that is not an option.
“It’s easier to not deal with stuff. Everyone wants to live in denial, procrastinate and avoid hard things, you know? I think the procrastination window is up on pretty much everything,” said West. “It’s second semester of senior year. We have to do it.”
While she is in the thick of book touring, West is also working on a new book that she hopes will be out next fall. TV is also back on her plate as she and her husband, musician and comedian Ahamefule J. Oluo, are co-writing an episode for a Shonda Rimes Netflix anthology series about relationships.
“There’s always a million irons in the fire,” West said.