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№ 2003.010 — University of California, Berkeley — Commencement address
Anne Lamott
Field: letters
Anne Lamott recounts her own meandering path as a college dropout turned writer, arguing that the success and fame the culture promises do not fulfill the spirit. She urges graduates to ignore parental and societal expectations, slow down, resist the endless chase for money and status, and instead seek the truth of their spiritual identity. She advises caring for the poor, defending civil liberties, and finding joy, rest, and humor in life.
Key moments
- 01 Shares her story of dropping out of college and taking odd jobs while writing
- 02 Describes achieving literary success but finding it hollow, like a greyhound catching a fake rabbit
- 03 Names three spiritual truths: live in the now, reap what you sow, and care for the poor
- 04 Encourages rest, laughter, and resisting pressure to constantly prove oneself
Transcript
The full transcript is hosted by the original publisher. Commencement Archive links to the source rather than republishing copyrighted text.
Read the full transcript at source →Provenance
Imported from NPR commencement archive; cross-referenced with Open Commencement DB
NPR archive last updated in 2015; destination availability has not been exhaustively rechecked | Open Commencement DB transcript; not independently verified against the original recording