Ursula K. Le Guin · "We are volcanoes. When we women offer our experience as our truth, as human tr..."

Speech at Bryn Mawr College commencement, 1986 · Checked on 4 March 2026

We are volcanoes. When we women offer our experience as our truth, as human truth, all the maps change. There are new mountains.

Analysis

The statement appears verbatim in the published transcript of Le Guin’s speech, available in her essay collection *Dancing at the Edge of the World* (1989) and archived by Bryn Mawr College. The metaphor of 'volcanoes' and 'new mountains' aligns with the speech’s central theme: the transformative power of women’s voices in reshaping cultural narratives. No credible sources dispute its attribution.

Background

Le Guin, a celebrated feminist and sci-fi author, delivered the speech on **May 19, 1986**, critiquing patriarchal structures and urging women to claim their intellectual and creative authority. The address is widely cited in feminist literature and academic analyses of her work. Bryn Mawr, a women’s college, later republished the speech in its official archives.

Verdict summary

Ursula K. Le Guin did deliver this quote in her 1986 Bryn Mawr College commencement speech, *‘A Left-Handed Commencement Address.’*

Sources consulted

— Le Guin, U. K. (1989). *Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places*. Grove Press. (pp. 77–92).

— Bryn Mawr College Archives. (1986). *Commencement Address by Ursula K. Le Guin* (Transcript). [https://www.brynmawr.edu/](https://www.brynmawr.edu/) (Archived).

— The Paris Review. (2013). *Ursula K. Le Guin, The Art of Fiction No. 221*. Interview by John Wray. [https://www.theparisreview.org/](https://www.theparisreview.org/) (Corroborates speech themes).