PERSONAL ESSAY
I can’t recall the exact incident. Perhaps it was the announcement of another all-white panel, literary event, or award shortlist in my social media feed. I do recall feeling frustrated and defeated – the same emotions I feel every time I witness the prevalence of whiteness – and pacing around my apartment while texting friends about it. I recall cheekily closing one text with, “I am going to name my next book even this page is white.” Although this was half meant to be a joke, it stayed with me and eventually found its way into a poem, “white dreams.”