The White Man Who Pretended to Be Black to Get Published A young poet pretended to be ‘a gender-fluid member of the Nigerian diaspora,’ and wrote intentionally bad poems. He says he got 47 of them published. But soon his prank spiraled out of control.
In April, the author behind these identities came clean, writing that he had “assumed a series of ‘attractive’ pen names” to “test the limits of the poetry industry.” (Photo by Connor Murphy)
What you’re about to read is a poem. Its title is unmentionable, but I can tell you it was nominated for a 2025 Best of the Net Award, which is meant to bring attention to up-and-coming writers in the indie lit scene. Behold:
If you’re worried that I’m about to tell you why this poem is good, and imply you’re a bumpkin for thinking otherwise, don’t be. The poem isn’t good. It’s bad, and it’s meant to be. This article is featured in Culture and Ideas. Sign up here to get an update every time a new piece is published. The author told me so...
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