How did the idea of the book come about?

The book originally began with a different style and storyline. However, after completing the first draft, the death of George Floyd and the subsequent protests deeply affected me. During the isolation of Covid, I immersed myself in books and podcasts exploring racism, economic injustice, and inequality. That period of reflection prompted me to examine my own identity and responsibilities as a White man. As my understanding grew, I felt compelled to revise the story’s narrative and themes to reflect this new awareness and deeper sense of accountability.

What does the title Pale Privileges, Dark Roast refer to?

The title Pale Privileges, Dark Roast operates on multiple levels—literal, symbolic, and metaphorical—each echoing the novel’s core themes of race, institutional power, and personal reckoning within the upmarket fiction space.

Cody, the protagonist, is a White male coffee enthusiast, startled to discover that his workplace café at Candela shuns caffeine. His daily treks to nearby shops for an Americano become a ritual, earning him the nickname “Caffeine Cody” from his LDS coworkers. At its most basic level, the title simply reflects this reality—a pale-skinned man with a penchant for dark, robust coffee—before peeling back to reveal the deeper contrasts in his world.

Symbolically, the title points to the systemic advantages Cody takes for granted—advantages subtly reinforced from the novel’s opening interview scene, where gatekeeping hides behind casual professionalism, to the executive structure of Candela, a company where homogeneity ensures control, and access is quietly policed.

Metaphorically, the title captures the collision between comfort and truth, where privilege slams into systems of exclusion, and no choice comes without compromise. This tension mirrors moments like the coffee spill, where dark coffee stains a pale maple table, seeping irrevocably into the grain, reflecting how bitter truths of loss and complicity mark one’s worldview.

How much of the book is autobiographical?

Fiction is shaped by three primary sources: real events and people, whose names or details are changed for privacy; events or actions that are exaggerated for dramatic or comedic impact; and fully imagined scenarios. Since I still have friends at my former company and aim to avoid disparaging any real individuals or organizations, I’ll simply acknowledge that the book is inspired by all three sources.

What do you hope to accomplish with this?

I've always been intrigued by a fundamental question: Why do some people challenge the status quo and seek change, while others defend it relentlessly, even against their own self-interests?

Cody isn't a hero or villain when we meet him—he's simply a man limited by the boundaries of his own experience, concerned with his immediate problems while blind to the larger systems at work around him. Over time, he sees things previously invisible to him.

I believe his journey matters because it mirrors millions of Americans.

What gives me hope—and what I hope readers take from this novel—is the understanding that meaningful change often requires just a catalyst. Cody's capacity for ethical action was always present; he left his parents' company over fraud before the novel began. His journey doesn't require him to become someone entirely new but rather to expand the circle of his concern beyond himself.

I created Cody as an accessible entry point for readers who might otherwise feel defensive about conversations around privilege, because I believe fiction has a unique ability to inspire this kind of growth. If even a few readers see themselves in Cody and start questioning the limits of their awareness, I’ll consider this novel a success.

What is next?

The central characters of this narrative were originally envisioned as part of a trilogy, with two additional books planned to complete their arc if circumstances align. The second installment will unfold in the dynamic environment of a small startup, while the final book will shift to the setting of a public school.

These upcoming volumes will further explore the characters’ paths, offering closure to the conflicts and core themes established in the first novel while weaving in fresh struggles and insights. Though the main themes of race, institutional power, and personal reckoning will remain a throughline, new themes will also emerge, reflecting the evolving challenges and environments the characters navigate.