How did the idea of the book come about?

The book initially had a different tone, character arc, and storyline. However, midway through the first draft, George Floyd’s death and the subsequent protests profoundly impacted me. Amid the isolation of COVID-19, I immersed myself in books and podcasts on institutional racism, economic justice, and workplace inequality. This period of reflection led me to confront my role in these issues as a white male, ultimately reshaping the narrative and themes of the story.

While the core elements of friendship, empathy, and sacrifice remained, the rewrite confronted uncomfortable truths about racial dynamics and societal structures, challenging readers to examine their own biases and preconceptions.

I aimed to avoid the flaws seen in works like The Blind Side, To Kill a Mockingbird, or The Help, striving to show how white people can unknowingly contribute to issues they claim to oppose due to entitlement and narrow viewpoints and how choices, even if well-meaning, can obstruct progress.

The story takes place inside the headquarters of a direct selling company because I worked at one for five years and am familiar with the culture. The story could have been set in a police department, tech startup, or law firm, but those stories have been told. By placing the characters in a direct-selling company, I was able to draw from personal experience while naturally weaving in themes of systemic racism, entitlement, nepotism, and religion that are commonplace in direct selling, which aligned with the broader social issues the book now addresses.

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

The title reflects the protagonist’s love of coffee and the story's deeper themes of privilege and social injustice. Cody, the main character, is a coffee enthusiast who becomes frustrated when he discovers that the café at his workplace doesn’t serve caffeinated products due to the LDS prohibition on coffee. His daily trips to local cafes for his Americano become a recurring event, earning him the nickname “Caffeine Cody” from his Mormon coworkers.

I considered naming the book Caffeine Cody, but it didn’t quite convey the depth of the story. Early feedback confirmed that it lacked insight into the book’s central themes.

I ultimately chose Pale Privileges, Dark Roast because it retains the coffee motif while also highlighting the contrast between Cody’s privileged perspective as a white man and the darker realities of injustice he begins to confront throughout the narrative. The title encapsulates this tension between comfort and discomfort, surface-level ease and the deeper truths that must be faced.

You worked in direct selling. How much of the book is autobiographical?

Fiction often pulls from three main sources: real events and people whose names or attributes are altered for anonymity, events or actions exaggerated for dramatic or comedic effect, and entirely imagined scenarios. Given that I still have friends working at my former company and I intend not to disparage any real individuals or organizations, I’ll simply say that this book draws from all three sources.

What is next?

The main characters in this story were always envisioned as part of a trilogy. If everything goes as planned, two more books will continue and complete the entire story arc of Cody and Anne. These future installments will delve deeper into their journeys, bringing resolution to the themes and challenges introduced in the first book.