Why did you choose Team Taylor for this poem? 

I know Taylor mentioned that she isn't a big pop culture person. However, I wanted to share this piece with her as I think there is a difference between discussions of pop culture in a purely "stan war" format, versus the way pop-culture often reflects the  socio-political state we live in, and I felt like this piece centered that.

Where does this poem fit within your normal discography? Does this connect to a series you are working on or it is intended to exist on its own?

This summer, I have been thinking a lot about my identity as a first-gen low income Black woman in medicine. With the passing of the "BBB" and the blatant attack and attempt to discriminate and exclude low income students from accessing higher education, I found myself writing a lot about feelings that reflected what I have truly come to see, is how insidious and violent such efforts are. I went to the University of Chicago, a PWI, and while I am grateful for the education I had and the privilege that even comes with saying i'm an alumni of UChicago, it does not erase the complicated journey I had as a student there, and the way institutions who engage in efforts to increase minoritized students in academia, need to also work to make sure that the people employed at this institutions follow that same belief.

I also think as I've started my MD-PhD, there has once again been this realization that I sometimes find so hard to understand where this comes from, and yes it's racism, but as someone I think who has always been so self-driven, motivated, highly critical of myself to pursue education, that it is shocking to know that so many people still find it uncomfortable to see a Black FGLI woman who is educated. 

With the passing of the BBB and the discussions I had with some people who wanted me to change my language in how I was discussing the violent nature of the bill, and coming off of a school year where once again I had heard the narrative that "I try to sound smarter than other people" or i'm "more superior that other people", rather than going back to this person that I was between 18-22 where I think I would then lower myself for others, or start to feel more insecure talking about things I love, I found myself no-longer falling to that. It has been uncomfortable for me, not in that I'm not happy I'm doing this and standing up for myself, but it's a reflection of the inherent way people tell minoritized people like me how they want me to act, what minoritized person they want me to be, and how people who even claim to be "allies" still want be to be conform to a version of being a minority that doesn't attack their white guilt. But I'm not going to be that person, I refuse to be that person. I don't think I ever truly was that person in undergrad or even during my post-bacc research years, because I learn from asking questions, being engaged and curious, that's just who I am. However, I do know that I am someone who often prioritizes other people's feelings over my own. Now more than ever, I refuse to do that. That doesn't mean I won't listen to perspectives and I don't have a problem calling myself out and being wrong. Like, I don't know a lot of shit lol. I'm always willing to learn, there is literally no ego here. However, I am especially making it clear that I will never be the Black woman who will baby people about their privilege. I will not be the Black FGLI woman who will adjust myself to support your white guilt. I refuse. Because in a day in and age where we are now seeing CHILDREN'S MEDIA saying that being a slave is better than being dead,  there is absolutely nothing I can do or say that will ever be as violent as what is currently happening in this country and the people on all sides of the political spectrum (democrats HEAVILY responsible for part of this because look at what political candidates democratic leadership are supporting in the NYC mayoral election and you want me to think vote blue no matter who, or that "we're not him" is a good political strategy??? ).

So, needless to say, there have been a lot of poems I've written this summer about this feeling. And I think this poem, rather than talking about it from a personal perspective, I wanted to show how I and many other people see through the "microaggressions" that come from our peers and from the media. It is obvious and I will not be afraid to show the obvious violence that seems to be wanting to come back to the forefront—and what excuses people will say and things people will try to do to deny this blatant strategy. 

Please, Lee Atwater cannot keep winning. 

In your bio/website you mention that you are interested in the intersections between scientific research and the humanities. Can you talk to me more about that? How do you see poetry as a foil to, or an extension of science?

So my degree is in creative writing and it has always been something that has garnered a couple of different reactions from people, especially as a now MD-PhD Student. Some people have questioned why I would choose such a major as someone interested in medicine and science. I have also had people say "oh thank god we're going to have physicians/scientists who can write and are empathetic" (the bar is, literally, in hell). Ultimately, I always feel like humanities and humanities training is extremely essential to be a good physician or be a good scientist. I have read so many papers in academic journals that are written so poorly and it does a major disservice to our field, which I think is inherently a subject in the humanities. Science is all about curiosity, understanding the beyond, the complicated. Instead of trying to understand the significance of an em dash or comma, we instead are interested in figuring out why does our immune system give in so easily to cancer, and what role does this molecule play in the effectiveness of this medicine? I know there is this big stereotype that scientists/physicians don't care about the humanities and to a certain extent I understand where that comes from (like we all know the pre-meds who paid for people to write their essays for them because they didn't find it important and had bio classes to focus on). But so much of the humanities needs to be a part of science and medicine, from being able to see diverse perspectives, and effective science-communication to help restore trust amongst communities, especially as climate change continues and likelihood of more pandemic-potential diseases will come about. Ultimately, I hope to show that being a physician-scientist can come in a lot of flavors and that having interests and passions outside of science is both valuable for one's growth, but can also contribute heavily to improving the issues in our field. 

And of course dreaming about winning a Pulitzer Prize and MacArthur Grant a bit more than a Nobel Prize(though no hate to the Nobel committee if I somehow do something important in science and you nominate me for it, and then you do a google search and see this interview. Please Nobel, keep me on your list—but also I hope by the time I could be eligible for such a prize, a Black scientist will have finally won one because it's frankly long overdue. )