My Short Story “Ghostfishing” in Paper Dragon
My Short Story “Ghostfishing” in Paper Dragon

My Short Story “Ghostfishing” in Paper Dragon

Earlier this year, Drexel University’s MFA in Creative Writing program invited me to submit a short story for the horror edition of their literary magazine Paper Dragon. The Volume 8 issue is now live. So geeked to share my story “Ghostfishing.” You can also download a PDF.

“Ghostfishing” follows the story of a Black woman who suspects her bestie is using bleaching cream…with terrifying results. I wanted to explore the ramifications of Black women trying to adhere to impossible beauty standards. Not everyone who uses bleaching cream hates their dark skin. My grandmother used fade cream back in the day to reduce hyperpigmentation and some women use it to achieve an even skin tone.

“Ghostfishing” is a riff on “Blackfishing,” the term used to describe white women who slather on self-tanner or purposely darken their skin and over-line their lips in an attempt to cosplay as women of color on social media. The irony of a Black woman intentionally erasing her melanin when folks are out here dousing themselves in Fenty #450, flexin’ in their (artificial) complexion, is not lost on me. Yeah. Erasure. That’s the heart of the story.

I hope you’ll give “Ghostfishing” a read and share what beauty means to you.

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