Wolf in Gentlewoman’s Clothing

A poem by Isabel Lee Roden

This is a piece about my frustration with the ways in which white women are portrayed and perceived as beautiful, as opposed to the ways in which BIPOC beauty is described. In film and pop culture there seems to be a desire for the "soft white woman", among a plethora of other ways in which white women get to be perceived as desirable or worthy. Meanwhile, narratives of BIPOC beauty are often centered on strength or grit. While being called strong is affirming, being confined to a single narrative and expectation feels maddening. I'm interested in what it means to be strong and soft or to not have strength expected of BIPOC women at all times.

Illustration by Evan Wong

A Wolf in Gentlewoman’s Clothing