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I FEEL MOST DISABLED WHEN THROWN AGAINST A CLOCKWHITE BACKGROUND

By Amir McClam
Added: Thursday, June 18, 2026  /  Used with permission. The poem appears in print in "Emerge: 2025 Lambda Literary Anthology," edited by Holly Zhou.
Amir McClam

J. Amir McClam (they/them/any/all) is a writer-educator, editor, and clay worker who believes in taking deep breaths and talking to trees. They hold an MFA in Creative Writing from Cornell University and BS in Psychology from Howard University. Amir attended Lambda Literary Retreat in 2025, and they have been awarded additional support from the Schomburg Center, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Fine Arts Work Center. Amir teaches writing to undergraduate students at Cornell and adults of all ages through workshops, courses, and 1:1 coaching. Their poems can be found in Nimrod International Journal and The Amistad. 

Image Description: Amir smiles in front of the base of a lilac tree. She is a Black nonbinary person with dark brown skin, a bald head, and a gold nose hoop. They wear a white tank top.

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