Today we’d like to introduce you to Talena Lachelle Queen

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?

I was born to my teenage parents. One of my parents, my father, fell in love with heroin soon after I was born. His love for the drug shaped his life and omitted active involvement in anything family related. My mother worked hard, very hard for everything she had and could offer her children.

I was in love with school and stories. I loved to read and write which helped me to be successful in school, After a lifetime of dedication to schooling and following my passion as a writer, a poet in particular, I was appointed as the Poet Laureate of Paterson, NJ, my hometown.

As the Poet Laureate, I founded the Paterson Poetry Festival, now in its seventh year. I also founded the nonprofit literary arts entity, Word Seed Inc to house the Paterson Poetry Festival and my other literary arts initiatives, This October, 2024, will be the first celebration of Paterson Poetry Month and the first time that Word Seed Inc will lead the charge of a month long Poetry Celebration. I am thrilled to lead this endeavor and even more thrilled to have a great committee to help with the plans.

Being a writer with a literary arts nonprofit organization has given me the key to be part of exciting literary project like writing all of the words for the launch of the Hinchliffe Stadium website and serving as vice president for CavanKerry Press among other exciting things.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?

Inner-city youth have challenges related to their environment. I am no exception to that reality. I have overcome the challenges of my youth by prioritizing my education. Some of us used sports to transcend our circumstances of birth, but I am no athlete, not really. So, I used my scholastic aptitude to propel me forward.

In the nonprofit sector, Word Seed Inc has not found money to fund our initiatives, but we have found partnerships that help to manifest our goals and realize successes that benefit the community at large.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I am a poet and an educator. Whenever I can combine those two things, which is often, I have a reason to celebrate. This year, I have taught Black Poetry, and Black & Latino Children’s Lit, two courses at the State University of New York, New Paltz.which added a new title for me, professor. I celebrated high school poets by hosting the first ever Poetry Extravaganza at the famous Eastside High School where I teach. My high school scholars have written collections of poetry that have been published as chapbooks, another first. I have successfully lobbied the Paterson City Council to name October as Paterson Poetry Month. This October 2024 will be the first time that we celebrate the month. The celebration has been tied into the annual Paterson Poetry Festiva planning.

What are your plans for the future?

I am on course to finish my PhD in Education with a specialization in Organizational Leadership in the Spring of 2024.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.talenalachellequeen.com, www.wordseedinc.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iknowliteracy/, https://www.instagram.com/herbestself4440/, https://www.instagram.com/wordseedinc/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talena.queen, https://www.facebook.com/WordSeedInc/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJu3miJepEgkRkFru352B6Q
• Yelp: none
• Soundcloud: none