Salena JD

Born and raised in Brockton, Massachusetts, Salena JD is a poet, pole dancer, & philanthropist who currently calls Providence, Rhode Island home. A creative entrepreneur at heart, she is the founder of The Poetry Pour, a local media company that aims to connect local poets & poetry lovers and make the power of poetry approachable & accessible to all. When she isn’t working on poems of her own or creating content for TPP, she serves as the Development Associate at New Urban Arts (NUA) where she works behind the scenes & a computer screen to support the fundraising efforts that enable NUA to provide free after-school arts & leadership programming to local high school students. As a Black, Queer, Jewish woman, Salena crafts poems that embrace every intersection of her identity, exploring themes of family, addiction, sisterhood, & sex work on the page and the stage. She uses both adopted & invented forms to reveal the complexities of the taboo, challenge cultural norms, & establish autonomy while delving into deeply personal topics with nuance, humor, and honesty. (PC: Jenn Recinos, @yeniii_ on IG)