Meet the New Altadena Poets Laureate

Sehba Sarwar and Lester Graves Lennon (Photos – Altadena Library)

Lester Graves Lennon is the Altadena Poet Laureate Editor in Chief, and Sehba Sarwar is Altadena Poet Laureate for Community Events.

By News Desk

Rosebud magazine Poetry Editor and two-time Pushcart Prize nominee Lester Graves Lennon is the Altadena Poet Laureate Editor in Chief, and Sehba Sarwar—writer, poet, artist, teacher and social activist—is the Altadena Poet Laureate for Community Events for the 2024-2026 term. The announcement was made by outgoing poets Peter J. Harris and Carla R. Sameth at the Ode to the Land event at Zorthian Ranch on April 7.

Lester Graves Lennon is an investment banker in public finance. His first book of poetry, “The Upward Curve of Earth and Heavens” (2001), can be found in 70 public and university libraries. His second book of poetry, “My Father Was a Poet,” was published in 2013, and his third, “Lynchings: Postcards from America,” was published in 2022.

Sehba Sarwar creates text and art that tackle displacement, migration, and women’s issues. The second edition of her novel, “Black Wings,” was released in 2019 (Veliz Books). Her essays and poems have appeared in publications including the New York Times, Creative Time Reports, Asia: Magazine of Asian Literature, Callaloo, Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere.