A native of Boston Massachusetts Verna spent the majority of her life in New York City, she has been commissioned to write several plays, conduct workshops, and design programming for theaters, schools, arts, and education programs, correctional facilities and community agencies throughout New York City and State, Massachusetts, around the U.S. and abroad.

She was a member of the Bronx Community College ‘Fridays at the College’ creative team where she taught her Stepping Stones writing process. She also edited, directed and produced site specific performances of the student’s work.

Verna started her performance and writing career, in New York City, as a lead actress in the award winning The Family Repertory Theater Company under the direction by Marvin Felix ‘Pancho’ Camillo.

She continues to perform her original work, at La Ma Ma e.t.c. in New York City, where she has been a featured poet of the ‘Poetry Electric’ series since it’s first show. Verna considers Poetry Electric’s creator and director, seven time emmy award winner, William ‘Electric’ Black the Godfather of Sister FM Diva; since FM Diva was ‘born’ and premiered in an original performance on the ‘Poetry Electric’ Stage. Electric is also the Godfather of a poetry performance troupe formed by four women from the cast of the series’ “After Colored Girls ‘Cause the Rainbow Ain’t Enough” performance.

And though we have gone on to do so many impressive things, as we travel in the world of writing/performance, and life Eve Crusto, Melissa Murray Mutch, Antoinette Nwandu, and Verna Hampton were/are ‘The Sister Scribes’. She performed her original poetry performance “Jazzmus” with ‘Poetry Electric’ at La MaMa in 2018 when we won the Tony award for best regional theater. In 2018 Michelle’s Arms, which is in this volume, was published in ‘Michelle Obama’s Impact on African American Women and Girls. Published by Palgrave Macmillan.

Sista FM Diva: Poetry Inna Mi Yahd is her first poetic release.