Jolene Maleski was the first place winner of the 2024 Live Out Proud poetry contest with her poem, “Body Double.”
Photo Credit — Submitted by Rainbow Alliance
Submit your Live Out Proud Poetry Contest 2025 entry to Rainbow Alliance by Friday, May 16, at 11:59 p.m. for a chance to win.
Photo Credit — Submitted by Rainbow Alliance
There’s still time to enter the Live Out Proud Poetry Contest hosted by Rainbow Alliance & NEPA Pride Project. In its 2024 edition, Jolene Maleski of Wilkes-Barre was the first-place winner with her moving poem, “Body Double.”
The purpose of this contest is to foster creative expression within the Greater Wyoming Valley LGBTQ+ community. Rainbow Alliance is looking for unpublished poems that make a lasting impression and flex your self-expression. Jolene Maleski nailed those Live Out Proud values in her submission.
Jolene Maleski explores the body, the skin, love, and acceptance in her winning poem, “Body Double.” Through vivid imagery and emotional openness, she conveys not only her personal journey but also a sentiment we can all relate to.
“Skin — it really is an outfit, it’s not who you are,” said Jolene Maleski in a phone interview with The Weekender. “You celebrate your differences no matter what the circumstances are.”
“I wrote it after quite a year,” explained Jolene, a mother, a wife, and a breast cancer survivor. “I didn’t realize the amount of people that would really appreciate it.”
Writing helped her get through that time. She explained the title, “Body Double,” by saying that her wife helped her truly see her body and herself once again.
“Because my wife and I were so close — you share things, but everyone’s been given their own body and two do become one. But, when someone has to lift up yours – you realize no, love takes on so many different forms,” explained Jolene of the poignant title. “She helped me see mine for what it is”
“I’d like to think I have a really good sense of humor so that last line made me laugh out loud a little, and I still laugh because I didn’t know how long the process was,” said Jolene Maleski.
THE LAST LINE READS:
“So I turn to stare
and laugh this time instead of cry, thinking
Barbie didn’t have nipples either.”
She said, giggling, “I swear I will get those nipples.”
Jolene believes poetry always has a purpose. Whether it’s tears or laughter or anger, writing can be a powerful outlet. Jolene was able to put her surgery into words and encapsulate all its emotions into an award-winning poem that sticks with the reader.
“Don’t be afraid to write, don’t be afraid to share your writing. It’s not about what people think, it’s something inside you that needs to come out,” said Jolene. “It’s forever my favorite outlet ever. The keys tapping, the pen going — it’s therapy. “
Writing helped her close that challenging chapter of her life. She said she just had a checkup and there’s no evidence of cancer! Now, she just continues to push forward, living in Wilkes-Barre with her wife and son.
“Life is great, we have our five-year-old and now we’re Tee-ball moms!” she said enthusiastically.
Jolene has been writing ever since she was a kid and continues to write and publish poetry as well as journal, another form of therapy for her. She graduated from King’s College with a degree in English Writing and currently works from home in the healthcare field.
She said she didn’t use her degree for the longest time, and was a starving artist for a while — but no longer! After taking first place in the poetry contest, she now wants to put together a compilation of poetry from over the years, so there may just be a poetry book or memoir in the works soon in addition to her “forever novel” she’s continuously working on.
Jolene found the Live Out Proud Poetry Contest on Facebook, after following Rainbow Alliance for years. She thought this was the perfect occasion, where her poetry would have a place. She decided to submit it right at the deadline and good thing that she did!
“When you see something, when the mood strikes that it could be a perfect outlet for your writing, it makes you swing that way,” said Jolene.
Jolene says she hopes to see poetry and writing continue to branch out in this area. There can be limited opportunities in NEPA for writing/poetry so it’s important to keep putting yourself out there whenever you can. Poetry may seem like a tiny niche here, but there’s plenty of talented writers in this area and people want to read your material!
Jolene said it was incredible to unite with so many other great writers. Even when she read her poem live at PrideFest 2024, she said it was wonderful to stand next to the other LGBTQ+ writers from NEPA getting up to speak.
The next PrideFest will take place Sunday, June 22, 2025 in Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the top three Live Out Proud Poetry Contest winners will all read at the event.
Submit your entry to Rainbow Alliance by Friday, May 16, at 11:59 p.m. for a chance to win. The top three selected poems will receive prizes and recognition. More information on the contest and prizes are available here: https://rainbowalliance.org/poetry-contest/
