Her Story
About Vernae
I launched my literary career in 2019 with my first major release, a huge anthology collaboration book called Breakthrough alongside notable authors like Nick Halleck and Les Brown, which propelled me into my world of entrepreneurship and authorship. In 2020, I wrote 'Letters to My Father, Seven Steps to Healing from the Loss of a Parent' in honor of my father who passed at a young age. Since then, I've been featured in over 15 publications. The collection I'm most proud of is my Life, Love, Lost Poetry Collection, which has been completely funded by the Greater Columbus Arts Council here in Columbus, although I'm a New Jersey native. As a performing artist with music being my first love, I've been able to marry my love of performing with the literary arts, performing my poetry across the city. Writing has always been my outlet since I was a child, back when we used to call them diaries. I've always known that one of the things on my bucket list was to be an author. When the pandemic hit and all my contracts were null and void, I couldn't perform, so I began speaking on platforms virtually and doing collaborations. I wanted to secure a legacy because my father unfortunately was only in his 50s when he passed, and he didn't even scratch the surface of what he could have become. I felt it necessary that I want the world to know not only was I here, but my dad was here, and my late grandmother who passed in 2021 at 91 was here and sacrificed her entire life for us.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Vernae
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to the people who have shaped me, especially my grandmother Minnie Taylor, who gave her entire life to make sure that me and my brother had a fighting chance when we were awarded to the court. They really wanted to separate us and we could have most definitely been in the system, but she wanted to keep us together. Minnie Taylor is my why. I'm so thankful that she was alive to see me become a published author. I also draw strength from my father, Alexander Taylor, being able to do the things that he couldn't because, quite frankly, addiction and alcoholism robbed him of his potential. I think that's really what launched me into my purpose. Sadly, the areas of deep grief and loss helped me realize that I don't have time, and there's something greater than myself, and I want there to be a footprint when I'm gone.
02What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
If you had an antidote for someone that was sick, someone that was dying, that was on their last breath, and you had it in your backpack, how shameful of you to walk around with the antidote, with the answer that so many are looking for, and not offer it up and not share it. We all have gifts, and we all are gifted with very unique, special gifts. And it's one of those things to just tap into. I think a lot of times we overthink it. I'm very analytical, I'm very much an overthinker. This vision of the Life, Love, Lost Culture Collection was something that I envisioned in 2016, but it didn't come to fruition and materialize until 2024. So my advice is that they just do it. Think later, just do it. Don't even worry about how people are going to feel about it, because the person that needs to receive what you have is absolutely going to be there to receive it, and they're going to accept it, and they're going to feel better because of it. I also know a great bit of advice is to know that there's someone always watching. Even on your worst day, somebody is wishing and hoping that they had the life that you had, or were sitting in the same seat as you were sitting. So do it, do it afraid, do it now, we just don't have time. And even now, in the perilous times that we're living, life is frail. Life is but a vapor, just a bit of a moment, and we just have to seize the moment now.
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