Kristen Lee

About Me

Kristen Lee is a Chinese-American writer, artist, and speaker from Herricks High School in Long Island, New York, and the 2026-2027 Nassau County Teen Poet Laureate. She is a two-time First Class Distinction winner in the National Council of Teachers of English Achievement Awards in Writing and has been recognized by National Public Radio, the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers, the Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest, and the Walt Whitman Birthplace Association, among others. Her honors also include awards from the Nassau Reading Council’s Young Authors’ Contest, sponsored by the NYS Reading Association, and the Kenneth F. Gambone Writing Contest, hosted by the Long Island Language Arts Council.Her work has been published in The Shore, Polyphony Lit, Apprentice Writer, 1455 Books, The Howl, and Noor, among others. Kristen currently serves on the executive board of OPUS, Herricks High School’s award-winning literary magazine; is a prose editor at The Bokeh Review, an international youth-run magazine dedicated to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities through art and writing; and is enrolled in Polyphony Lit’s “How to Be a Literary Editor” training course.Since 2024, Kristen has been working extensively on a historical fantasy novel she hopes to someday publish. Beyond the page, she has competed in the 2025 Poetry Out Loud Regional Finals and enjoys making the voices of her and others heard through community engagement.When not writing or painting, Kristen enjoys volunteering at NYU Langone Health, watching summertime baseball games, and spending time with her dog, Penthesilea.

Awards and Distinctions

Nassau County Teen Poet Laureate Scholarship and Title, Nassau County Poet Laureate Society for "Campfire Tale" and "figure-eights"First Class Distinction, NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing for "When Told These Hands Weren't Supposed to Be for Writing"First Class Distinction, NCTE Achievement Awards in Writing for "Foreshore"Silver Key, Scholastic Writing Awards for "The Bouquet of Chrysanthi"Honorable Mention, Scholastic Writing Awards for CortègeHonorable Mention, Scholastic Writing Awards for "(A)isles"Honorable Mention, NPR Student Podcast Challenge for "13 Going on Covid-19"Honorable Mention, Nancy Thorp Poetry Contest for "Women: Unwanted, Wanting"Honorable Mention, Walt Whitman Birthplace Association 40th Annual Student Poetry Contest for "A Shadowed Sprout's Awakening"Winner, Nassau Reading Council Young Author’s Contest for "For Last"2nd Place Winner, LILAC Kenneth F. Gambone Writing Contest for "a letter to myself in another life" and "False Color"Runner-Up, Immerse Education Blog Competition for "How to Bridge Two Worlds"

Publications

Poetry

"Whaling," The Shore"Campfire Tale," Polyphony Lit"I'll Wait," Noor Magazine"wanderlust," Moonstone Arts Center"A Shadowed Sprout's Awakening," Walt Whitman Birthplace Association"asian american femme as a modern new york scriptwriter," 1455 Books"tactile," The Battering Ram"Earthrise," The Battering Ram

Prose

"Earl Gray and Ristretto," Apprentice Writer

Visual Art

"Eleftheria," The Howl

Experiences and Performances

Teen Laureate of Nassau County, appointed by the Nassau County Poet Laureate SocietyVice President of OPUS 68Prose Editor at The Bokeh ReviewRecitation in the Poetry Out Loud Long Island Regional Finals at the Walt Whitman Birthplace CenterReading at the Nassau County Teen Poet Laureate Open Mic at The Wheatley School

Podcasts

"13 Going on Covid-19""10 Under 10""The Confining Boxes of Society""With Each Generation"

Press Coverage

Long Island Press, "Herricks junior announced as Nassau County’s second teen poet laureate"Newsday, "Herricks podcasting class helps students find their voice"