Beverly Matherne

Beverly Matherne (born March 15, 1946) is an American poet, translator, and editor, specializing in free verse poetry, prose poetry, short short fiction, and lyric essay.

Poet Laureate of Michigan's Upper Peninsula Beverly Matherne
Occupation	Poet Translator Editor
Nationality	American
Genre	Poetry

She grew up in Grand Point, near New Orleans, Louisiana, surrounded by a story telling tradition in French and English and the music of the area: Cajun, blues, and jazz. From writing in French to performing blues poetry, these influences have shaped her work. In turn, her blues poetry has inspired artists, including Italian painter Giampiero Actis.

A graduate of Lutcher High School, she received a bachelor of arts degree in English and a master of arts degree in English from the University of Louisiana, at Lafayette, as well as a doctor of philosophy degree in Drama from Saint Louis University. A defender of French language and literature in Louisiana, she did extensive work in French at the University of California, at Berkeley. She taught English and creative writing at the University of Louisiana, at Lafayette, Kansas State University, and Northern Michigan University, where she served as director of the Masters of Fine Arts program in English and poetry editor of Passages North literary magazine. Professor Emerita of English at Northern Michigan University, and the 2023-24 Poet Laureate of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, she resides in Ishpeming, Michigan.

The author of seven bilingual books of poetry, her latest title is Potions d'amour, thés, incantations / Love Potions, Teas, Incantations. She has won seven first place prizes, including the Hackney Literary Award for Poetry. Widely published, she has work in anthologies, such as Universal Oneness: An Anthology of Magnum Opus Poems from Around the World, and journals, such as Metamorphoses, Plat Valley Review, and Verse, plus French language publications such as Ancrages, Eloizes, and Feux chalins. She has received four Pushcart Prize nominations and has done over 360 readings across Michigan, the United States, Canada, France, and elsewhere abroad.

Homage to Beverly Matherne's poem The Blues Cryin', painting by Gianpiero Actis, Italy.