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.

She grew up in Grand Point, Louisiana, near New Orleans, 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. She served as 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, Éloizes, 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.



Books

 * Potions d’amour, thés, incantations / Love Potions, Teas, Incantations (Harvard Square Press, 2023).
 * Bayou des Acadiens / Blind River (Les Éditions Perce-Neige, 2015).
 * Lamothe-Cadillac: sa jeunesse en France / Lamothe-Cadillac: His Early Days in France (Les Éditions Tintamarres, 2009).
 * Le blues braillant / The Blues Cryin’ (Cross-Cultural Communications,1999).
 * La Grande Pointe / Grand Point (Cross-Cultural Communications, 1995).
 * Je me souviens de la Louisiane / I Remember Louisiana (March Street Press, 1994).
 * Images cadiennes / Cajun Images (Ridgeway Press, 1994).

Translation

 * The Artist / L'Artiste, portfolio edition of poetry by two-time United States Poet Laureate Stanley Kunitz, translated from English to French, with Nicole J.M. Kennedy (Cross-Cultural Communications, 2006).

Anthologies

 * Contes Merveilleux de la Louisiane (Les Éditions Tintamarres, 2023).
 * Universal Oneness: An Anthology of Magnum Opus Poems from Around the World, 360 poems by 360 poets from 60 countries (Authors Press, 2020).
 * Far Out: Poems of the ‘60s (Wings Press, 2016).
 * Here: Women Writing on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula (Michigan State University Press, 2015).
 * The Way North, poems and stories (Wayne State University Press, 2013).
 * Voices Israel Anthology: Poetry from Israel & Abroad (Voices Israel Group, 2012).
 * Cadence of Hooves: A Celebration of Horses (Yarrow Mountain Press, 2008).
 * French Connections: A Gathering of Franco-American Poets (Louisiana Literature, 2007).
 * Louisiana in Words: A Book of Hours (Pelican Publishing, 2006).
 * Trois siècles de vie française au pays de Cadillac (Les Éditions Sivori, 2002).
 * Resurrecting Grace (Beacon Press, 2001).
 * Uncommonplace, a collection of poetry (Louisiana State University Press, 1998).
 * Two Worlds Walking, short stories, essays, and poetry (New Rivers Press, 1993).