Meet the new Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula

ISHPEMING, Mich. (WLUC) - The U.P. Poet Laureate Foundation has named the next Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula.

The purpose of the role is to serve as an ambassador for poetry across the entire U.P.

Before announcing the new titleholder, TV6′s Tia Trudgeon sits down with Marty Achatz of the U.P. Poet Laureate Foundation about how this writer was chosen and what having a poet laureate means for the community.

TV6's Tia Trudgeon talks to Marty Achatz of the U.P. Poet Laureate Foundation about what this title means for the poet and community at large.

Beverly Matherne will serve as the Poet Laureate of the Upper Peninsula for the next two years.

The position is unpaid, and most poet laureates accept the position for the love of the craft.

Matherne tells Trudgeon she’s looking forward to working in schools and watching students garner a love of poetry.

Beverly Matherne talks to TV6's Tia Trudgeon about her new role as Poet Laureate and shares an original poem.

Matherne retired from NMU’s Department of English in 2015.

She’s published many poems in magazines and journals throughout her career, in addition to six poetry books.

Her latest poetry book called Love Potions, Teas, and Incantations is being released at the Great Lakes Poetry Festival on April 26 at the Peter White Public Library.

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