At left is the cover of the book Superior Voyage” is the subject of the Oct. 12 U.P. Notable Book Club event. The book of poetry includes works about the beauty of the Upper Peninsula. (Photo courtesy of the Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association)

By CHRISTIE MASTRIC

Journal Staff Writer

MARQUETTE — The natural beauty of the Upper Peninsula is just one theme found in the next featured book of the U.P. Notable Book Club, “Superior Voyage.”

The Upper Peninsula Publishers and Authors Association and the Crystal Falls Community District Library schedules author events with winners of the U.P. Notable Book List. The next event is set for 7 p.m. Oct. 12 on the Zoom platform. Contact Evelyn Gathu in advance at egathu@crystalfallslibrary.org or 906-875-3344. The UPPAA urges people to borrow a copy of the book or buy it from a local bookstore to prepare for the event.

The anthology is a follow-up to the Marquette Poets Circle’s “Maiden Voyage,” which came out five years ago.

“Superior Voyage” is yet another volume of poetry, which includes work from writers such as Lynn Domina. She writes in “McCarty’s Cove”:

“This afternoon, as winter shifts finally

toward spring, I wouldn’t have imagined myself,

still barely believing my luck, kneeling

in sand between the lighthouse keeper’s red house

and the cove surely meant for swimming,

filling my cupped hands

with fresh water, remembering here,

I live here.”

According to the UPPAA, “Superior Voyage” includes the work of 42 poets, with each contributor fielding two to six entries.

Marquette author Tyler Tichelaar wrote about “Superior Voyage” in the U.P. Book Review.

“As for topics, not surprisingly, many of the poems are influenced by nature and the beauty of the Upper Peninsula as well as the difficulties of living here, especially in winter,” Tichelaar said. “Several poems were written during the pandemic and reference it. But other poems cover a variety of topics ranging from Bigfoot and war to romantic love, family relationships, and dinosaurs.”

The 31st U.P. Notable Book Club event will feature Marty Achatz, Milton J. Bates, Lisa Fosmo and Beverly Matherne, who are members of the Marquette Poets Circle.

Achatz, who lives in Ishpeming, has taught for Northern Michigan University’s Department of English since 1998. He served two consecutive terms as U.P. Poet Laureate and currently is president of the U.P. Laureate Foundation. Achatz also is the adult programming coordinator for the Peter White Public Library.

Bates, who lives in Marquette, is the author of books about the poet Wallace Stevens, the Vietnam War and the Bark River watershed in Wisconsin. His poetry includes the collection “Stand Still in the Light” and two chapbooks, “Always on Fire” and “As They Were.”

The work of Fosmo, who lives in Escanaba, has been published in various regional journals and anthologies. She currently serves as a judge for the National Poetry contests of the National Federation of State Poetry Societies, Inc., and is the newly elected vice president of the U.P. Poet Laureate Foundation. She also wrote a full-length book of poetry, “Mercy is a Bright Darkness.”

Matherne is the 2023 and 2024 U.P. Poet Laureate, is professor emrita of English at NMU and is the author of seven bilingual books of poetry. Matherne was director of the Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing at NMU and director of the departent’s visiting writing series, and served as poetry editor of Passages North literary magazine. She has received seven first-place prizes, including the Hackney Literary Award for Poetry, and four Pushcart Prize nominations.

More information about the U.P. Notable Book list, U.P. Book Review and UPPAA can be found at www.UPNotable.com

The UPPAA welcomes membership and participation from anyone with a Upper Peninsula connection who is interested in writing.

The Marquette Poets Circle meets on the second Thursday of the month at the Peter White Public Library. For more information on the group, visit marquettepoetscircle.wordpress.com.

Christie Mastric can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 550. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.