Alumna, award-winning poet and Detroit author named Michigan Poet Laureate

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Dr. Melba Joyce Boyd, BA ’71, MA ‘72, a celebrated poet and author, was named Michigan’s third poet laureate. The announcement, made in February by the Michigan Department of Education and the Library of Michigan, marks a milestone in Boyd’s distinguished career, one that spans decades of literary accomplishments, from award-winning poetry collections to groundbreaking contributions to African American literature.

“Dr. Boyd is an internationally recognized poet and scholar, but she has maintained incredibly strong ties to the state of Michigan. Being named poet laureate is the perfect honor to recognize her lifetime of accomplishments. We're incredibly proud that Dr. Boyd got her start as a poet and scholar right here at WMU,” says Dr. Todd Kuchta, Department of English chair.

A native of Detroit, Boyd has written about the culture, history and people of Michigan. The author of 13 books, including “Death Dance of a Butterfly” and “Roses and Revolutions: The Selected Writings of Dudley Randall,” Boyd combines her personal reflection with historical context.

Boyd is a retired distinguished professor in African American studies from Wayne State University and an adjunct faculty member at the University of Michigan. Her poetry, essays and creative nonfiction have appeared in anthologies, academic journals, cultural periodicals and newspapers in the United States and Europe. The Kresge Foundation honored her as the 2023 Kresge Eminent Artist.

“Although I have lived in other states and other parts of the world, Michigan is where I was born and raised. This is where I became a poet, learned to appreciate and respect nature and to cherish and inspire humanity,” Boyd says. “I look forward to sharing my poetry with a broad range of audiences across the two peninsulas and encouraging our young people to recognize the power of poetry to stimulate creative thinking and as apassionate cultural resource.”

As the Michigan Poet Laureate, Boyd will meet with students, teachers and residents across the state in schools and libraries to promote poetry, spoken word and literary arts. ■