Martin AchatzMartin Achatz grew up about 20 miles from the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He holds a BA in English, Computer Science, and Math; Master's in Fiction; and MFA in Poetry. For over 25 years, he has been a Contingent Profesor for Northern Michigan University's English Department. After a long career in the healthcare industry, Achatz is currently the Adult Programming Coordinator for Peter White Public Library in Marquette, Michigan, hosting poetry readings, concerts, and cultural events, including two NEA Big Reads. In 2022, he helped establish the Great Lakes Poetry Festival.Achatz's poetry and prose have appeared in Kennesaw Review, The Paterson Literary Review, Dunes Review, The MacGuffin, biostories.com, and elsewhere. Mayapple Press published his first collection of poems, The Mysteries of the Rosary, and his work has also appeared in numerous anthologies. Achatz has twice been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and worked as Poetry Editor for Passages North literary magazine. For two consecutive terms (2017-2020), Achatz served as U.P. Poet Laureate. For his accomplishments, the City of Marquette has awarded him Arts Advocate of the Year (2021) and Writer of the Year (2023). He is the current President of the U.P. Poet Laureate Foundation.Achatz lives in Ishpeming, Michigan, with his family, and, in his spare time, chases comets and Bigfoot. Read More Read Less