Michigan Poet Laureate Dr. Melba Joyce Boyd to appear in Lansing, East Lansing in November

October 2, 2025

The RCAH Center for Poetry proudly announces a reading and workshop with Dr. Melba Joyce Boyd, the new Poet Laureate of the State of Michigan.

The reading will be held at 7:00 p.m. on November 14, 2025, at the East Lansing Public Library, 950 Abbot Road, with a reception and book signing to follow. The workshop, hosted by the Lansing Poetry Club as part of its Poets’ Roundtable Conference, will be held the following morning, November 15, at 10:45 a.m. at the Library of Michigan, 702 W. Kalamazoo Street, Lansing.

Dr. Boyd’s reading and workshop are a major cultural event in the tri-county area—an opportunity for local writers and community members to connect with and learn from an iconic Michigan artist.

Dr. Boyd is a renowned poet, scholar, and community maker with deep roots in Michigan creative communities. Her life and work is rooted in Detroit. She began her career as an assistant editor to Dudley Randall, founder of the legendary Broadside Press. She has gone on to publish thirteen books, including nine books of poetry, and a series of scholarly monographs which illuminate Black creative history. She is Distinguished Professor in African American Studies at Wayne State University, and a recipient of Kresge Arts Detroit’s 2023 Eminent Artist Award. She was named Michigan’s third Poet Laureate in February 2025.

Please direct all media inquiries to Toby Altman, Director of the RCAH Center for Poetry: altmanto@msu.edu and L. Ruelaine Stokes, President of the Lansing Poetry Club: ruestokes@gmail.com. Visit poetry.rcah.msu.edu for the latest updates and details.