Dr. Melba Joyce Boyd has been selected as Michigan’s third poet laureate. Boyd is an award-winning author and retired professor of African American Studies at Wayne State University.

Dr. Boyd has authored 13 books, nine of which are poetry collections. Her works “Death Dance of a Butterfly” and “Roses and Revolutions: The Selected Writings of Dudley Randall” were recognized as Michigan Notable Books. In 2023, the Kresge Foundation honored her as the Kresge Eminent Artist.

“I’m humbled that the powers that be decided that I was worthy. And it’s exciting,” said Boyd.

As poet laureate, Boyd will engage with students, educators and community members through readings and workshops. She plans to incorporate interdisciplinary arts into her programming, collaborating with musicians and other artists.

“I want to encourage people to appreciate poetry, to read it more and to realize how much can be gained from it,” Boyd said. “Poetry is the most intense form of writing — it is like dancing, while prose is like walking.”

Boyd succeeds Nandi Comer, who served from 2023 to 2024.

Boyd will serve a two-year term. More information about the Michigan Poet Laureate program can be found at michigan.gov/poetlaureate.