Margareta Waterman


margareta waterman is an American poet and publisher. She founded the small press nine muses books in Seattle, Washington in 1987, and has since published upwards of 70 books and chapbooks by poets, improvisational musicians, and other writers from the Pacific Northwest. nine muses books is listed in The Directory of Poetry Publishers, 30th edition. More than two dozen books of waterman's poems and short stories have been published. Her work references mythology and the female experience. Waterman did not begin publicly performing her work or publishing until she was in her 50s.
In Seattle, waterman was affiliated with the Seattle Muse Community and served on the board of the Red Sky Poetry Theatre from 1989-1994. She founded manifest arts, a series of poetry and performance art videos originally broadcast on TCI. manifest arts documented work by Charlie Burks, Louise Dovell, Martina Goodin, Bill Shively, Carletta Wilson, Marion Kimes, Michael Hureaux, Thomas R Prince, and David Lloyd Whited from 1989-1990.

Personal life

waterman was born in Boston, Massachusetts and was raised in New York City. Her mother was a French teacher, and her father was a sports journalist. Both parents were involved in labor organizing. waterman attended New York public schools before attending Connecticut College, Hunter College, and Williams College. waterman was married to Kenneth Moore from 1951-1957, Lewis Murdock from 1957-1982, and has three children, Cynthia, Pamela, and Roderick. She brought her family west in 1969 to join a commune in Southern Oregon. In 1986, she moved to Seattle and began to collaborate with musicians, dancers, painters, and sculptors. She did an extensive reading tour of the United States and Canada from 1994-1998. She has traveled extensively and lived in Greece, India, Australia, Africa, China, Tibet, and various countries in South America.

Selected works