Margareta L. Waterman (December 8, 1932 – May 9, 2026), intentionally stylised lowercase as margareta waterman, was an American poet and publisher. She founded the small press nine muses books in Seattle, Washington, in 1987, and published upwards of 70 books and chapbooks by poets, improvisational musicians, and other writers from the Pacific Northwest in her lifetime. 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 were 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 to 1994.Phil West, At Red Sky, There's No Limit For Experimenting Poets, Seattle Times, January 17, 1992 accessed May 31, 2014 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 to 1990.
Background waterman was born in Boston, Massachusetts, and was raised in New York City. Her mother was a French (and later music) 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 to 1957, Lewis Murdock from 1957 to 1982, and had 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 to 1998. She traveled extensively and lived in Greece, India, Australia, Africa, China, Tibet, and various countries in South America.
waterman died in Winston, Oregon, on May 9, 2026, at the age of 93.
Selected works the seed of osiris, nine muses books, 1987 eleusinian theatre, nine muses books, 1988 red sky sketches, nine muses books, 1988 moon riding backwards, nine muses books, 1989 lady orpheus, nine muses books, 1990 cracked crystal, nine muses books, 1991 egyptian night, nine muses books, 1991 walkin' occam's razor, nine muses books, 1991 lady orpheus, nine muses books, 1993 astarte calling clytemnestra, nine muses books, 1994 some south american colors, nine muses books, 1995 five songs from the primordial alphabet, nine muses books, 1996 cloud coop songs, 26 BOOKS, 1997 the mother of the world, nine muses books, 1999 loose ends, nine muses books, 2000 the lion throne, nine muses books, 2002 pending visions, nine muses books, 2003 now and other times, nine muses books, 2003 iteration, nine muses books, 2005 the sexuality of ageing, nine muses books, 2009 achilles and helen, nine muses books, 2013 the voice of lysergic acid, nine muses books, 2013
References
External links nine muses books margareta waterman page on Oregon Poetic Voices Oregon Arts Commission Interview with margareta waterman on Vispo.com